Global Electric Vehicle Sales Rise in October

By Greta Rosen Fondahn and Alessandro Parodi

(Reuters) – Global sales of fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles rose 35% in October from the same month last year, with growth across all regions led by a 54% jump in sales in China, market research firm Rho Motion said on Wednesday.

European Sales

European sales rose just 0.8%, but were up in annual terms for the second straight month. The research firm expects a good end to the year in the region, data manager Charles Lester told Reuters.

Why It Matters

The European auto sector is facing challenges, including high production costs, managing the shift to EVs, and an influx of lower-cost EVs from Chinese rivals. Europe's biggest carmaker Volkswagen (ETR:VOWG_p) announced plans in October to shut at least three factories in Germany.

Sales Figures

Sales of EVs – whether fully electric or plug-in hybrids – reached 1.72 million vehicles worldwide in October, Rho Motion data showed.

• Sales in China hit a record high of 1.2 million vehicles.
• In the United States and Canada, EV sales were up 11.4% to 0.16 million.
• In Europe, EV sales reached 0.26 million, up slightly from last year but down 14% from September.
• In the rest of the world, sales increased 10.9%.

Key Quotes

"The Chinese EV market shows no signs of slowing down as it enters the final two strong automotive sales months of the year," Rho Motion stated. Lester noted that November and December tend to be seasonally strong months. Carbon emission reduction goals set in the EU for next year could lead to price cuts as automakers aim to boost EV sales to meet targets and avoid fines.

Context

China's passenger vehicle sales jumped 11.2% in October year-on-year, with data from the China Passenger Car Association showing growth led by domestic champion BYD (SZ:002594).