Best-selling EVs of 2025: Tesla and BYD rule Australia, but what wins in UK, USA, Germany and China?

The Tesla Model Y was Australia’s best-selling EV of 2025, but what about electric car shoppers around the world?

While our top three choices were the Model Y, BYD Sealion 7 and Tesla’s Model 3, what tickled the EV fancy of Americans, Brits, Germans, French, Norwegians and the Chinese?

Here are lists of 2025’s best-selling electric cars in select foreign markets.

USA

1. Tesla Model Y
2. Tesla Model 3
3. Chevrolet Equinox EV
4. Ford Mustang Mach-E
5. Hyundai Ioniq 5
6. Honda Prologue
7. Tesla Cybertruck
8. Ford F-150 Lightning
9. Chevrolet Blazer EV
10. Volkswagen ID.4

Tesla Model Y sales may be down roughly 20 per cent on 2024, but it remains King of EVs Stateside.

The Chevrolet Equinox EV in third place is a medium SUV, currently manufactured only in left-hand-drive and sold in the US, Canada and Mexico. If Holden had stayed alive, we’d probably be driving them.

Strong showing by Ford’s Mustang Mach-E, with Americans buying over 50,000 in 2025. Aussies bought fewer than 500 last year.

Meanwhile, plunging sales of Tesla’s Cybertruck and Ford’s F-150 Lightning are canaries in the coal mine for electric truck appetite.

UNITED KINGDOM

1. Tesla Model Y
2. Tesla Model 3
3. Audi Q4 e-tron
4. Audi Q6 e-tron
5. Ford Explorer
6. BMW i4
7. Skoda Enyaq
8. Kia EV3
9. Skoda Elroq
10. Volvo EX30

The Brits spring no surprises with the Tesla Model Y also its top seller, but the Model 3 sedan pushed it close for outright honours.

Not a BYD nor any other Chinese brand to be found in the UK’s top ten, but Audi and its Q4 and Q6 e-tron SUVs are incredibly strong in third and fourth place. The Q4 e-tron doesn’t even make Australia’s top 20.

Interestingly, Ford’s electric Explorer had a strong showing in fifth, roundly trumping the related Volkswagen ID.4. Not a VW to be found in the Poms’ top ten, but they do like a Skoda.

Of note, in 2025 the UK’s BEV market share was 23.4%, or close to one-in-four new cars sold.

GERMANY

1. Volkswagen ID.7
2. Volkswagen ID.3
3. Volkswagen ID.4/ID.5
4. Skoda Elroq
5. Skoda Enyaq
6. BMW iX1
7. SEAT Born
8. Mini Electric
9. SEAT Tavascan
10. Audi A6

A lesson in patriotic car buying.

Not a Tesla nor Chinese manufacturer to be seen in the top ten, while all on the list are German-owned brands.

Also bucking the global trend, the Germans have made a “proper” car (not an SUV) its best-seller. The VW ID.7 is available as a five-door liftback sedan or wagon.

Volkswagen Group dominates, with VW’s own ID EVs plus sister Skoda SUVs rounding out the top five. SEAT is Europe’s Cupra, and with Audi, also lives under the Volkswagen Group umbrella.

While much of the rest of the world still worships at the feet of Emperor Musk, the Germans placed the Tesla Model Y only 12th best-selling EV, while the Model 3 languished in 24th.

FRANCE

1. Renault 5
2. Tesla Model Y
3. Citroen e-C3
4. Renault Scenic Electric
5. Peugeot e-208
6. BMW iX1
7. Renault Megane E-Tech
8. Volkswagen ID.3
9. Peugeot e-2008
10. Skoda Elroq

Well done, France.

The French-built, smart, beautiful, affordable and retro delight Renault 5 EV has smashed the EV sales race in 2025.

The city EV outsold closest rival Tesla Model Y by almost two-to-one, showing appealing design and national pride can keep tills ticking over.

More patriotism’s seen with six of the top ten coming from Renault/Peugeot/Citroen stables, and as with Germany and the UK, Chinese brands have yet to make a dent in local EV sales.

NORWAY

1. Tesla Model Y
2. Volkswagen ID.4
3. Toyota bZ4X
4. Volkswagen ID.7
5. Tesla Model 3

The Norwegians can’t free themselves from their Tesla addiction: it’s the biggest brand by sales volume in the country (19 per cent market share, the same as Toyota has in Australia), and the Model Y remains its number one seller.

Petrol and diesel are as good as dead in Norway. The Scandinavian country has long been world leader in EV uptake and renewable energy recharging thanks to its hydro stations, while taxes on combustions cars are mighty.

Some 96 per cent of new cars registered in Norway in 2025 were full EVs, and when including PHEVs, it’s 97.5 per cent.

But has the EV-obsession gone to their heads? The Norwegians have the Toyota bZ4X on the sales podium, whereas the largely unloved model isn’t in any other top ten.

CHINA

1. Geely Galaxy Xingyuan (Geely EX2)
2. Wuling Hongguang Mini EV
3. Tesla Model Y
4. BYD Qin Plus
5. BYD Seagull
6. BYD Qin L
7. Xiaomi SU7
8. BYD Seal 06
9. Tesla Model 3
10. BYD Song Plus

As expected, China’s top ten (and top 20) are all Made in China vehicles, with the Geely Galaxy Xingyuan (A.K.A. the Geely EX2) city EV rocketing to number one spot with almost half-a-million local sales since being introduced in late 2024.

Due in Australia in the second half of 2026, the EX2 will likely undercut the 2026 BYD Atto 1 as Australia’s cheapest EV. To do so, it must better the tiny Atto 1’s $23,990 sticker price.

China’s second best-seller, the catchily-named Wuling Hongguang Mini EV, is kei-car sized (3.2m long) and costs from a bargain-basement $7000 when translated to Aussie currency.

Tesla sales are falling, but the Model Y remains a popular choice in China, while BYD holds five of the top ten positions.

AUSTRALIA

1. Tesla Model Y
2. BYD Sealion 7
3. Tesla Model 3
4. Kia EV5
5. Geely EX5
6. BYD Atto 3
7. BYD Seal
8. BYD Dolphin
9. MG4
10. Kia EV3

To remind, these are the top ten EVs bought by Aussies in 2025.

Sadly, no patriotic choices for us to go for. Nine of the top ten are manufactured in China, with only the Kia EV3, in tenth place, made in South Korea.

For the third year running, Tesla’s Model Y is Australia’s favourite EV.