Top 20 brands Jan 2025 – Perodua 140% ahead of Proton, Toyota 108% vs Honda, Mitsubishi strong 5th - Related to 108%, global, 18%, speed, top
Global EV sales surge 18% y-o-y – but speed bumps lie ahead

London-based Rho Motion just dropped the latest numbers on global EV sales for January 2025, and here’s the headline: [website] million electric vehicles were sold worldwide. That’s down by more than a third from December’s record-breaking numbers, but don’t let that fool you – January 2025 still saw an 18% jump compared to the same month last year.
Global EV sales are off to a solid, if not spectacular, start in January 2025. While China’s numbers took a predictable dip post-holiday rush, Europe is picking up steam, and North America is seeing steady growth. Here’s how the major markets shook out in January:
Global: [website] million EVs sold (+18% year-over-year, -35% from December 2024).
[website] million EVs sold (+18% year-over-year, -35% from December 2024) China: [website] million (+12% y-o-y, -43% m-o-m).
[website] million (+12% y-o-y, -43% m-o-m) EU, EFTA & UK: [website] million (+21% y-o-y, -19% m-o-m).
[website] million (+21% y-o-y, -19% m-o-m) US & Canada: [website] million (+22% y-o-y, -28% m-o-m).
[website] million (+22% y-o-y, -28% m-o-m) Rest of the world: [website] million (+50% y-o-y, -4% m-o-m).
Rho Motion data manager Charles Lester weighed in on what’s behind these numbers:
With emission standards coming into force for European manufacturers this year, all eyes are on the opening month for the region, which displays encouraging growth at 21% compared to the same time last year. The Chinese market, as expected, shrunk 43% from the previous month as drivers tend to go all in at the end of the year before the Chinese New Year public holidays fall in January and February. The US and Canada market hasn’t yet been impacted by the new occupant of the White House and is showing a consistent year-on-year increase of 22%. All in all, an uncontroversial start to the year for the EV market globally, though this is not going to remain that way for long.
Europe: A strong start, but challenges ahead.
The EU, EFTA, and the UK kicked off the year with a solid 21% increase, selling over 250,000 EVs in January. That’s the kind of momentum European automakers need to keep up to avoid hefty fines under the 2025 emission standards.
Germany led the charge, with EV sales jumping over 40% year-over-year, and BEVs specifically saw over 50% growth. But not every country had a smooth start. France, for example, took a big hit, with sales dropping 52% compared to December and 15% year-over-year. The reason was a new weight tax on plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) that went into effect in January, triggering a rush to buy in December before the new rules kicked in.
China: A predictable dip, but still growing.
China’s EV sales were up 12% compared to last January, thanks in part to the ongoing national car trade-in scheme. However, sales dropped 43% compared to December, which is typical for this time of year. The Chinese New Year holiday always slows down vehicle sales in January and February, and with the holiday falling mostly in February this year (just like in 2024), expect another weak month before numbers pick up again.
US & Canada: A steady climb with uncertainty ahead.
North America saw a solid 22% jump in EV sales compared to January 2024, with 130,000 units sold. However, that’s still a 28% drop from the December 2024 rush.
Despite concerns over Trump’s return to the White House, the federal EV tax credit – up to $7,500 – is still available for many BEVs and one PHEV. However, the requirements got tougher in 2025, with stricter sourcing rules for critical EV battery materials. Some EV models lost their eligibility, and that’s expected to put some pressure on the market as the year unfolds.
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In January, US EV prices held steady, incentive spending fell

US EV prices held steady in January, and incentive spending dropped [website] from December, -vehicle average transaction price (ATP) analysis from Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book.
Average transaction prices for EVs in January, at $55,614, were higher by nearly 1% compared to a downwardly revised December. EV prices last month were lower year-over-year by [website] Incentive spending on EVs in January decreased by [website] compared to December but was higher by [website] year-over-year.
Overall, EV costs are falling – compared to the overall auto industry, EV ATPs were higher by [website] A year ago, the price premium versus the industry was [website].
ATPs for market leader Tesla, at $55,380, were higher year-over-year by [website] Cybertruck prices fell year-over-year by [website] to just under $98,000. Model X prices were also lower year-over-year.
