Global EV sales hit 2 million in June as Europe drives growth

Global demand for electric vehicles rose for a fourth consecutive month in June, reaching 2 million units sold worldwide and bringing year-to-date sales to 9.6 million, according to data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. The milestone was propelled by strong growth in Europe, which helped offset weakening momentum in both the United States and China.electrek+1

Europe Leads While U.S. and China Lag

Reuters ↘ 0.09% reported that Europe's surge in EV adoption served as a counterweight to declining sales in the world's two largest auto markets. In the United States, policy changes under the Trump administration have weighed on EV adoption, contributing to the country falling further behind in the global transition to electric mobility.reuters+1

China's domestic passenger car sales fell 26% in June compared with a year earlier, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers reported by the Associated Press. However, China's passenger car exports surged 80% over the same period, driven largely by demand for electric vehicles. China exported approximately 905,000 passenger cars in June, up from 809,000 in May. In the first half of 2026, Chinese passenger vehicle exports jumped 72% to more than 4.4 million units.apnews

Separately, the China Passenger Car Association reported that new energy vehicle retail sales in China came in at 1.007 million units in June, down 9.4% year-over-year but up 6% from May.cnevpost

Industry Forecasts Remain Bullish

Despite regional imbalances, the broader trajectory for global EV sales remains upward. The International Energy Agency forecast in May that global electric car sales would reach 23 million in 2026, accounting for 28% of all new cars sold. BloombergNEF's annual Electric Vehicle Outlook similarly projected over 23 million passenger EVs sold this year, an 11% jump from 2025.reddit+1

Stephen Chan, an analyst at S&P Global ↗ 0.50% Ratings, said China's passenger car exports could grow by 30% to 50% for all of 2026. AlixPartners forecast total Chinese vehicle exports could rise to about 10 million this year, up from around 7 million in 2025.apnews

The divergence between China's booming exports and shrinking domestic market underscores a shifting global landscape in which European consumers are increasingly buying Chinese-made EVs even as trade tensions and tariffs reshape supply chains.