December’s global new car BEV sales tally was highest monthly total of 2025
Despite lower-than-expected passenger vehicle (PV – cars) BEV sales in China, December’s global PV BEV total was the highest monthly figure of 2025.
Typically, China sees a boom in NEV demand at the end of the calendar year but that didn’t happen in 2025 to the extent seen in prior years. China’s December’s total was almost 10% below that of November. However, Europe’s PV BEV market performance, driven by attractive deals on BEVs and the underlying EU CO2 reduction, reached 26% of total car sales in December – a clear monthly record.
Meanwhile, the US result was not as bad as it could have been. While well below pre-October levels, it was an uptick over November. The 1.4 mn PV BEVs sold in December contributed to a global 2025 PV BEV market of 13.6 mn units, growth of 3.1 mn and 30% compared with 2024’s tally.
While LCV electrification is moving at a slower pace than the PV sector (a situation recognized by the easing of targets in Europe) China’s LCV BEV sales are starting to become significant. Both November and December of 2025 saw LCV BEV sales over 50k units, bringing 2025’s China total close to 500k units. The LCV BEV market lags PV (2025 LCV BEV share was 6.2%; PV was 17.3%) but it is becoming significant.
Global xEV Sales Trends
Growth in electrification has weakened throughout 2025 with all but BEV (and 48V MHEV) turning negative in recent months. Affordability in a world with widespread slow economic growth underlies the poor rate of expansion, though it still far outpaces growth in car demand overall.
It’s China and the US that have dragged down BEV market expansion in recent months from the typical +30% seen in the first three quarters of 2025 to 10% in December. Given China’s overweight, and its unsustainable, earlier price-war driven expansion, this is not particularly surprising.
By Global Light Vehicle Powertrain Forecasting Team
“December’s global new car BEV sales tally was highest monthly total of 2025” was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand.
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