Electric Vehicle Insights

NEW ANALYSIS: Electric vehicles are entering the mid-transition space starting to replace ICE vehicles in more and more markets. The transition is already underway. Global EV numbers have grown from 1.2 million in 2015 to nearly 60 million today. History shows that shifts like this can happen faster than expected: in the early 20th-century US, horses and mules virtually vanished from roads in under 30 years. As with the rise of the car, today’s transition is shaped as much by policy and politics as by technology. ICE vehicles didn’t dominate through technical superiority alone—they were supported by massive public investment in roads, urban design, and highways funded by fuel taxes. EVs are well placed to move even faster. They directly replace ICE vehicles while being cleaner, cheaper, and quieter to operate. And past transitions suggest that like-for-like replacements—think black-and-white to colour TV—tend to spread far more quickly than entirely new products. Our new report by the Centre for Net Zero (Octopus Energy Group)'s excellent Andy Hackett, Izzy Woolgar, RMI's Yuki Numata and Laurens Speelman and me at Environmental Change Institute (ECI), University of Oxford describe how EVs are posed to enter a next phase in it's adoption curve. This is the phase of 'system integration', where integration of EVs into the broader energy and transport system (think vehicle to grid, flexible charging, widespread and equitable charging, battery recycling) becomes more and more important, alongside reducing costs, intense competition, increasing quality and efficiency, and increasing supporting technologies. This new phase represents new opportunities and new challenges both for policy makers and business which we unpack in this report. You can read the report here: https://lnkd.in/eRNdpMj6

Global sales of EVs and hybrid vehicles hit 1.2 million units in February 2025. That's a massive 50% jump compared to last year. But get this: China accounted for nearly 75% of those sales! I've posted before about the pace in China, and it just keeps accelerating. EV sales there are up 76% year-on-year. Brands like BYD, Xiaomi, Xpeng, and Zeekr are launching new models at lightning speed, moving from plug-in hybrids to fully electric in record time. In Europe, the race is still on. Volkswagen boosted BEV sales by 180%, BMW overtook Tesla, and Chinese-owned brands reportedly outsold Tesla in Europe for the first time. Meanwhile, Tesla's EU market share hit a five-year low. But what I still can't get over is the insane pace in China! I recently drove a Xiaomi EV in Shanghai that felt like a one-to-one copy of the Porsche Taycan for $40,000. Incredible materials, smooth drive, and great steering. Even my engineer, who was with me, was impressed. And this is just four years after Xiaomi said, "Let's make cars." Now, they're producing 100,000 a year. Also extremely interesting is that 20% of the car's cost is subsidised. That kind of scale-up is of course possible based on massive government backing. On the autonomous side, I've experienced Waymo in San Francisco and Hyundai's lidar-based system in Shanghai: fully self-driving, even in chaotic traffic. The future is already here. And I've become a real fan, especially when I need to work between meetings or get to the airport. Same as Vay for teledriven car sharing. There’s so much going on! Has Europe lost the race? No! Not yet. But we're under pressure. And we need to move faster. The future is 100% electric: that's crystal clear to me. Hybrids may be an important bridge, but the long-term path is electrification, enabled by renewables. So the real question is: Can Europe match China's speed, scale, and tech leadership? Or are we looking at a permanent power shift in the EV industry?  I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. #EV #ElectricVehicles #Mobility #Innovation #ChinaEV #EuropeEV #Automotive

Battery electric vehicles have just outsold petrol-only cars in the EU for the first time ever. This significant milestone comes amid steadily increasing demand, with full-year BEV sales 30% higher in 2025 than the previous year. Other highlights included: ✅ BEV sales climbed 51% in December ✅ Meanwhile, petrol sales fell 19% ✅ Hybrids still have the largest share of the market This historic moment is the result of years of enabling policy that laid the groundwork for increased adoption, now reinforced by improvements in the vehicles themselves and the supporting infrastructure. It is a sign that consumers increasingly have the confidence to commit to clean transport. And it's not surprising. Faster charging speeds, longer ranges, more models to choose from and falling prices are all contributing to making EVs a more compelling proposition. And as the products improve, demand is no longer being primarily driven by government incentives. New affordable Chinese brands are intensifying competition, while European manufacturers are adapting by introducing newer and lower-priced models. This competition is good news for consumers – and a sign that the shift to clean transport is becoming self-sustaining.

