Sales of electric cars reached 1.6 million units in April 2026 globally, bringing the total number of EVs sold so far this year to 5.6 million. According to data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, the market grew 6% compared to April last year – though it did drop 9% from a very busy March. The industry looks like a patchwork quilt at the moment – some regions are moving fast, and some are slowing down.

Europe is the main growth engine for the global market. Other regions seem to struggle, but European buyers continue to embrace electric cars in record numbers. In April alone, sales in the region jumped 27% compared to the last year, totaling over 400,000 units. High gasoline prices, caused by ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, make traditional cars more expensive to run and force buyers to look at electric options. Additionally, generous government incentives and a surge of new models from Chinese manufacturers give customers more reasons to switch to EVs.

The growth within specific European countries is even more impressive. France saw its sales of electric cars rise 36% since the start of the year. Germany followed closely with a 33% increase. Italy took the spotlight by nearly doubling its market size, thanks to new government subsidies. It seems Italian drivers are finally trading their espresso-fueled city cars for battery power, with Chinese brands grabbing a large portion of those new sales.

Chinese automakers are no longer relying on only sending ships full of EVs to European ports – they are moving in. In 2025, Chinese-built vehicles made up 19% of the European market. That number has already climbed to 22% in 2026. To avoid trade tensions, many companies are building local factories. Stellantis and Leapmotor announced they will build the Leapmotor B10 electric SUV at a plant in Zaragoza, Spain, with production possibly starting as early as Q4 2026. Even Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume suggested that sharing empty factory space with Chinese rivals might be a “clever solution” to help his company manage costs.

Source: Benchmark Minerals

Europe thrives, but the North American market is facing a cold snap. EV sales across the United States and Canada fell 25% during the first four months of the year, with the exception of Mexico. Its market grew by nearly 50% because Chinese companies rushed thousands of electric cars into Mexico before the government introduced a 50% import tariff on countries without free trade deals.

Canada is trying to fix its 7% sales slump with a new Electric Vehicle Affordability Program. This plan offers buyers up to CAD 5,000 (roughly £2,660) for qualifying electric cars. To get the full rebate, the vehicle must cost less than £26,600, though Canadian-made cars do not have a price limit. Canada also set a dedicated quota that allows 49,000 Chinese EVs to enter the country without facing a 100% tariff, showing that the government still wants affordable options on the road.

Source: Benchmark Minerals

In the United States, manufacturers are focusing on future production. Rivian has officially started building the Rivian R2 at its factory in Normal, Illinois. The company is betting big on the R2 and plans to expand its future Georgia plant to handle 300,000 vehicles a year instead of the original 200,000. Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that production has begun for the Tesla Cybercab. Do not expect to see many of them on the street yet – high-volume production of the Cybercab will not happen until late 2026.

China’s domestic market paints a confusing picture – local sales dropped 17% this year, mainly because the government changed subsidies for small, cheap electric cars. Without those discounts, buyers are playing a wait-and-see game, but Chinese factories are not sitting idle. They exported 400,000 EVs in April alone. In the first four months of 2026, China shipped 1.4 million EVs overseas – twice as many as the same time last year.

The global shift toward electric cars is far from a straight line. North American buyers are hesitating, Chinese domestic demand is shifting, and Europe is picking up the slack. The industry is becoming a game of local manufacturing and clever partnerships. As more brands like XPeng begin building models like the P7+ in Austria, the map of the automotive world continues to change every month.

Source

As America’s public fast-charging network continues to grow despite the broader cooling of electric vehicle sales, Uber is taking up a more active role in deciding where new charging stations should be built and how efficiently they’re managed.

The ride-hailing giant is amid a tectonic shift, brokering dozens of deals worldwide to bring autonomous vehicles to its platform. The vast majority of these partnerships involve modern EVs, which will need consistent and reliable spaces to charge. 

To address that, Uber is now aiding the build-out of new fast-charging stations to support the incoming wave of robotaxis on its platform and also providing more plug-in options to its human drivers, who are increasingly going electric. 

“One of Uber’s superpowers is the fact that we have just so much data,” Andrew Cornelia, Uber’s global head of electrification and sustainability, told me in an interview at the BloombergNEF Summit in New York City. “We’re using that data to essentially tell us where charging needs to be.”

Motional and Uber’s Hyundai Ioniq 5 robotaxi in Las Vegas.

Photo by: Hyundai

Armed with vast amounts of real-world trip data, the company says it could help solve one of the industry’s most persistent problems, which is matching charging supply with real-time demand from drivers who can’t afford to waste time waiting around. 

In February, Uber announced a $100 million investment in building public fast-charging stations. It will partner with networks including EVgo in the U.S. and Ionity in Europe to build charging stations in high-traffic regions. 

---

---

Uber is also providing these networks with utilization guarantees. Fast-charging stations require millions in upfront capital to build and only make sense financially if utilization rates are consistently high. 

Cornelia is confident that demand for these chargers will be high. “Charging now tops vehicle cost in terms of concerns for Uber drivers,” he said. “We actually have a fairly high conviction and confidence that if you build it, they will come.”

Tesla Model Y charging at an EVgo charging station.

Photo by: EVgo

New York City has among the most severe examples of charging shortages for Uber drivers. Drivers were incentivized to go electric due to new Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) rules in 2023, but got little charging support in return.

More charging stations have come online in the city ever since, but congestion hasn’t improved meaningfully at many locations. There aren’t enough stations to support the tens of thousands of rideshare drivers who have since opted to drive EVs. 

