The aggregated figure for May 2026 shows a 3% increase in global registrations of fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles compared with the same month in 2025, with around 1.8 million units according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. However, the geographical distribution of that result tells a much less linear story.
According to Reuters, Europe almost single-handedly drove the market, posting a 23% increase to around 415,000 registrations. Public incentives and high fuel prices supported the shift from combustion engines to electrified models. This marked the third consecutive month of growth for the sector worldwide, while in the first five months of the year the global total was 0.9% higher than in the same period of 2025.
Global EV registrations keep growing in May, but Europe drives the rebound
In China, the picture was the opposite. The world’s most important EV market recorded a 9% year-on-year decline in May, falling to around 987,000 units, as the end of some tax breaks and the withdrawal of scrappage-related support weighed on demand. This domestic slowdown is pushing a growing number of Chinese manufacturers to look for opportunities beyond their home market. According to BMI, recent months have seen a stronger trend towards agreements, joint ventures and possible localised production in Europe, also taking advantage of industrial capacity that is not fully used. For Chinese brands, local production offers a way to reduce exposure to tariffs, trade tensions and regulatory barriers that make direct exports increasingly complex.
The most difficult situation was in North America, where registrations of electrified vehicles fell 26% to around 123,000 units. The US market continues to feel the impact of the end of federal incentives and a political environment less favourable to the electric transition. The Trump administration’s proposals to ease CO2 emissions rules have also helped shift the attention of several manufacturers back towards combustion engines and hybrids. Canada’s opening to some Chinese manufacturers could introduce new elements into the regional market, but according to BMI it will not be enough on its own to significantly change North America’s trajectory.
Overall, the result describes an electric transition that is not stopping, but that increasingly depends on local policies, energy costs and manufacturers’ ability to adapt their strategies to markets with very different rules, incentives and demand dynamics.
