Global electrified car sales surpassed 20 million units in 2025 according to the International Energy Agency's latest Global EV Outlook released on Wednesday.
The agency noted that "about 5% of the global car stock is now electrified, meaning either battery-electric, hybrid or plug-in hybrid, displacing 1.2 million barrels of oil per day in 2025."
Battery electric vehicles, one of the categories under the 'electrified' umbrella along with hybrids and plug-in hybrids, spearheaded this growth, captured 65% of total electrified vehicle sales, reversing a two-year slowdown, IEA added.
"One in four new cars sold worldwide was electric in 2025," the agency said.
More than 13 million electrified cars were sold in China last year representing nearly 55% of its domestic market, pushing the country's total EV fleet to 44 million vehicles, IEA said.
Europe also experienced a massive 30% increase to 4.2 million units, driven by stricter emission standards, it noted.
Germany led the European surge with a 50% jump to a record 850,000 sales, while nations like the UK, Italy, Spain, and Poland recorded stellar growth fueled by purchase subsidies and more affordable models.
Additionally, emerging markets in Latin America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East expanded rapidly, benefiting from the cost-competitiveness of Chinese EV imports, the outlook said.
However, the US market stagnated at a 10% sales share, finishing at roughly 1.5 million units, IEA added. US electrified car sales meanwhile plummeted 45% in Q4 2025.