Record-High Growth in Electric Vehicle Numbers: China Leads by a Wide Margin, Germany Ranks Third

According to Germany's N-TV television station: The number of vehicles equipped with electric drive systems is growing at an unprecedented pace. Among them, China leads by a wide margin, making it nearly impossible to catch up. This trend is also reflected in the data from the world's most successful electric vehicle manufacturers.

According to data from the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) in Germany, global electric vehicle stock reached its fastest growth rate in history last year. By 2025, over 74 million electric vehicles—comprising battery-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and range-extended electric vehicles—were already on roads worldwide, representing an increase of 19 million vehicles, surpassing the previous record of 14 million additional units.

China leads with approximately 44 million electric vehicles, holding a dominant position. That means 60% of passenger vehicles in this category are concentrated in a single country. The gap between China and the second-ranked country is enormous: the United States has around 7 million. Germany ranks third with 3.2 million, followed by the UK (2.8 million) and France (2.5 million).

However, when viewed globally, Europe significantly outpaces the United States. Even just the 14 major European countries tracked by ZSW alone have more than 16 million electric vehicles combined.

Andreas Puttna from ZSW said: "The recent fluctuations in fuel prices clearly demonstrate that countries with higher electric vehicle penetration are more resilient than those with lower penetration. EV owners are not dependent on fossil fuels, thus enjoying greater security during extreme price volatility, which helps alleviate social and economic pressures during crises."

In terms of manufacturers, Chinese company BYD is already leading the pack. Due to the lack of reliable actual ownership data, current statistics rely on cumulative new registrations, a figure typically slightly higher than the number of vehicles actually on the road. BYD currently stands at around 15 million, followed by Tesla (9 million), then Volkswagen (5.7 million). BMW and Mercedes-Benz also rank among the top ten: BMW ranks sixth with 3.1 million, while Mercedes-Benz ranks eighth with about 2 million.

Source: rfi

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1863575931256971/

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