The electric car revolution is picking up speed. In June 2026, nearly 2 million electric vehicles were registered around the world — and for the first time in months, pure electric cars (called BEVs by experts) are growing faster than their hybrid cousins.
Pure electric cars saw a 21% jump in sales compared to last year, the strongest growth since last September. At the same time, plugin hybrid sales dropped 14%, showing a clear shift in what buyers want.
"The 21% growth rate of BEVs is the highest since September, a promising sign for pure electrics going into the second half of the year," the report noted.
So which cars are people actually buying? The top three best-sellers tell a simple story: it's Tesla and Chinese brands. For the fourth year running, the podium stayed exactly the same — Tesla Model Y took gold, BYD Song took silver, and Tesla Model 3 took bronze.
The Tesla Model Y was the runaway leader with 153,813 units sold in June, its best month ever. The BYD Song surprised everyone by beating the Model 3 into second place, thanks to a new export push and updated design. Even the third-place Tesla Model 3 had plenty to celebrate — it sold 60,000 units, a 30% jump from last year and its best score since September.
Looking at the numbers, electric vehicles now make up 30% of all new cars sold worldwide when you include hybrids, and 22% for pure electrics alone. Five years ago, that number was just 6%.
The growth is especially striking outside the two biggest markets. When you remove China and the USA from the count, electric vehicles jumped 52% year-over-year in June, with pure electrics surging 62%. BMW was the top-selling traditional automaker outside the top 20, marking a quiet shift even among legacy brands.
"We've come a long way," the report noted. "Ten years ago, electrics were just 1% of new car sales." Today, one in four new cars sold worldwide has a plug.