In 2025, sales of electric cars in China they will surpass those of traditional cars for the first time, marking a historic milestone that puts China years ahead of its Western competitors. According to the Financial Times, sales of electric cars are expected to grow by 20%, reaching 12 million units, while those of traditional cars will decrease by 10%, falling to less than 11 million.
How overtaking was possible
The overtaking of electric cars in China, according to Robert Liew, director of renewables research at Wood Mackenzie, marks the country’s triumph in developing the technology and securing supplies of key materials for electric cars and their batteries. “They want to electrify everything. No other country has come as close to China in pursuing this goal,” commented Liew.
Although electric car sales in China have slowed since the pandemic, the overtaking forecast confirms that the ambitious target set by Beijing in 2020 – that 50% of cars sold should be electric by 2035 – has been achieved 10 years early. What makes the overtaking of electric cars possible is a growth of 20%, with 12 million new electric cars expected for 2025 on the Chinese market, compared to 5.9 million EVs in 2022. The estimates, reported by the Financial Times, come from from the banks UBS and HSBC, as well as from the research groups Morningstar and Wood Mackenzie.
Where is the greatest presence of electric cars in the world
The rise of electric vehicles represents a crucial transition in the fight against climate change, as road transport contributes to around a sixth of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). This process is advancing globally, albeit at different paces. The global EV market grew on average by 25% per annum until Novemberaccording to data from the consultancy firm Rho Motion, anticipated by the AP agency. Rho Motion’s 2024 report predicts 15.2 million electric vehicles will be sold globally before the end of the year, while according to the IEA, EV sales account for one in five cars sold globally, with the majority concentration in China.
Other data relevant to 2024 shows that Mexico saw about five times more EV sales than last year, mostly thanks to Chinese automaker BYD. However, with a significantly larger population, China’s 40% year-to-date growth translates into far more electric vehicles than Mexico. In the UK, EV sales have increased by around 17% since the beginning of the year, while in France and Germany there has been a decrease. In Turkey, the EV market grew by nearly 50% thanks to the entry of Tesla last year and increased sales by Togg, a Turkish automaker. Finally, in Norwaywhich has led for years in terms of share of electric vehicles, in 2024 90% of new cars sold were electric.
