China's EV influence is spreading globally, except to the U.S. and Canada. Here's why

"In 2025, 1 in 4 new automotive vehicle sales globally are expected to be an electric vehicle -either fully electric or a plug-in hybrid. That is a significant rise from just five years ago, when EV sales amounted to fewer than 1 in 20 new car sales, according to the International Energy Agency, an intergovernmental organization examining energy use around the world. In the U.S., however, EV sales have lagged, only reaching 1 in 10 in 2024. By contrast, in China, the world's largest car market, more than half of all new vehicle sales are electric."

"Most EVs purchased in China are made there as well, by a range of different companies. NIO, Xpeng, Xiaomi, Zeekr, Geely, Chery, Great Wall Motor, Leapmotor and especially BYD are household names in China. As someone who has followed and published on the topic of EVs for over 15 years, I expect they will soon become as widely known in the rest of the world."

"China's automakers are producing a full range of electric vehicles, from the subcompact, like the BYD Seagull, to full-size SUVs, like the Xpeng G9, and luxury cars, like the Zeekr 009. Recent European crash-test evaluations have given top safety ratings to Chinese EVs, and many of them cost less than similar models made by other companies in other countries. A Wall Street Journal video explores a Chinese 'dark factory'-one so automated that it doesn't need lights inside."

Global electric vehicle sales are projected to reach one in four new vehicle sales in 2025, up from fewer than one in 20 five years earlier. The United States lagged at one in ten in 2024, while China accounted for more than half of new vehicle sales as electric. Two-thirds of fully electric cars in China are now cheaper to buy than gasoline equivalents, and EV operating and maintenance costs are lower. Most EVs purchased in China are domestically made by companies such as BYD, NIO, Xpeng and Zeekr. Chinese manufacturers produce models across segments, often earn top safety ratings, and benefit from lower costs, subsidies, and high automation.

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