Is the #bubble about to burst? #China has built up significant overcapacity in #EV and #battery production. Capacity utilisation in the Chinese battery industry is below 45%. 🚗 Even if all vehicles sold in China were electric, the local battery production capacity could not be fully utilised. Hence, it is very difficult to make money on the Chinese market at the moment. Positive profit #margins have become rare.   💸 This is hurting companies along the entire battery value chain. If this situation continues for much longer, we will see a range of #bankruptcies. 💥 Large, vertically integrated and globally active companies such as BYD and CATL have even managed to increase their profit margins in this market environment. #Consolidation is underway, at the cost of small companies and to the benefit of large ones. 💪 As a result, small businesses are becoming more willing to cooperate, while large companies are becoming even more powerful.

The UK’s new car market is at a crossroads. April saw a 10.4% drop in new car registrations, the sixth decline in seven months, highlighting a fragile economy and wavering consumer confidence. Strategic, long-term action is now essential. Tax changes, like the Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) adjustments and the Expensive Car Supplement, are reshaping consumer behaviour and shifting transactions unpredictably, demonstrating that policy has real-time impact. Electric vehicle (EV) adoption is growing. Battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations rose 8.1%, but their 20.4% market share still falls short of ZEV Mandate requirements. Fleet buyers now make up 60% of the market, signalling progress but also an imbalance, private consumers are being sidelined from EV purchase and continuing to choose the internal combustion engine. On that point, as we push toward electrification and the launch of our new BEV in 2026, the Mazda6e, we must also recognise the continued relevance of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. For many consumers, particularly in rural areas or with limited charging access, ICE vehicles remain the practical and affordable choice. A balanced market must support both paths during the transition, and we recognise this need at Mazda through our multi-solution approach to finding innovative solutions for our customers’ needs across the full range of vehicles and powertrains. To ensure sustainable growth: - Reform incentives: Make incentives more inclusive.  - Protect equality: Ensure lower-income consumers aren’t excluded from the green transition.  - Maintain consumer choice: Recognise that ICEs will continue to serve critical mobility needs during the transition, particularly for rural communities, those driving long distance and those not yet ready to make the switch to EVs.  - Drive awareness: Use media to improve consumer understanding of the ZEV mandate and what it means for them, including the continued option for the internal combustion engine cars and dispel misinformation.  - Invest in innovation: Advance EV tech and infrastructure to meet future demand and attract investment. We must avoid heavy-handed interventions that distort the market and penalise consumers. A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work. The transition to zero emissions must be inclusive, stable, and grounded in real-world needs.

Yesterday, I showed you the Q3 2024 global sales for electric vehicles. Today it’s time for the year-to-date figures (January-September 2024). - Tesla keeps leading with 124,000 units ahead of BYD. That’s less than the 276,000 units that separated both companies in Jan-Sep 2023. The American maker posted a 2.6% decline vs +11.6% for BYD. Will the Chinese outsell Tesla by the year end? - Geely is the big winner of the year with its volumes up by 51%, climbing two positions in the ranking and outselling Volkswagen Group (-4.7%) and Hyundai-Kia (-8.1%). Geely is being boosted by the success of the Volvo EX30, Galaxy subbrand and ZEEKR. - BMW Group was the best performer among the big non-Chinese BEV makers. It recorded a 19% increase in contrast to -22% from Mercedes (Smart included) and -6% from Audi (included in VW Group). - GAC along with Mercedes were the worst performers of the top 10. GAC’s is feeling the impact of a product revamp at AION and Hyptec brands. The German maker struggles with the luxury models like EQE and EQS (too different from Mercedes DNA?). - Stellantis also struggles with volumes down by 17% following lower sales of the Fiat 500, and the delays on the introduction of the Citroen e-C3 in Europe. - Outside the top 10: Leapmotor doubles its sales and seems that has finally taken off in China; GM is the other non-Chinese winner with sales up by 56% thanks to the positive response of American public to Chevrolet Blazer EV, Cadillac Lyriq. In contrast, Ford lost 17% with a flopped F-150 Lightning and lack of enthusiasm around the European made Explorer EV. - Xiaomi impressed with almost 70k units sold so far. The upcoming SUV will accelerate even more the growth; Vinfast (+107%) seems to take off in Vietnam and the Philippines thanks to the small VF 3. Source: OEMs, estimates #carindustryanalysis #felipemunoz #automotive #ev #electricvehicles #electricvehicle #carsales #carstats

