KATHMANDU: Even though more than 600 electric car models were sold worldwide last year, just five models made up around 20 percent of total global EV sales.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Tesla Model Y was the best-selling electric vehicle in the world in 2025. It alone accounted for nearly 8 percent of global EV sales.
The Tesla Model 3 came second with around 3.6 percent share.
Three Chinese EVs also made it to the top five list. These are the Geely Geome Xingyuan, Wuling HongGuang Mini EV and BYD Seagull.
One major reason behind their success is price. All three Chinese EVs cost less than USD 10,000 in China.
The BYD Seagull starts at around USD 8,000, while the Wuling HongGuang Mini EV is priced from around USD 6,500. The Geely Geome Xingyuan starts at about USD 9,700 and offers up to 255 miles of claimed driving range.
In comparison, the Tesla Model Y costs around USD 39,990 in the US market.
The report says affordable EVs are helping electric vehicle sales grow quickly in China and many developing countries, especially in Southeast Asia.
The number of EV models is also increasing fast. There were around 980 plug-in vehicle models available globally in 2025, compared to 440 models in 2020.