Uber is trying to alleviate some of these concerns with a new recommendation technology within its app, showing drivers nearby EV chargers and locations with the shortest queues. 

But Uber’s ‘superpower’ is being stress tested regardless by rivals and investors alike. Its stock is down nearly 10% this year as of writing. Rival Waymo is a partner in Austin and Atlanta, but also a huge competitor in nine other cities where it serves riders on its own app. 

Waymo’s Hyundai Ioniq 5 robotaxi.

Photo by: Waymo

And the threat from Tesla is also looming—Elon Musk’s company builds its own robotaxis, which will charge on its own hardware and serve riders through its own app. This vertical integration brings inherent advantages, giving Tesla tighter control over its software, hardware, and operations. 

Uber’s horizontal approach gives it less direct influence over parts of its business. But it also enables its massive scale, which is its own advantage. Only time will tell whether the bet on AVs will pencil out. The bet on charging, on the other hand, seems less risky in comparison. 

Drivers are already going electric, and having more chargers would address their needs more immediately. Chargers themselves are a proven technology, and they’re getting better every day. Newer stations are now higher-powered and have better reliability. More of them are popping up in locations with amenities like convenience stores, bathrooms, and WiFi. 

“The future of mobility is really electric, autonomous, and digitally enabled,” Cornelia said. “Public charging is a concern, and that’s why we’re spending so much time on it.”

Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Insideevs.com?

Take our 3 minute survey.

– The InsideEVs team

NEW ZEALAND’S new vehicle registrations rose slightly across February, the sale of 10,193 units representing a year-on-year increase of 4.1 per cent.

 

The New Zealand Motor Industry Association (MIA) said that growth came from all major segments, led by gains in light- and heavy commercial vehicles, while light passenger (passenger car and SUV) registrations continued to represent the majority of the market.

 

Year-to-date registrations reached 21,970 units at the end of February, up 6.5 per cent on the same time last year. The MIA said light passenger and light commercial vehicles both recorded YTD growth, while heavy commercial volumes were marginally below the prior year period.

 

MIA chief executive Aimee Wiley attributed the market’s firmer overall footing to steady underlying demand in the market, noting signs of confidence from both household and business buyers.

 

“Both the monthly and year to date figures show moderate growth compared with 2025, with light passenger vehicles continuing to account for around seventy per cent of registrations,” she said.

 

“While heavy commercial volumes remain slightly below last year on a year-to-date basis, the February lift is encouraging. The industry continues to respond to stable but competitive trading conditions.”

 

Ms Wiley said broader economic forecasts point to gradual improvement in 2026, following a subdued period last year. Interest rates and business confidence indicators have shown signs of stabilisation, supporting purchasing activity across both household and business segments.

 

However, she cautioned that conditions remain measured, with vehicle demand continuing to reflect underlying replacement cycles and business investment decisions, rather than accelerated expansion.

 

Across February, the sale of hybrid vehicles continues to feature prominently within the light passenger segment, maintaining a significant share of YTD registrations.

 

Battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales remain “present” across both passenger and light commercial categories, while petrol and diesel vehicles continue to account for the majority of New Zealand’s new vehicle registrations.

 

BEV sales totalled 675 units in February with 707 PHEV unit sales. Hybrid vehicle sales tallied 2406 for the month, while internal combustion engined vehicles totalled 6406 units.

 

By manufacturer, we note Toyota in the lead for February with a total of 1515 unit sales and 15 market share points. Ford placed second with 1288 units (13 per cent) ahead of third place Mitsubishi with 905 units (nine per cent), fourth place Kia with 713 units (seven per cent), and fifth place Nissan with 584 units (six per cent).

 

Hyundai’s Tucson became New Zealand’s most popular light passenger model for the month of February with 418 registrations recorded, leading the Toyota RAV4 (369), Mitsubishi ASX (308), Ford Everest (275), and MG ZS (243).

 

On the light commercial vehicle front, the Ford Ranger took top spot on the podium with 761 unit sales, ahead of the Nissan Navara (411), Toyota HiLux (297), Toyota HiAce (260), and Mitsubishi Triton (259).

 

Top 10 sales by Make (February overall):

 

Make	Sales	Share
Toyota	1515	15%
Ford	1288	13%
Mitsubishi	905	9%
Kia	713	7%
Nissan	584	6%
Hyundai	540	5%
MG	432	4%
BYD	390	4%
Mazda	334	3%
Suzuki	307	3%

 

Top 10 sales by Model (February light passenger):

 

Make/Model	Sales	Share
Hyundai Tucson	418	6%
Toyota RAV4	369	5%
Mitsubishi ASX	308	4%
Ford Everest	275	4%
MG ZS	243	3%
Kia Seltos	233	3%
Mitsubishi Outlander	205	3%
Toyota Corolla Cross	151	2%
Kia Sportage	146	2%
Nissan X-Trail	134	2%

 

Top 10 sales by Model (February light commercial):

 

Make/Model	Sales	Share
Ford Ranger	761	25%
Nissan Navara	411	13%
Toyota HiLux	297	10%
Toyota HiAce	260	9%
Mitsubishi Triton	259	8%
Ford Transit	142	5%
Isuzu D-Max	115	4%
BYD Shark 6	98	3%
GWM Cannon	55	2%
Fiat Ducato	40	1%

 

*All sales figures are supplied courtesy of the Motor Industry Association of New Zealand.