George Whitcombe

Geely electric vehicles (EVs) will begin production at Ford’s facility in Valencia, Spain, in 2028. The two automotive brands have formed a Europe-focused joint venture that seeks to revitalise Valencia amid growing cost pressures and competition. The new partnership will manufacture two electric Geely SUVs as well as a new multi-powertrain Ford crossover. While Chinese automakers are increasingly looking towards overseas EV markets for growth against a backdrop of a subdued domestic EV market, the expansion of Geely’s Chinese EV brands into Europe has been much less pronounced than BYD and Chery.

VW Group plans to halve its model lineup as part of an upcoming restructure where it aims to cut costs by 20% and to keep the group competitive in a shifting automotive industry. Although an initial proposal to close production facilities as part of the restructure was rejected by the board, it has been reported that four facilities in Germany remain under consideration for closure due to high costs. The four sites, all of which produce electric vehicles (EVs), include an Audi site in Neckarsulm, as well as Volkswagen plants in Zwickau, Emden and Hanover.

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, specialising in EV and battery supply chain research and insights, reports that 2.0 million electric vehicles were sold globally in June 2026, bringing YTD 2026 EV sales to 9.6 million. In June 2026, EV sales increased by 7% year-on-year (y-o-y) and by 11% month-on-month (m-o-m).

The European Commission is looking to impose additional countervailing duties on PHEVs made in China, with an anti-subsidy investigation reportedly underway. Chinese BEVs have been subject to countervailing duties since late 2024 at differing levels by firm, prompting several Chinese vehicle manufacturers to turn to PHEVs for sales growth in the region. In 2025, sales of PHEVs made in China increased more than four-fold compared to 2024 in the EU and sales have risen significantly again in 2026, with a threefold increase in the opening four months of the year compared to same period in 2025.

VW Group has started series production of its ‘Electric Urban Car Family’ series with the Volkswagen ID.Polo and Cupra Ravel in Martorell, Spain. Assembly of the Skoda Epiq started just days later at the automaker’s facility near Pamplona, Spain, the same site that will also produce the Volkswagen ID.Cross from later this year. While other European vehicle manufacturers have launched several small segment EVs, such as the Renault 5 and Citroen eC3, over the past two years, this is the first time the lineup of the region’s largest automotive group has offered vehicles in this segment since the all-electric Volkswagen UP! was discontinued in 2023.

Battery cells made in Europe met 48% of the battery demand from new passenger car and light duty EVs (PC & LDV EVs) sold in EU & EFTA & UK in the opening four months of 2026. Cells made in China accounted for 47% of battery demand from new PC & LDV EVs sold in the region, while 5% came from other countries in Asia. Benchmark’s EV & Battery Database contains a new column outlining the cell production location for each EV model. This update provides increased granularity on the trade flows for battery cells, tracking where they are produced, assembled within an EV, and where that EV is sold.

BYD is negotiating with European vehicle manufacturers including Stellantis to utilise their underutilised production facilities in Europe, including in Italy. It follows an agreement between Stellantis and Leapmotor, struck earlier in May, for the latter to utilise Stellantis factories. BYD’s sales of passenger car & light duty EVs (PC & LDV EVs) more than doubled in Europe in the first three months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. This growth has been supported by the ramp-up of PHEV deliveries as well as new model launches.

With the abrupt end of Canada’s initial electric vehicle (EV) subsidy scheme, the iZEV program, in January 2025, as well as the deterioration of its trading relationship with the US throughout that year, EV sales in the country declined 38% compared to 2024. In the opening months of 2026, however, Canada has sought to reinvigorate its EV market. First, it has struck an agreement with China to allow up to 49,000 Chinese-made EVs into the country at a tariff rate below 100% for the first time since 1 October 2024. More recently, it has launched its new EV subsidy scheme, the ‘Electric Vehicle Affordability Program’.

Interest in EVs rose globally in March 2026 amid higher fuel prices due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. A significant number of markets around the world experienced greater EV sales growth after the conflict broke out than before. Sales of passenger car and light duty EVs in Europe were up 33% year-on-year in March, having grown just 19% year-on-year in the first two months of the year.   China-made EVs have been a major driver of rising global demand and have benefited the most from the surge, with sales in Europe increasing 78% year-on-year in March, up from 39% growth recorded over the first two months of the year. Translating to a boost in their European EV market share, which rose from 20% in January and February to 24% in March.

The import of passenger car and light duty EVs (PC & LDV EVs) into Mexico increased to record levels in December 2025, with over 50,000 units imported. The spike in imports was driven by Mexico raising tariffs on vehicles from 20% to 50%, effective from January 1 2026. The move to raise tariffs was in part due to pressure from the US government to curb China’s growing presence within the Mexican economy.

The share of range extended electric vehicles (REEV) share in China’s EV market sales has risen from nothing in 2019 to over 12% in the first two months of 2026. This growth has been supported by investment into model development, resulting in over 40 models now being available in China. In Europe and the US, the powertrain remains a largely unexplored technology, with just six models ever being released by a non-Chinese brand and an EV market share of less than 0.5% in both markets.

Total battery demand from EVs grew 4% in the January and February 2026 compared to the same two-month period last year, despite sales of EVs themselves falling by 8%.  The contraction in EV sales has been offset by a growing average battery pack size, resulting in a rise in battery demand for EV applications. Pack sizes have been growing in passenger cars and light duty electric vehicles (PC and LDV EVs). This trend has been supplemented by growing sales of electric buses and trucks, which have pack sizes several times larger than those for PC and LDVs.