Emerging markets across the globe are driving an important shift in the car market, with a quarter of new cars sold so far in 2025 being either a battery electric vehicle (BEV) or a plug-in hybrid EV (PHEV).
According to a new report published this week by global energy think tank Ember, which analysed available monthly data for 60 countries – which cumulatively accounted for over 97% of global EV sales in 2024 – new markets are making a rapid switch to plug-in vehicles, putting to bed the theory that EV adoption would stall outside of Europe and China.
So far this year, according to Ember’s analysis of national monthly data, BEVs and PHEVs combined accounted for over a quarter of global new car sales, up from less than 3 per cent in 2019.
Ember’s analysis focused specifically on the passenger car market, and where possible compared data across countries for the first ten months of the year, though some countries, such as Australia, Canada, and South Africa, data was only available for the first nine months of 2025.
The findings from Ember’s analysis reveal an important story of emerging markets rapidly overtaking EV shares in advanced economies and legacy automotive markets.

There are now 39 countries where electrified vehicles account for over 10 per cent of new car sales, where only a few years ago in 2019 that number was four.
Much of this growth has taken place outside of Europe, with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region evolving into a major adopter of EVs this year, accounting for a third of countries now boasting EV sales over 10 per cent.
For example, Singapore and Viet Nam have both seen EV sales around 40 per cent, overtaking the UK and the European Union, which only have EV sales penetration of 33 per cent and 26 per cent respectively.
Viet Nam’s story has been virtually meteoric, considering that, as recently as 2021, the country could only boast an EV sales share of less than 0.05 per cent.

Similarly, India, Mexico, and Brazil now all have higher EV sales than those seen in Japan, while Indonesia’s EV sales share has overtaken that seen in the United States. Other markets gaining momentum include Uruguay and Türkiye.
Importantly, Ember’s analysis has found that, since mid-2023, almost all the growth in the export of Chinese electrified vehicles has come from non-OECD markets. Brazil, Mexico, the UAE, and Indonesia are among the ten largest destinations for Chinese EV exports so far in 2025 thanks to top-down policies designed to support EV adoption.

“This is a major turning point,” said Euan Graham, electricity and data analyst at Ember. “In 2025, the centre of gravity has moved.
“Emerging markets are no longer catching up; they are leading the shift to electric mobility. These countries see the strategic advantages of EVs, from cleaner air to reduced fossil fuel imports.
“The assumption that EV growth will stall outside Europe and China is already outdated. Emerging markets will shape the future of the global car market. The choices made now on charging infrastructure and early support will determine how fast this momentum continues.”
Unsurprisingly, China remains the dominant market in terms of absolute numbers and is set to exceed a 50 per cent EV share for the first time this year, accounting for close to two-thirds of global EV sales for the second year in a row.
Ember’s analysis also highlighted the impact electrified vehicles are having on fossil fuel reliance in countries where EV sales are increasing.
The role of EVs on a country’s fossil fuel demand and emissions will depend on the specific electricity mix, but in Brazil, for example, which has one of the cleanest electricity mixes in the world thanks to its large hydropower plants, BEVs are helping to deliver an estimated 90 per cent reduction in fossil fuel demand compared to ICE vehicles.
But even in countries with less impressive electricity mixes, electrified are still delivering benefits. Specifically, as Ember explains, ICE vehicles waste around 80 per cent of the energy in the fuel, where EVs use close to 80 per cent of the electricity they consume, leading to “large reductions in overall fossil fuel consumption even if a country’s electricity supply is heavily dependent on fossil generation.”

See also The Driven’s month by month data on Australian EV sales by model and by brand.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.
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