Electric-vehicle sales rose 25% worldwide but 6% in North America from January through August 2025, compared with the same months in 2024. The figures, attributed to Rho Motion and reported by Ars Technica, describe growth—not the share of new cars that were electric. The reported global total was 12.5 million vehicles, including battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).
What the 25% and 6% figures measure
Both percentages compare sales in January–August 2025 with sales in January–August 2024. The 25% figure is worldwide year-over-year growth; 6% is growth for the North American region as labeled in the report. The 12.5 million global vehicles sold over the eight-month period included BEVs and PHEVs. The report does not identify conventional hybrids without a plug as part of that total.
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These are growth rates, not market shares: 25% does not mean electric vehicles made up a quarter of global vehicle sales in those eight months, and 6% does not mean they made up 6% of North American sales. The Ars Technica report does not provide the underlying Rho Motion data table or country-level components for North America, so the regional figure should not be treated as a specific country’s result.
Why North America lagged the global growth rate
The report points to different market conditions during the comparison period, but does not quantify how much each one contributed to the gap.
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- US purchases shifted ahead of a tax-credit deadline. Rho Motion data manager Charles Lester said US consumers accelerated purchases ahead of the federal tax credit’s expiration at the end of September 2025. That is context for buying activity, not evidence that the credit alone explains North America’s 6% growth.
- China faced a strong comparison period. Robust Chinese sales in the same months of 2024 affected the year-over-year comparison, according to the report. Growth rates depend partly on the starting point, so a strong prior-year period can make subsequent growth look more modest.
- Europe continued to gain momentum. The report describes continued momentum there, contributing to a stronger global picture. It does not assign a numerical share of worldwide growth to Europe.
The available figures do not isolate the separate effects of tax policy, vehicle affordability, model availability, charging access, or other factors. They show an uneven regional outcome, not a measured explanation for every difference.
How later full-year 2025 data compares
The January–August figures are a snapshot, not the final global growth rate for 2025. In its 2026 account of the full year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says electric-car sales grew 20% to more than 20 million, equal to one-quarter of new cars sold worldwide. The IEA also reports that European electric-car sales grew more than 30% for the year, while US sales share remained just below 10% and sales fell significantly in the fourth quarter. See the IEA’s Global EV Outlook 2026.
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The IEA’s annual figures are useful subsequent context, not a direct restatement of Rho Motion’s eight-month numbers. The sources cover different reporting windows and use their own series and methodologies. The IEA’s 25% figure is a share of new-car sales; Rho Motion’s 25% is year-over-year growth. The matching number describes a different measure.
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For a consumer weighing an EV purchase, these sales figures alone do not show whether a particular model is affordable, available, or practical locally. Nor do they establish how much any single policy or market factor changed sales. They are most useful as evidence that growth was substantially stronger worldwide than in North America during the first eight months of 2025—and that regional and full-year comparisons need their period, vehicle scope, and measure stated clearly.
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