In January, 1.3 million electric vehicles were sold worldwide. This is according to London-based analysts Rho Motion, who have ranked registrations by geographical area.
Compared with December 2024, there was a significant drop (-35%), but the last month of last year saw record figures. Compared with January '24, however, the jump was considerable: +18%.
China dominates the market
Looking at the situation in the individual 'macro markets', more than half of the volume was the domain of China, which alone reached 0.7 million. In the land of the dragon, the growth was 12% compared to the previous year, while the decline compared to December 2024 was -43%, also due to the presence of the Chinese New Year and the associated holidays.
Europe, including the EFTA countries and the United Kingdom, was by far the second largest market for zero-emission vehicles, with 0.25 million registrations. Here, too, the year-on-year growth was good, but the December 2024 figures were negative: +21% and -19% respectively.
North America (USA and Canada) and the rest of the world both recorded sales of 0.13 million electric cars. However, in the former case the year-on-year growth was 22% and in the latter 50%, showing that other markets are becoming increasingly interested in battery-powered mobility. In both cases, there was a decline compared to December 2024: 28% for the US and Canada and 4% for the rest of the world.
| Country | sales January '25 | VS January '24 | VS December '24 |
| China | 1.3 million | +12% | -43% |
| Europe | 0.7 million | +21% | -19% |
| North America | 0.13 million | +22% | -28% |
| Rest of the world | 0.13 million | +50% | -4% |
Eyes on Europe and the US
Commenting on the data, Charles Lester, analyst at Rho Motion, points out that, apart from the sharp drop from December 2024, the Chinese market is continuing on a linear trajectory and confirms a certain solidity, even if it will not produce exciting figures in February.
But it is Europe and the United States that are being watched more closely. The old continent is struggling with CO2 penalties and trying to keep the numbers up so that manufacturers don't have to pay out too much money for exceeding limits.
Meanwhile, the US is trying to understand the impact of the Trump administration on incentives and tax breaks. Some models have already lost the chance to benefit from Joe Biden's rebates and the market is expected to come under pressure later this year.
Gallery: Tesla Model Y (2025)
