1 in 4 new cars sold worldwide is electric
Electromobility has reached a new global milestone: In 2025, one in four newly sold vehicles worldwide was an electric vehicle. The transformation of the global automotive market is therefore advancing faster than ever before. These are among the key findings of the seventh edition of Roland Berger’s EV Charging Index.
Global electric vehicle sales grew by more than 20% in 2025. Europe, in particular, rebounded strongly after a weak previous year, with EV sales rising by around one-third to 3.7 million vehicles. As a result, electric vehicles accounted for nearly 30% of all new car sales across Europe. In contrast, North America experienced a market slowdown driven by political uncertainty and weaker consumer sentiment.
The UK remains a significant and growing EV market. EV sales rose approximately 29% in 2025, from around 572,000 to 736,000 units, pushing EV sales share to 31%, up from 25% in 2024. Infrastructure investment kept pace: fast charging’s share of public charge points rose from 23% to 25%, exceeding the European average and reflecting deliberate network investment priorities. Almost half of those fast chargers (45%) are ultra-fast.
“The next phase of electromobility will not be determined by vehicles alone, but by the availability of high-performance charging infrastructure. The key challenge for Europe is to ensure that the rapid growth of electric vehicles is accompanied by the right charging provision to fit the needs of tomorrow’s EV drivers,” says Adam Healy, partner at Roland Berger.
Around 1.1 million new public charge points were installed worldwide in 2025, representing a slight decline compared with the previous year. However, this does not signal weakening investment. Rather, it reflects a maturing market in which the focus is shifting steadily from network expansion to infrastructure performance, and growth in fast and ultra-fast charging (150 kW+). This trend is being driven by growing demand for shorter charging times and the increasing commercial attractiveness of high-power charging infrastructure.
China remains at the forefront of this development. The country has not only reached the 50% mark for electric vehicle sales in the new car market, but is also increasingly shaping the global EV industry through its technological leadership and cost advantages. While fast public charging provision is growing rapidly across all regions, China remains home to around 85% of the world’s public fast charging points, and nearly half of all public charge points in the country are fast or ultra-fast chargers. By comparison, just over one in five public charge points in Europe are classified as fast chargers, reflecting different market characteristics and infrastructure development patterns across regions.
The relationship between EV adoption and charging infrastructure is entering a new phase. Over the past several years, charge point operators have invested heavily in fast-charging networks, helping to address the infrastructure shortages that concerned many EV drivers in the early stages of market development. As BEV adoption continues to accelerate, growth in vehicle numbers is now beginning to outpace growth in fast-charging infrastructure. In Western Europe, there are currently around 45 BEVs per fast charge point on average. While this level remains relatively low from an infrastructure utilization perspective, it indicates that charging availability is generally keeping pace with user demand. Over time, the ratio is expected to increase as charging networks mature and infrastructure economics improve.
EV Sales Penetration in 2025 [%]
Rank | Country | BEV* | PHEV** | Total |
1 | Norway | 87,3% | 1,4% | 88,6% |
2 | Netherlands | 42,2% | 18,2% | 60,4% |
3 | Sweden | 35,0% | 24,2% | 59,2% |
4 | China | 31,3% | 18,6% | 49,9% |
5 | Singapore | 42,3% | 1,2% | 43,5% |
6 | Belgium | 29,9% | 8,1% | 38,0% |
7 | Portugal | 21,6% | 13,3% | 34,9% |
8 | Vietnam | 33,1% | 0,0% | 33,2% |
9 | Switzerland | 21,3% | 10,0% | 31,3% |
10 | UK | 21,2% | 9,5% | 30,7% |
11 | Austria | 20,2% | 8,9% | 29,1% |
12 | Germany | 18,3% | 10,0% | 28,3% |
13 | France | 18,1% | 5,7% | 23,8% |
14 | Thailand | 19,7% | 2,9% | 22,7% |
15 | Spain | 8,4% | 9,7% | 18,1% |
16 | Turkey | 14,1% | 3,4% | 17,5% |
17 | Indonesia | 7,4% | 7,6% | 15,0% |
18 | Qatar | 14,2% | 0,7% | 14,9% |
19 | Romania | 13,2% | 1,0% | 14,2% |
20 | South Korea | 7,9% | 5,8% | 13,7% |
21 | Australia | 8,5% | 4,7% | 13,1% |
22 | Hungary | 8,5% | 4,4% | 12,9% |
23 | Italy | 6,0% | 5,7% | 11,7% |
24 | Poland | 6,2% | 4,9% | 11,1% |
25 | USA | 7,6% | 2,0% | 9,6% |
26 | Canada | 5,7% | 3,7% | 9,4% |
27 | UAE | 6,1% | 3,3% | 9,3% |
28 | Brazil | 3,1% | 4,0% | 7,1% |
29 | Malaysia | 5,9% | 0,7% | 6,6% |
30 | Mexico | 2,4% | 3,2% | 5,6% |
31 | India | 3,4% | 0,0% | 3,4% |
32 | Morocco | 2,1% | 0,8% | 2,9% |
33 | Saudi Arabia | 1,7% | 0,9% | 2,6% |
34 | Japan | 1,4% | 0,9% | 2,3% |
Source: EV-Volumes.com, EAFO, S&P Global Mobility, National statistics offices
* BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle
** PHEV: Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle
About the study
For the EV Charging Index 2026, Roland Berger analyzed data from leading international market and research organizations, including Eco-Movement, S&P Global Mobility, EV-Volumes, Euromonitor, EAFO, and the IEA. The analysis was complemented by national statistics, expert interviews, and insights gained from Roland Berger projects. In addition, results from the EV Charging Index Survey 2025, conducted for the sixth edition of the index, were incorporated into the study.
You can download the full study here.