Chinese EV makers continue to strengthen their lead as global electric vehicle adoption rises and traditional automakers struggle to keep pace, according to an ICCT report.
Traditional automakers in the United States, Europe and Japan risk falling further behind EV-focused rivals as global electric vehicle adoption accelerates, according to a report by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), as reported by The Economic Times.
Electric vehicles accounted for one in four new vehicles sold globally in 2025, up from one in five a year earlier. The report said that while many manufacturers increased their EV sales share, the gap widened between companies expanding their electric offerings and those scaling back long-term electrification plans.
Chinese automakers continued to strengthen their position in ICCT’s Global Automaker Rating, with BYD and Tesla retaining the top two spots. BYD surpassed Tesla in battery-electric vehicle sales for the second consecutive year, while SAIC and Geely derived at least half of their sales from electric vehicles.
On the other hand, Stellantis, Honda and General Motors slipped in the rankings after lowering their 2030 EV sales targets. Several legacy automakers also shifted focus towards plug-in hybrid vehicles.
“The rating shows a growing gap between the frontrunners who are expanding their global EV offerings to reach new markets and those still wavering on their electric commitments,” said Irem Kok, senior researcher at ICCT and co-author of the report.
According to the report, Hyundai-Kia was the only automaker to move into a higher performance category during the year.