Want to look into the future of electric trucks? Then see what China is doing today This is (by all accounts) the world’s first 100-megawatt heavy-duty truck charging hub and the numbers reset expectations for eHGV infrastructure Huawei’s new site in Beichuan, Sichuan is designed for 100 MW (phase one at 50 MW), with 18 bays able to deliver up to 1.44 MW each and 108 bays at 600 kW, capable of serving around 700 electric trucks per day and delivering ~300,000 kWh daily. The hub also has on-site solar (1 MWp) and energy-storage-backed thermal management to smooth demand and support grid services What’s new here: - Megawatt at scale: 1.44 MW dispensers move this beyond 'pilots' to true high-throughput freight charging. Compatible trucks with 400 kWh batteries can reach 80 percent charge in about 15 minutes - A system, not just sockets: Designed capacity of 100 MW with 50 MW live now, across 120+ bays, pushes utilisation and queue optimisation into power-station territory. I love the different charging power options available depending on your dwell time - Grid-friendly by design: PV canopies plus on-site storage/thermal systems help peak-shave, enable VPP-style operation and reduce grid stress at driver shift changes Why this matters for the UK & Europe - Throughput that matches logistics: If 700 trucks/day is the new benchmark for a single site, freight corridors (ports, DC clusters, motorway hubs) will need fewer, larger eHGV charge parks, each with 50–100 MW connections that ramp up with demand - MCS era is arriving fast: Europe’s Megawatt Charging System (MCS) ecosystem needs to be deployment-ready: grid, civils, bays, eMSP/CPO platforms and vehicle compatibility because operational models (fast turnarounds, booked slots, priority dispatch) can clearly work at scale - Energy strategy, not just charging: Sites of this size act like micro-power plants. PPAs, energy arbitrage, storage and generation will mean these are margin opportunities for charge-park operators, not just nice-to-haves Considerations for fleets, OEMs and CPOs - Design for dwell & duty cycle: Align bay count and power mix (600 kW 'standard' and 1–1.5 MW 'priority') to your shift patterns and SoC arrival states - Phase the grid, stage the bays: Start at 50 MW, prove utilisation, then scale to 100 MW minimising civils reworking, this is how Beichuan approached it - Own the energy: Co-locate PV + storage, negotiate flexible tariffs and build VPP participation into the business case from day one - Software is the differentiator: Queue prediction, slot booking, multi-OEM roaming and power allocation become as important as great driver facilities Covering approximately 11.5 acres with an investment of around $20.9 million, Huawei’s hub is a look at how industrial-grade eHGV charging will actually operate: a great location aligned with customer demand: high-power, high-throughput, software-orchestrated and financially underpinned by energy-market participation

Global electric car sales are set to grow strongly again this year, reaching about 17 million. With more than 1 in 5 cars sold worldwide in 2024 set to be electric, the rise of EVs is transforming the auto industry & the energy sector. Read more from the International Energy Agency (IEA) Energy Agency: https://iea.li/44isGtR Electric cars' growth this year builds on a record-breaking 2023, when sales soared by 35% to almost 14 million. Demand was largely concentrated in China, Europe & the US, but momentum is picking up in key emerging markets such as Viet Nam & Thailand. Explore IEA’s Global EV Outlook 2024: https://iea.li/3QdwEhJ Despite near-term challenges in some countries, new IEA analysis sees the global electric car market gearing up for the next phase of growth. Under today's policy settings, nearly 1 in 3 cars on China's roads by 2030 is set to be electric & almost 1 in 5 in the US & EU. One reason for EVs' bright prospects: Manufacturers have taken huge steps to deliver on government ambitions. This includes major investments in EV and battery production. As a result, global capacity to produce EVs and #batteries is on track to keep up with rising demand. Under today’s policy settings, the rapid uptake of #EVs – including cars, vans, trucks, buses and 2/3-wheelers – is set to avoid the need for more than 10 million barrels of oil a day in 2035. That's equivalent to all the oil demand from road transport in the United States today. It’s important to note that the pace of the EV transition will hinge on their cost. In China, more than 60% of electric cars sold in 2023 were already cheaper than conventional equivalents. Competition & innovation are expected to bring down prices in other major markets. The transition to #ElectricCars is changing the global auto industry, and growing competition is putting downward pressure on prices. Chinese companies accounted for over half of global sales in 2023. In conventional cars, China has a much smaller market share. Making EVs more affordable is vital – as is ensuring that the availability of public charging keeps pace with sales. Last year, public charging point installations were up 40% from 2022. To align with government pledges, charging networks must grow six-fold by 2035. Alongside today’s new report, IEA is releasing 2 detailed interactive tools allowing users to dig deeper into EV trends & policies around the globe. Take a look at the data ➡️ https://iea.li/3xHJzlo Explore the policies ➡️ https://iea.li/44fjbvp For more on the key findings from IEA’s new Global EV Outlook 2024, read the freely available report online ➡️ https://iea.li/3QdwEhJ   And join IEA Chief Energy Technology Officer Timur Gül & me for our LIVE launch event at 10:30 CEST ➡️ https://iea.li/3WaxcZn