The two most popular EVs in the US, the Model Y and Model 3, both saw transaction prices increase year-over-year by [website] and [website], respectively.
The $7,500 tax credit is now missing from the Tesla website. What will Tesla’s February sales volume look like?
As for total new-vehicle sales volume in January, it was higher year-over-year by [website] but lower by more than 25% compared to a robust December. New-vehicle inventory at the beginning of January was below 3 million units for the first time since late October.
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Top 20 brands Jan 2025 – Perodua 140% ahead of Proton, Toyota 108% vs Honda, Mitsubishi strong 5th

The road transport department (JPJ)’s registration stats are out for 2025’s first month. You’ve seen the top 20 EV brands and models; now let’s look at the overall stakes.
First-placed Perodua’s 23,245 registrations are 140% up on second-placed Proton’s 9,688, while third-ranked Toyota’s 7,570 trounces fourth-ranked Honda’s 3,638 by 108%. Mitsubishi is fifth, closing January with a respectable 1,227 units.
Everyone from sixth onwards are sub-1,000 performers – Chery is the highest-placed Chinese carmaker with 886 units, followed by stablemate Jaecoo with 792 units. Mercedes-Benz is eighth (752 units), ahead of BMW in 10th (601 units, despite selling 195 more EVs than Merc’s 35), Lexus at 16th (345 units) and Porsche at 17th (285 units, sold three more EVs than Merc).
BYD may be at the top of the EV game in January, but here, its 505 units only give it 12th spot, which is even lower than 11th-placed Nissan’s 578 units. Pick-up truck boys Isuzu and Ford did 501 and 473 units for 13th and 14th respectively.
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Market Impact Analysis
Market Growth Trend
2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8.3% | 10.0% | 10.5% | 11.6% | 12.3% | 12.7% | 12.8% |
Quarterly Growth Rate
Q1 2024 | Q2 2024 | Q3 2024 | Q4 2024 |
---|---|---|---|
10.9% | 11.7% | 12.4% | 12.8% |
Market Segments and Growth Drivers
Segment | Market Share | Growth Rate |
---|---|---|
Connected Cars | 35% | 14.2% |
Autonomous Driving | 22% | 18.5% |
EV Technology | 28% | 21.9% |
Telematics | 10% | 9.7% |
Other Automotive Tech | 5% | 6.3% |
Technology Maturity Curve
Different technologies within the ecosystem are at varying stages of maturity:
Competitive Landscape Analysis
Company | Market Share |
---|---|
Tesla | 16.9% |
Waymo | 12.3% |
NVIDIA DRIVE | 10.7% |
Bosch | 9.5% |
Continental | 7.8% |
Future Outlook and Predictions
The Ahead Global Sales landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by technological advancements, changing threat vectors, and shifting business requirements. Based on current trends and expert analyses, we can anticipate several significant developments across different time horizons:
Year-by-Year Technology Evolution
Based on current trajectory and expert analyses, we can project the following development timeline:
Technology Maturity Curve
Different technologies within the ecosystem are at varying stages of maturity, influencing adoption timelines and investment priorities:
Innovation Trigger
- Generative AI for specialized domains
- Blockchain for supply chain verification
Peak of Inflated Expectations
- Digital twins for business processes
- Quantum-resistant cryptography
Trough of Disillusionment
- Consumer AR/VR applications
- General-purpose blockchain
Slope of Enlightenment
- AI-driven analytics
- Edge computing
Plateau of Productivity
- Cloud infrastructure
- Mobile applications
Technology Evolution Timeline
- Technology adoption accelerating across industries
- digital transformation initiatives becoming mainstream
- Significant transformation of business processes through advanced technologies
- new digital business models emerging
- Fundamental shifts in how technology integrates with business and society
- emergence of new technology paradigms
Expert Perspectives
Leading experts in the automotive tech sector provide diverse perspectives on how the landscape will evolve over the coming years:
"Technology transformation will continue to accelerate, creating both challenges and opportunities."
— Industry Expert
"Organizations must balance innovation with practical implementation to achieve meaningful results."
