The first quarter of 2026 produced four million electric vehicle sales worldwide. That headline number conceals a market increasingly split by region, policy and consumer sentiment.
Why did global figures slip back?
Benchmark Mineral Intelligence tracked worldwide EV deliveries at four million for the quarter, down 3 per cent year on year. March offered a partial rebound. Globally, 1.75 million vehicles sold, up 66 per cent from February and 3 per cent above March 2025.
A separate PwC and Strategy& analysis, covering battery-electric vehicles only, puts the global BEV total at 3.5 million for Q1, down 10 per cent. Both sets of figures point the same way. China dragged numbers lower and the US offered little compensation.
What made Europe stand out?
Europe was the clearest growth story. March was the continent’s strongest month on record, with overall EV sales crossing 500,000 for the first time in a single month. Across Europe’s five largest markets, BEV sales rose 36 per cent year on year, according to PwC and Strategy&. That delivered a record Q1 market share of 19 per cent.
France led with a 50 per cent BEV surge, boosted by renewed purchase incentives and rising petrol prices that triggered panic buying at forecourts. Germany rose 41 per cent, while Spain and Italy gained 42 and 66 per cent respectively, both broadly doubling their BEV shares since Q1 2023. The UK’s March registration plate change added further momentum, delivering 31 per cent year-on-year growth.
Why are China and the US struggling?
China’s BEV sales fell roughly 20 per cent in Q1. PwC attributed the decline partly to the phasing out of the full NEV tax exemption at the end of 2025. March volumes nearly doubled from February once the Lunar New Year lull ended.
The United States faced a different but equally sharp constraint. Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book recorded US EV sales at 216,399 units in Q1. That was down 27 per cent year on year, a direct consequence of the federal tax credit’s removal in September 2025. EVs held a 5.8 per cent share of US new-vehicle sales. North American monthly volumes did exceed 100,000 in March, the first time since the incentive changes ended.
How is the Middle East tracking?
Quarterly EV sales data for the Middle East and North Africa is not yet available for Q1 2026. The most recent full-year figures, reported by The National in April 2026, show a more complex picture than the region’s growing ambitions might suggest. The UAE leads the region in adoption, yet BEV sales there slipped to around 11,700 in 2025, down from about 12,400 the year before. Pure electric vehicles accounted for 3.4 per cent of UAE new-car sales, even as the overall market grew 6 per cent to around 345,000 units. The shift towards plug-in hybrids tells a different story. PHEV sales rose to 1,100 in 2025 from just 200 in 2024, as buyers factor in a still-maturing charging network.
Chinese manufacturers are moving quickly in the region. Imports of Chinese EVs to the UAE rose more than 50 per cent in early 2025, with BYD expanding its showroom presence across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Tesla remains the top-selling brand overall. Saudi Arabia is investing on a larger scale. Lucid’s Jeddah factory and a Hyundai plant backed by the Public Investment Fund are both targeting production this year. Tesla also launched its most affordable Model 3 Standard in the Kingdom in early 2026, priced at SAR 154,990.
Where is growth fastest?
Some of the most striking gains came from the Pacific. New Zealand recorded a 263 per cent jump in BEV registrations in March year on year. Australia posted an 89 per cent increase in the same month, setting a new monthly record. Rising fuel costs have added urgency to the switch in both countries.
What do carmaker results show?
Individual manufacturer results reflect the wider pattern closely. Volvo Cars sold 153,316 vehicles globally in Q1, down 11 per cent year on year. Fully electric deliveries rose 12 per cent to 36,348 units and accounted for 23.7 per cent of all Volvo sales. Combined with plug-in hybrids, electrified models made up 47.3 per cent of total deliveries, the highest ratio among legacy premium carmakers globally.
Europe was Volvo’s bright spot, with BEV sales up 21 per cent and the UK posting a record quarter. The US pulled sharply in the other direction, with electrified deliveries falling 30 per cent.
The Q1 results confirm that EV growth has not stalled. It has, however, become highly uneven. Policy decisions, fuel prices and affordable model availability are shaping distinct regional trajectories, and the gaps between them are growing.
