China accounted for 73.7% of global new energy passenger vehicle sales in November. According to data recently released by Cui Dongshu, Secretary General of the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), global vehicle sales reached 87.66 million units from January to November 2025, of which new energy vehicles (NEV) totaled 20.33 million units, accounting for 23.2% of overall sales. Global vehicle sales data from 2006 to November 2025 From a structural perspective, battery-electric vehicles accounted for 15.3% of global auto sales, while plug-in hybrid vehicles made up 7.9%. NEVs remain the primary source of growth in the global auto market. Global new energy passenger vehicle sales reached 19.84 million units in the first eleven months of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 30%. In November alone, global NEV passenger vehicle sales totaled 2.27 million units, up 19% year-on-year and 5% month-on-month. In terms of incremental contribution, China accounted for 68.4% of global new energy passenger vehicle sales during January–November 2025, far exceeding Germany at 5% and India at 4%. In November, China’s share rose further to a high level of 73.7%. From a penetration standpoint, global NEV adoption has continued to climb. Penetration rates stood at 13%, 16%, and 19.5% in 2022, 2023, and 2024 respectively, rising further to 26.3% in the fourth quarter of 2025. Global NEV penetration rates from 2021 to 2025 However, regional development remains highly uneven. China’s NEV penetration rate reached 49.5%, while major European markets such as Germany and the UK recorded rates of 30% and 34.4%, respectively. The United States lagged at just 7%, and Japan remained at only 2.2%. Norway continued to lead globally with a penetration rate of 82%. In terms of vehicle mix, Chinese battery-electric vehicles accounted for about 64.3% of the global BEV market between January and November 2025, while China’s share of the global plug-in hybrid market reached 76.4%. By comparison, Europe’s BEV share fell to 17.2%, and the United States accounted for 8.9%, highlighting a widening gap. Market shares of global NEV manufacturers from 2021 to 2025 At the corporate level, BYD maintained its position as the world’s largest NEV maker with a global market share of 23.1%. Tesla’s share declined from 11.3% last year to 8.1%, dropping it to third place. Geely and SAIC recorded rapid growth, with market shares rising to 10.2% and 6.7%, respectively. Looking specifically at battery-electric vehicle market share, BYD reached 18.1% in 2025, surpassing Tesla’s 12.2% for the first time and officially becoming the world’s largest seller of electric vehicles. Overall, China’s auto market has become the central battleground for global competition in NEVs. As China continues to strengthen support for NEV development while Europe and the United States scale back incentive policies, the global NEV market is entering a new phase of increasingly differentiated growth.