— Technology Analyst
"The most successful adopters will focus on business outcomes rather than technology for its own sake."
— Research Director
Areas of Expert Consensus
- Acceleration of Innovation: The pace of technological evolution will continue to increase
- Practical Integration: Focus will shift from proof-of-concept to operational deployment
- Human-Technology Partnership: Most effective implementations will optimize human-machine collaboration
- Regulatory Influence: Regulatory frameworks will increasingly shape technology development
Short-Term Outlook (1-2 Years)
In the immediate future, organizations will focus on implementing and optimizing currently available technologies to address pressing automotive tech challenges:
- Technology adoption accelerating across industries
- digital transformation initiatives becoming mainstream
These developments will be characterized by incremental improvements to existing frameworks rather than revolutionary changes, with emphasis on practical deployment and measurable outcomes.
Mid-Term Outlook (3-5 Years)
As technologies mature and organizations adapt, more substantial transformations will emerge in how security is approached and implemented:
- Significant transformation of business processes through advanced technologies
- new digital business models emerging
This period will see significant changes in security architecture and operational models, with increasing automation and integration between previously siloed security functions. Organizations will shift from reactive to proactive security postures.
Long-Term Outlook (5+ Years)
Looking further ahead, more fundamental shifts will reshape how cybersecurity is conceptualized and implemented across digital ecosystems:
- Fundamental shifts in how technology integrates with business and society
- emergence of new technology paradigms
These long-term developments will likely require significant technical breakthroughs, new regulatory frameworks, and evolution in how organizations approach security as a fundamental business function rather than a technical discipline.
Key Risk Factors and Uncertainties
Several critical factors could significantly impact the trajectory of automotive tech evolution:
Organizations should monitor these factors closely and develop contingency strategies to mitigate potential negative impacts on technology implementation timelines.
Alternative Future Scenarios
The evolution of technology can follow different paths depending on various factors including regulatory developments, investment trends, technological breakthroughs, and market adoption. We analyze three potential scenarios:
Optimistic Scenario
Rapid adoption of advanced technologies with significant business impact
Key Drivers: Supportive regulatory environment, significant research breakthroughs, strong market incentives, and rapid user adoption.
Probability: 25-30%
Base Case Scenario
Measured implementation with incremental improvements
Key Drivers: Balanced regulatory approach, steady technological progress, and selective implementation based on clear ROI.
Probability: 50-60%
Conservative Scenario
Technical and organizational barriers limiting effective adoption
Key Drivers: Restrictive regulations, technical limitations, implementation challenges, and risk-averse organizational cultures.
Probability: 15-20%
Scenario Comparison Matrix
Factor | Optimistic | Base Case | Conservative |
---|---|---|---|
Implementation Timeline | Accelerated | Steady | Delayed |
Market Adoption | Widespread | Selective | Limited |
Technology Evolution | Rapid | Progressive | Incremental |
Regulatory Environment | Supportive | Balanced | Restrictive |
Business Impact | Transformative | Significant | Modest |
Transformational Impact
Technology becoming increasingly embedded in all aspects of business operations. This evolution will necessitate significant changes in organizational structures, talent development, and strategic planning processes.
The convergence of multiple technological trends—including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and ubiquitous connectivity—will create both unprecedented security challenges and innovative defensive capabilities.
Implementation Challenges
Technical complexity and organizational readiness remain key challenges. Organizations will need to develop comprehensive change management strategies to successfully navigate these transitions.
Regulatory uncertainty, particularly around emerging technologies like AI in security applications, will require flexible security architectures that can adapt to evolving compliance requirements.
Key Innovations to Watch
Artificial intelligence, distributed systems, and automation technologies leading innovation. Organizations should monitor these developments closely to maintain competitive advantages and effective security postures.
Strategic investments in research partnerships, technology pilots, and talent development will position forward-thinking organizations to leverage these innovations early in their development cycle.
Technical Glossary
Key technical terms and definitions to help understand the technologies discussed in this article.
Understanding the following technical concepts is essential for grasping the full implications of the security threats and defensive measures discussed in this article. These definitions provide context for both technical and non-technical readers.