Electric vehicles and hybrids accounted for one out of every four new vehicles sold worldwide last year, marking a major milestone in the global shift away from traditional gasoline-powered cars, according to new analysis from Pew Research Center.
The report, based on data from the International Energy Agency, found that electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and fuel-cell vehicles represented 25% of all new car sales globally in 2025, up from just 4% five years earlier.
U.S. lags behind global average
Despite growing consumer interest, the United States remains well behind many other countries in electric vehicle adoption.
According to the report, electric and hybrid vehicles accounted for 10% of all new vehicle sales in the U.S. last year, less than half the global average. The United States sold about 1.5 million new electric and hybrid vehicles in 2025, trailing only China in total volume.
Pew found that 32% of Americans say they would seriously consider buying an electric vehicle the next time they purchase a car, while 44% say they would consider a hybrid.
Norway continues to lead the world
Norway remains the global leader in electric vehicle adoption by a wide margin.
The Scandinavian nation saw electric and hybrid vehicles account for 97% of all new vehicle sales in 2025, aided by decades of tax incentives, infrastructure investments and some of the world’s highest gasoline prices.
Several other European countries also crossed the 50% threshold for the first time. Electric and hybrid vehicles represented 71% of new sales in Denmark, 62% in Iceland, 61% in Sweden, 58% in the Netherlands and 57% in Finland.
China also reached a significant milestone, with electric and hybrid vehicles making up 53% of new car sales for the first time.
China’s dominance continues to grow
China’s electric vehicle market has expanded more rapidly than any other major country.
The share of electric and hybrid vehicles in China jumped from 6% of new vehicle sales in 2020 to 53% in 2025. China accounted for 62% of all electric and hybrid vehicle sales worldwide last year.
The report notes that Chinese government support for the industry exceeded $230 billion between 2009 and 2023, helping make electric vehicles more affordable than in many competing markets.
China-based automaker BYD surpassed Tesla in global electric and hybrid vehicle sales in 2025, according to the report.
Charging infrastructure remains a challenge
One of the biggest questions surrounding electric vehicle adoption remains whether charging networks can keep pace with growing demand.
The United States had approximately 240,000 public charging stations in 2025, ranking third globally behind China and South Korea. However, the pace of charging infrastructure expansion in the U.S. has lagged behind many other countries.
Pew noted that while the number of public charging stations in the United States increased by nearly 150% between 2020 and 2025, growth was significantly slower than in China and many European nations.
In a previous Pew survey, a majority of Americans expressed skepticism that the United States would build enough charging infrastructure to support widespread electric vehicle adoption.
Global sales continue to accelerate
Worldwide, approximately 21 million new electric and hybrid vehicles were sold in 2025.
The strongest recent growth outside Europe and China has occurred in Southeast Asia. Vietnam saw electric and hybrid vehicles rise from 3% of new vehicle sales in 2022 to 40% in 2025, while Laos increased from 3% to 36% during the same period.
The report suggests the global transition toward electric vehicles continues to accelerate, though adoption rates remain highly uneven from country to country and are often influenced by government incentives, fuel prices and charging infrastructure availability.
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