Global EV sales reach 7.75 million through May, up 3.5% as regional fortunes diverge
May marked the strongest month of 2026 so far with 1.85 million EVs sold worldwide, up 7.2% year on year — but the headline hides a three-speed market: Europe surging, China contracting, North America resetting.
Global sales of battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles reached 7,753,964 units in the first five months of 2026, up 3.5% from the same period a year earlier, according to the evcount Research database. Momentum improved as the year progressed: May alone delivered 1,853,400 units, a 7.2% year-on-year gain and the strongest monthly growth rate of 2026 to date.
A three-speed market
The global average conceals sharply diverging regional trajectories.
- Europe is the growth engine: 1,988,020 units through May, up 27.5% year on year.
- China, still more than half of the world market at 4,162,853 units, is down 10.4% — though May narrowed the decline to -2.8%.
- North America contracted 27.6% to 517,318 units as US demand reset.
Beyond the big three regions, several mid-sized markets are scaling rapidly. Korea more than doubled to 166,498 units (+110.3%), Brazil grew 131.4% to 139,555, and Italy rose 89.1% to 136,803 — evidence that EV adoption is broadening well beyond its traditional strongholds.
Leaderboard: BYD holds the crown, Tesla defends second
BYD remained the world's largest EV maker with 1,001,161 units through May — the only OEM above the million mark. Tesla followed at 600,584, with Geely (389,433), Changan (310,870) and Leapmotor (236,337) rounding out the top five. Chinese groups took seven of the top ten global positions.
At model level, the Tesla Model Y stayed the world's best-selling EV at 413,960 units, ahead of Geely's Star Wish (182,652) and the Tesla Model 3 (168,706).
Powertrain mix
Battery-electric vehicles accounted for 71.2% of global EV sales year to date, with plug-in hybrids at 28.8%. The BEV share remains highest in North America (85.0%) and lowest in China (68.4%), where extended-range and plug-in hybrid formats continue to win price-sensitive buyers.
The 2026 EV market is no longer one story. Europe is compounding, China is consolidating after its record 2025, and North America is finding a new baseline — three cycles moving at different speeds within one global total.
Data through May 2026 · evcount Research database. EV = BEV + PHEV. Figures reflect monthly sales aggregated across 85+ countries.