EV tax credits are gone. What's the future of the US EV market? The last day of tax credits for both new ($7,500) and used ($4,000) EVs will be September 30th. The Trump administration passed that into the Big Beautiful Bill signed on July 4th. Without getting into politics, I'd like to discuss what this will change for the US EV market. The end of EV tax credits marks a reset and the start of a new chapter for those working in EV sales, auctions and remarketing. With incentives disappearing, the market is shifting even more toward a value-focused landscape where fundamentals matter most. Here are the four key impacts to watch. • Slower pace for new EV adoption: Tax credits have played a crucial role in making new EVs more affordable, especially as upfront costs remain $5,000 to $10,000 higher than comparable gas vehicles. Their removal is likely to cause a temporary slowdown in new EV sales as price-sensitive buyers lose a key incentive. • Professionalism and training set the winners apart: Dealers and auctions will need real expertise in battery technology, charging, software-defined vehicles and the unique depreciation curve of EVs. Those who invest in training and technology will earn buyer confidence and market share. • Short-term uncertainty, long-term opportunity: In the coming years, the influx of used EVs driven by a surge in lease returns from the past two to three years means dealers and auctions will face more EV inventory than ever before. Nearly one million EVs leased since 2022 are set to enter the used market soon, dramatically increasing supply. The winners will be those who can truly become EV specialists in better understanding these vehicles and their audience. • A smarter used EV market: As more buyers look to the used market for affordable EV options, dealers and auctions will not be able to rely on price breaks to close the deal. Instead, they will need a sharper understanding of what makes a used EV valuable: Real-world battery health, accurate range and overall vehicle condition. The days of treating EVs like any other used car are over. At Voltest, we are here to help dealers buy and sell used EVs with confidence, by providing real, verified data and expertise every step of the way. What do you think? How will the end of EV tax credits impact the market? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Top 5 Automotive Markets in Europe – Powertrain Trends Jan–Aug 2025   The latest figures show that Europe’s automotive markets continue to transform: while internal combustion engines are losing ground, electrified powertrains and hybrid models are gaining increasing importance.   Germany: Despite a slight decline in total registrations (−1.7%), the market for BEVs (+39.2%) and PHEVs (+61.2%) grew strongly. Full and mild hybrids also increased by +10.1%, while diesel continued to drop (−19.9%). The BEV share stands at 17.9%.   UK: The BEV share of 21.8% is the highest among the top five markets. BEV sales rose by +29.5%, PHEVs by +33.7%, and hybrids by +9.5%, while diesel kept shrinking (−8.2%).   France: The BEV share reached 17.6%, and full and mild hybrids grew significantly by +30.5%. However, overall registrations declined (−7.1%), and diesel fell sharply (−40.1%).   Italy: Despite a slight drop in total registrations (−3.7%), PHEV sales rose by +62.6% and hybrids by +9.4%. BEVs remain behind other countries with just a 5.2% share.   Spain: A particularly dynamic market with +95.6% BEV growth and +99.9% PHEV growth. Hybrids also recorded strong gains of +29.3%.   Europe (EU + EFTA + UK): Overall, the market remained stable (+0.4%) with a clear shift towards electrified powertrains: BEVs +26%, PHEVs +28%, full/mild hybrids +15%, while diesel declined significantly (−25.2%).   Conclusion: The trend is clear: diesel is losing relevance across all major markets, while electrified powertrains continue to gain ground. The transition to more sustainable mobility is in full swing, though progress varies widely across countries.   For a detailed analysis of global market trends and strategies of leading manufacturers, take a look at the Electromobility Report 2025: see link in comments.   #AutomotiveIndustry #Electromobility #EVMarket #BatteryElectricVehicles #HybridVehicles #PHEV #BEV #Europe