The Automotive Update: Regional results weigh on global EV market
18 June 2026
What does EV Volumes’ latest data reveal about the world’s new electric vehicle (EV) market? Will mandated targets play a part? Autovista24 editor Tom Geggus discusses the data in the Automotive Update podcast.
Are global sales of new battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) growing at the same rate? How are the biggest EV markets affecting worldwide figures? Find out in this new podcast episode featuring Autovista24 special content editor Phil Curry and Autovista24 journalist Tom Hooker.
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Global PHEV decline driven by China
BEVs and PHEVs have seen contrasting performances in the global market across the first four months of this year. EV Volumes data reveals sales of PHEVs fell by 18.4% year on year across the first four months of 2026. Meanwhile, deliveries of all-electric models grew by 2.5% compared to the same period in 2025.
A slump in China was a primary driver of the global PHEV market’s decline. The country accounted for over half of all new PHEV deliveries in the first four months of 2026. However, sales dropped by more than a third year on year in the country.
‘PHEVs have been in decline in China since July 2025, according to the latest EV Volumes data. So, the struggle is not a new one, but it really is having an impact on the global market,’ Curry explained.
The country’s significant share meant that the poor results overpowered growth recorded in other high-volume PHEV countries. Many of these were in Europe, including Germany, the world’s second-largest market for PHEVs. It saw an 18% sales surge, representing 6.3% of the technology’s global volumes.
‘The UK recorded an increase of nearly 50% year-on-year. Sales more than doubled in Italy, and Spain saw a significant growth of 68.4%,’ Hooker outlined.
BEV sales drop in the US
China also played a major role in the global BEV results. The country suffered an 18.1% year-on-year sales decline between January and April, as it made up 45.6% of all deliveries. However, it was not the only major all-electric market to endure a fall.
‘The world’s second-biggest BEV market also recorded a drop, and a more severe one at that. The US saw deliveries of new all-electric cars fall by more than a quarter in the first four months of 2026. However, it only made up 7.1% of global sales, compared to China’s much larger share,’ Geggus highlighted.
Growth from other high-volume BEV countries compensated for these two declines. France and Germany enjoyed a year-on-year growth of 47.1% and 42.1% between January and April, respectively. The UK also saw a double-digit improvement, with BEV sales up 21.9%.
This comes as the UK’s zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate faces possible amendment, according to the BBC. Current targets require 80% of all new cars sold to be ZEVs in 2030. This includes BEVs and fuel cell electric vehicles. The target for 2030 could change to anywhere between 50% and 70%.
Yet current reports only indicate that the government will consult on the ZEV mandate. It will be some time before this consultation delivers an outcome for the automotive industry.
