Europe became the driver of a record 11 million electric vehicle registrations — Der Spiegel

In the first nine months of 2026, around 11 million new electric vehicles were registered worldwide — a record figure and 12% more than in the same period last year. In the third quarter, the growth rate was higher, at 16%, Der Spiegel reports, citing an analysis by consulting firm PwC.

European market grew by 42%

The decisive factor in global growth was Europe. Since the beginning of the year, 2.5 million electric vehicles have been sold there, 42% more year on year.

In Germany, 604,000 electric vehicles were registered during this period — 58% more than last year. The country ranked third in the world by the number of such registrations and narrowed the gap with the United States, which remains second.

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China stagnates, the United States records a decline

In China, the largest electric vehicle market, sales remained roughly at the level of more than six million vehicles. At the same time, the overall Chinese car market shrank by several million vehicles, so the share of electric vehicles in it increased.

In the United States, the number of registrations of purely battery-electric vehicles decreased by 29%, to 746,000. Their share of the U.S. market was only 6%, while vehicles with internal combustion engines continue to dominate there.

PwC also notes that high fuel prices make internal combustion engine vehicles less attractive to buyers. According to the company's calculations, electric vehicles are significantly cheaper to operate than diesel and gasoline cars.