Electric-vehicle sales rose 25% worldwide but only 6% in North America from January through August 2025, according to Rho Motion data reported by Ars Technica. The global total was 12.5 million vehicles, combining battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). These are year-over-year growth rates for the same eight-month period—not the percentage of cars sold that were electric.
What the figures actually measure
The comparison is January–August 2025 versus January–August 2024. Rho Motion’s reported 12.5 million total includes BEVs and PHEVs; conventional hybrids without a plug are not identified as part of this number. “North America” is the regional label used in the report, but the accessible account does not provide a country-by-country breakdown or a detailed regional definition.
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| Measure | Rho Motion report (January–August 2025) | Later IEA full-year context (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Global electric-vehicle sales growth | 25% year over year | 20% growth for the full year |
| Global volume | 12.5 million BEVs and PHEVs combined | More than 20 million electric cars |
| North America | 6% year-over-year growth | Not stated as a directly comparable regional growth figure |
| Share of new-car sales | Not stated; growth is not market share | Electric cars represented 25% of new-car sales worldwide |
The IEA figures use a full-year series and methodology, so they provide later context rather than a direct rewrite of Rho Motion’s eight-month estimate.
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US purchases were pulled forward before a tax-credit deadline
Rho Motion data manager Charles Lester said US consumers accelerated purchases ahead of the US federal tax credit’s expiration at the end of September 2025. That timing could lift sales before the deadline, but the available report does not quantify how much of North America’s 6% growth came from the credit or from other factors. It is therefore evidence of a buying-timing effect, not proof that the policy alone caused the regional result.
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China had a strong base in the comparison months
The report points to robust Chinese sales during the prior-year comparison months. When the earlier period is already strong, the following year must add substantially more vehicles to produce the same percentage increase. A high starting base can therefore make a region’s growth rate look slower even while its absolute sales remain large.
Europe continued to add momentum
Europe was described as continuing to build momentum during the eight-month period. The IEA’s subsequent full-year account says European electric-car sales grew by more than 30% in 2025, reinforcing the picture of a region that outpaced the North American result. That later statistic is annual and should not be substituted for the January–August comparison.
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Growth rate is not sales share
A 25% growth rate means sales were 25% higher than in January–August 2024; it does not mean EVs made up 25% of all vehicles sold globally. Likewise, North America’s 6% figure does not mean electric vehicles were 6% of regional new-car sales. The IEA separately estimates that electric cars accounted for 25% of all new cars sold worldwide during full-year 2025.
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What the later full-year data adds
Global result
The IEA’s 2026 account of 2025 says electric-car sales grew 20%, exceeded 20 million units, and reached one-quarter of new-car sales worldwide. Because this covers all of 2025, it is the appropriate figure for discussing the final annual global result—not the 25% January–August number.
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Regional contrast
Europe’s full-year sales increased by more than 30%. In the United States, the annual electric-car sales share stayed just below 10%, while sales fell significantly in the fourth quarter. That late-year decline helps explain why an early-period purchasing surge should not be treated as a durable annual trend.
How to compare EV-market statistics without mixing them up
- Match the time window. Compare January–August with January–August, or full-year with full-year.
- Match the vehicle scope. Check whether a figure includes BEVs only or BEVs plus PHEVs. Do not silently add conventional hybrids.
- Separate growth from share. Growth compares sales with an earlier period; share measures EVs against all new-vehicle sales.
- Check the geography. “North America” in this report has no published country-level components in the available account, so it should not be assumed to mean a particular national combination.
- Keep the source attached. Rho Motion’s reported eight-month estimate and the IEA’s later full-year series answer different questions.
What remains unknown
- The accessible report does not publish Rho Motion’s underlying data table.
- It does not break North America’s 6% change into individual countries.
- It does not isolate the effects of tax policy, vehicle prices, model availability, charging access, or other causes.
- The January–August figures cannot be presented as 2026 results or as the final full-year 2025 growth rates.
The defensible conclusion is narrow but significant: EV sales were expanding much faster globally than in North America during the first eight months of 2025, while policy timing, a strong Chinese comparison base, and stronger European momentum were reported as relevant context—not separately measured causes.
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