The UK electric vehicle (EV) market has reached a significant milestone, with more than 100,000 EVs sold in a single month for the first time in March 2025, according to the latest data from Rho Motion.

This came as the global EV market grew by 29% in Q1 2025 compared to the same period last year, with total global sales reaching 4.1 million units in the first quarter.

Battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales in the UK have grown by 42% in the year-to-date, with the March registration plate change helping to drive a 41% increase compared to March 2024.

The strong UK performance stands in contrast to mixed results across Europe, where the overall EV market has grown at 22% year-to-date, with BEVs growing at 27% and PHEVs at 10%.

Charles Lester, data manager at Rho Motion, said: “This quarter, while turbulent, has seen a strong rate of growth globally for the EV market. Some countries, such as the UK, had a record-breaking March as drivers continue to go electric.

“The removal of subsidies in France has had a shrinking effect on sales which are down 18%. Meanwhile, in North America, forecasts are struggling to keep up with the rate of policy announcements under the current White House administration.

“What is sure is that the electric vehicle market is already struggling to compete with ICE on cost, so reductions in subsidies and hefty tariffs for a very international supply chain are guaranteed to have a cooling effect on the industry.”

Regional variations in EV adoption remain significant, with Germany recording 37% BEV growth and Italy showing a 64% increase, while France has seen an 18% decline following subsidy reductions.

The Chinese market grew by 36% in Q1 2025, with monthly sales approaching one million units in March.

North American EV sales increased by 16% compared to Q1 2024, though recent tariff announcements by President Trump imposing 25% duties on automotive imports are expected to impact both pricing and dealership stock planning across both EV and ICE segments.