Europe EV Sales Hit Record; North America Drops 44% — SkimNews
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- Europe posted record September EV sales of ~600,000 (up 39% YoY), with BEVs jumping 50% — France climbed 78% to ~80,000 and Germany rose 61% to 117,000
- North America saw September EV sales fall 44% YoY to ~130,000, the region's steepest 2026 decline; Benchmark cautions the drop reflects comparison with the pre-$7,500-tax-credit expiry rush of September 2025
- China sold 1.11 million EVs in September (down 18% YoY) while NEV passenger car exports hit a monthly record of 558,000 units
- The EU–China agreement would cap imports of Chinese-built BEVs and PHEVs at 350,000 in 2027 (pending member-state approval), rising 6% annually after its first year
- China will cut its NEV export VAT rebate from 13% to 9% on April 1, 2027, squeezing the export strategy that has offset domestic weakness (YTD Chinese EV sales down 13%)
- "Rest of world" markets posted 81% YoY September growth to ~310,000 EVs, with 2.3 million sold YTD — nearly double North America's 1.2 million total
- Charles Lester, Benchmark's data manager, noted YoY comparisons will improve markedly from Q4 once measured against post-credit-collapse months, meaning smaller declines won't necessarily signal recovery
Why it matters: Chinese automakers face a closing window: domestic EV sales are down 13% YTD, the EU is set to cap their imports at 350,000 in 2027, and Beijing will slash its export VAT rebate to 9% on April 1, 2027 — squeezing the record 558,000-unit September export pipeline that has kept Chinese production steady as home demand softens.
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