Electric vehicles pass a milestone as sales surge

Electric vehicles passed a significant milestone this year, claiming a record share of the global new car market as sales continued their rapid ascent, accelerating the long-anticipated shift away from the internal combustion engine that has powered automobiles for more than a century.

The growth was led by China, which has become the world's dominant market for and manufacturer of electric vehicles, offering a wide range of increasingly affordable models. Europe also saw strong adoption, while uptake in other markets continued to climb, albeit at varying paces shaped by policy, infrastructure and price.

The surge has been driven by falling battery costs, improving range and performance, expanding charging networks, a growing array of models at more accessible prices, and policies in many regions encouraging the switch, including looming bans on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars.

The implications are far-reaching. Transport is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, and electrifying it, provided the electricity is increasingly clean, is central to efforts to decarbonise. The shift is also reshaping the global auto industry, challenging established manufacturers and elevating new players.

Hurdles remain, from building out charging infrastructure and upgrading grids to securing sustainable supplies of battery minerals and ensuring the transition is affordable and equitable. But the record sales marked another step in a transformation that is gathering pace, as electric vehicles move from novelty to norm, with significant consequences for emissions, for industry and for the future of how the world gets around.