Global electric vehicle sales saw a sharp rise in early 2025, with registrations jumping 36.9 percent year-over-year in January and February to a total of 2.51 million units, according to energy market research firm SNE Research.

The surge underscores the growing dominance of Chinese automakers, which continue to benefit from strong government support and a thriving domestic market.

Leading the global market was China’s BYD, which sold 540,000 units, an 80.3 percent increase from the same period last year. Geely Group followed in second place with 287,000 units, up 79.3 percent. Tesla, which held the No. 2 spot last year, dropped to third after a 14.1 percent decline, delivering 190,000 units.

Hyundai Motor Group ranked eighth with 80,000 units sold, a 15.9 percent year-on-year increase. SNE Research noted that key models such as the Ioniq 5 and EV6 have gained competitiveness through recent updates, while the newly launched Kia EV3 also helped drive global sales growth.