Global EV sales hit 2 million in June – and the US falls further behind
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- Global EV sales topped 2 million in June 2026, pushing year-to-date sales to 9.6 million — up 7% year-over-year and 11% from May, per Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.
- Europe logged its strongest EV month on record, with sales jumping 28% month-over-month and 31% year-over-year; France, Denmark, Spain, and Portugal each set new monthly sales records.
- Renault captured 20% of France's EV market in June, with four of the country's five best-selling EVs wearing Renault badges; the new Twingo, arriving in meaningful numbers only this spring, debuted as France's third-best-selling EV.
- North American EV sales are down 20% year-to-date following the end of the US federal EV tax credit, with GM and Ford's all-electric sales falling further than the broader US market as both rework their EV strategies.
- China's domestic EV market is down 11% year-over-year in June and 14% year-to-date, but Chinese automakers exported a record ~500,000 new energy vehicles in June as manufacturers pivot overseas.
- Canada received its first Chinese-built Lotus Eletre SUVs in early July under a tariff quota permitting up to 49,000 Chinese-built EVs at a 6.1% rate — down from the prior 100% surtax.
- Volkswagen Group began deliveries of its new affordable EV family across Europe in June, including the ID.Polo, Cupra Raval, and Skoda Epiq, expanding lower-cost options on European showrooms.
Why it matters: The divide is now policy-driven: Europe's record month coincides with a wave of profitable small EVs and continued government incentives, while the US market's 20% YTD drop — with GM and Ford bleeding faster than the field — confirms that ending the federal tax credit has measurably cooled consumer demand and pushed US automakers behind European rivals who are launching affordable models at scale.
