Plug-in electric vehicle sales worldwide by brand 2020

Tesla was the best-selling electric vehicle brand in 2020. That yesr, Tesla sold just under 500,000 plug-in electric vehicles globally. Third-placed BYD is the leading manufacturer of electric vehicles in China, based on sales.

European brands charge ahead in electric car sales

With Europe-based brands Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes, Renault, and Audi all impressively ranked in the plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) market, there is no doubt that Europe's incumbent automakers are ready to zoom past rivals when it comes to electric mobility. Volatility in the market has, however, come to light in 2020 following the coronavirus outbreak, as international auto sales contracted by around 15 percent and plummeted to around 64 million units.

Fueling a green future

With climate change still a hot topic of conversation across the globe, the adoption of fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEV), which emit only water vapor into the environment, as well as hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery electric vehicles is becoming ever more enticing. The number of electric mobility-related patent applications worldwide made progress in 2019 when just over nine million applications were submitted in the area of electric vehicles and charging.