Electric Vehicle Sales Skyrocket to 2.1M Globally in September

Global sales of fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles surged by 26% in September compared to the same month last year, reaching a record-breaking 2.1 million units. According to market research firm Rho Motion.

China accounted for about two-thirds of global sales with about 1.3 million units, while North America also hit a record as US buyers moved to secure incentives before they expired, said Rho Motion data manager Charles Lester.

China is the world’s biggest car market and accounts for more than half of global EV sales, which in Rho Motion’s data include battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. September, typically China’s busiest month for car buying, saw sales rise as shoppers looked to make the most of trade-in subsidies before some regions started phasing them out.

Global sales of battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids rose 26 per cent to a record 2.1 million units in September, Rho Motion data showed.

Chinese sales rose to about 1.3 million vehicles. European sales jumped 36 per cent to 427,541 units, while North American sales climbed 66 per cent to about 215,000. Sales in the rest of the world jumped 48 per cent to 153,594 vehicles.

US demand reflected a surge as buyers rushed to claim the expiring US$7,500 EV tax credit, although demand is expected to decline sharply in the fourth quarter “as both consumers and businesses lose access to the federal incentives that have underpinned EV purchases”, Rho Motion said.

Europe also hit a new high, helped by incentives in Germany and strong demand in Britain, while Tesla’s rollout of a lower-cost Model Y in Europe is expected to further intensify competition in coming months.