Global electric vehicle (EV) sales climbed to 1.7 million units in March and reached 4.1 million for the first quarter of 2025, marking a 29% increase from the same period last year, according to new data from EV research group Rho Motion. The figures also represent a 40% surge in monthly sales compared to February, underlining the sector’s continued expansion despite policy turbulence and economic uncertainty.
China remained the largest EV market globally, with sales rising 36% year-over-year to nearly 1 million vehicles in March. Europe followed with 22% growth for the quarter, buoyed by a strong performance in battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), which grew 27%.
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Germany’s BEV segment jumped 37%, Italy surged 64%, and the United Kingdom surpassed 100,000 EV sales in March for the first time. In contrast, France saw an 18% decline in EV sales, attributed to recent cuts in government subsidies that heavily impacted both BEVs and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).
North American EV sales grew 16% in Q1, but the outlook remains clouded by a wave of new tariffs under President Donald Trump’s administration. A 25% tariff on vehicle imports from Canada and Mexico imposed in February was followed by a broader measure in March affecting all auto imports. With roughly 40% of EVs sold in the U.S. sourced from countries such as Japan, Korea, and Mexico, analysts expect these tariffs to raise prices and pressure demand.
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“This quarter, while turbulent, has seen a strong rate of growth globally for the EV market,” said Charles Lester, data manager at Rho Motion. “Some countries, such as the UK, had a record-breaking March as drivers continue to go electric.”
Lester added, “Meanwhile, in North America, forecasts are struggling to keep up with the rate of policy announcements under the current White House administration. What is sure is that the electric vehicle market is already struggling to compete with ICE on cost, so reductions in subsidies and hefty tariffs for a very international supply chain are guaranteed to have a cooling effect on the industry.”
Rho Motion’s quarterly data breakdown shows:
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Global: 4.1 million units (+29% YoY)
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China: 2.4 million units (+36%)
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Europe: 0.9 million units (+22%)
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North America: 0.5 million units (+16%)
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Rest of World: 0.3 million units (+27%)
Despite geopolitical headwinds, the momentum behind EV adoption appears resilient, though regional disparities are expected to widen as markets respond to evolving regulatory landscapes.