EV Sales Have Record Month

Global electric-vehicle sales reached a historical mark in September, helped along in part by U.S. deliveries goosed by expiring federal tax credits.

Worldwide EV sales surpassed two million for the first time in a single month, according to London-based EV data provider Rho Motion.

In all, 2.1 million electric units were sold, bringing year-to-date deliveries to 14.7 million, up 26% year-over-year.

Besides the U.S., sales leaders were the United Kingdom, where a government incentive spurred consumers, and South Korea, which imported more units from China-based EV maker BYD, along with EVs by Tesla and home-grown brands Hyundai and Kia, Rho Motion said.

China, an EV adoption leader, has seen a 24% jump in EV sales so far this year to nine million units. Europe is up 32% to three million, and North America 11% to 1½ million, according to the report.

The market analyst expects increased sales in Germany due to recently approved incentives there to enable more purchases by low- and middle-income households.

Meanwhile, automakers are scaling back U.S.-based EV production after the tax credit expired, including General Motors, Mercedes, Volkswagen and Nissan, said Rho Motion, which indicated that Nissan nixed its plans to make any EVs here.

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