Global EV demand rises for second month, data shows

LONDON, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 13th May, 2026) Global demand for electric vehicles rose for a second straight month in April as high petrol prices kept steering buyers away from combustion-engine cars, data from consultancy Benchmark Mineral Intelligence showed on Wednesday.

Registrations of new battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles rose 6% from a year earlier to 1.6 million in April, a proxy for sales, although they fell 9% from March’s record monthly high, BMI said.

“Demand continues to be supported by policy incentives, rising petrol prices, and growing Chinese OEM presence,” BMI said in a statement, carried by Reuters.

In Europe, registrations climbed 27% to about 400,000 units in April, while countries in the European Economic Area and Switzerland have committed nearly 200 billion Euros (US$235 billion) to their EV ecosystem, a recent study showed.

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In China, April registrations fell 8% from a year earlier to roughly 850,000 vehicles after support for auto trade-ins was withdrawn and a tax break on electric-vehicle purchases expired.

In North America, registrations dropped 28% to 120,000 units in April after the end of a U.S. tax credit scheme and proposals by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to further ease carbon dioxide emissions rules. Mexico stood out, with sales up nearly 50% this year, while Canada’s 7% decline is expected to reverse after a new incentive program.