According to a new report, electric vehicle sales have reached new highs around the world.

Sales of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles rose 4 percent year-over-year and 35 percent over the previous quarter, with expected sales of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles reaching 29 percent of global car sales worldwide in 2026.

This growth was largely driven by fuel price increases caused by the US and Iran conflict. “Road vehicles account for nearly half of global oil use, making the sector particularly vulnerable to fuel price increases and supply disruptions,” the IEA noted.

The electric vehicle market is experiencing a downturn in the auto industry. Global car sales dropped 5 percent in the first half of 2026, primarily due to falling shipments in the world’s two largest car markets, China and the US. Electric vehicle sales were already down in the US after the Trump administration eliminated federal EV tax credits and weakened fuel economy rules for internal combustion engine vehicles.

In other regions, consumer interest in electric vehicles was strong, with sales in India, Brazil, Australia, and Korea hitting new highs in the first half of 2026. Europe also saw significant growth, with the UK experiencing a 35 percent increase in battery electric vehicle registrations over last year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles accounted for 36 percent of total car registrations in the UK in 2026, according to the SMMT’s report.

China has been a major beneficiary of the EV boom, with companies like BYD expanding into new markets in Europe and beyond. “The share of electric cars in China’s car exports rose from around 35 percent in 2025 to more than 45 percent in the first half of 2026,” the IEA stated. China is currently producing more EVs than it’s selling, with an estimated one million electric vehicles currently unsold.

Worried about the EV industry’s future, the IEA noted that China holds a leading position in the battery value chain, with “integrated supply chains, strong battery capabilities, and production costs that are around 35 percent lower than in advanced economies,” the report stated. It added that other nations will need “coordinated efforts” between government and industry to close that gap.

---

If you learned a new word today, please make sure to subscribe, so you can practice again next time.

---

Vocabulary Notes

Vulnerable
Meaning: If someone or something is vulnerable, they can easily be harmed, affected, or damaged by a situation or event.
Example: “Road vehicles account for nearly half of global oil use, making the sector particularly vulnerable to fuel price increases and supply disruptions.”
Similar words: exposed, at risk, susceptible, unprotected
Extra example: Small businesses can be vulnerable during an economic downturn if customers reduce their spending.

Disruptions
Meaning: Disruptions are events or problems that interrupt the normal way something works or prevent it from continuing smoothly.
Example: “…making the sector particularly vulnerable to fuel price increases and supply disruptions.”
Similar words: interruptions, disturbances, delays, obstacles
Extra example: Heavy snowfall caused major disruptions to flights across several European airports.

Beneficiary
Meaning: A beneficiary is a person, company, or country that gains an advantage or receives a benefit from a particular situation.
Example: “China has been a major beneficiary of the EV boom, with companies like BYD expanding into new markets in Europe and beyond.”
Similar words: recipient, winner, gainer, advantaged party
Extra example: The local tourism industry was the biggest beneficiary of the new international airport.

Integrated
Meaning: When things are integrated, they are joined together so they work as one complete system.
Example: “China holds a leading position in the battery value chain, with integrated supply chains, strong battery capabilities, and production costs that are around 35 percent lower than in advanced economies.”
Similar words: connected, combined, unified, coordinated
Extra example: The company introduced an integrated transport system that connected buses, trains, and bicycles.

Coordinated
Meaning: Coordinated means organised so that different people or groups work together effectively towards the same goal.
Example: “It added that other nations will need ‘coordinated efforts’ between government and industry to close that gap.”
Similar words: organised, planned, cooperative, collaborative
Extra example: The emergency services launched a coordinated rescue operation after the severe flooding.

Image generated by ChatGPT.

Animation generated by ClipBee

CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads.

short stories, English short stories with subtitles, short bedtime stories read aloud, English short story, British English story, short story, short English story, English story British accent, short stories, English stories, British, British studying, stories, moral stories, moral stories in English, British English, British phrases, stories for teenagers, British English lesson, British English at home