Top 5 countries by EV motor power deployed
In April, the US halted exports of rare earth concentrate to China. At the same time, exports from Myanmar to China remain suppressed since late-2024 when resistance forces took control of key mining sites in the country. Unless the status quo changes, China is poised to experience a massive drop in concentrate imports in Q2 2025 (and possibly beyond) and consequently a drop in feedstock supplies to its processors and magnet makers.
During January and February 2025, the combined traction motor power rolled onto global roads in newly sold passenger EVs, including plug-in and traditional hybrids, totaled 560.5 GW, a 30% increase from the same two months last year.
Way out front, China deployed 294.3 GW of motor power onto roads globally, outpacing overall growth with an eye-catching 34% year-on-year jump.
China increased its already substantial share of the world’s fresh motor power deployed from under 51% in January-February 2024 to 53% this year, despite a slight decrease in the combined motor power in the average EV sold in the country during the first two months.
The decrease is partly explained by Chinese buyers flocking more towards BEVs, which on average have slightly lower peak power than the PHEVs sold in the country this year. So far in 2025, PHEVs made up 39% of sales.
In the opening months of 2025, newly sold EVs in China averaged 175.8 kW of motor power, the second highest among major EV markets, surpassed only by Canada, where the average reached 186.1 kW.
US motor power deployed in electrified vehicles sold during January-February totaled 87.4 GW, a 17% year on year increase affording the world’s second largest car market a global share of 16%, down from 17% in 2024.
Japan is a distant third with 23.5 GW of motor power deployed after expanding by less than 1% year on year. Japan is something of an anomaly – some nine out of ten electrified vehicles sold in the country are traditional hybrids which opens a massive gap to other markets in terms of motor power in the average EV.
Globally, HEV sales accounted for a quarter of the overall EV market, while in China, it was only 8%. In Norway, the most electrified vehicle market globally, this type of EV almost never makes it onto car buyers’ shopping list. The US market was more balanced – 53% of electrified vehicles sold in January and February this year were HEVs.
Fourth is Germany (19.2 GW) and fifth the UK (15.0 GW), edging France from the top five where motor power deployed shrank by 5% year on year. New EV owners steered 34% more power onto UK roads while German autobahns added 29% more than in 2024.
Globally, so far this year, permanent magnet motors represented 90% of motor power deployed, induction 6% and electrically excited synchronous motors 4%.
Meet with alternative suppliers
Meet with alternative rare earth miners and magnet producers in Toronto in September 2025 for Rare Earth Mines, Magnets & Motors 2025 where we’ll explore this topic further with leading market participants and industry experts.
The two-day event will bring together business and technical leaders from across the global mine-to-OEM supply chain for high caliber discussions and networking at a 5-star venue.
Key themes of this year’s conference will include robotics, automation, advanced air mobility, and the emerging mine-to-magnet supply chain coming together upstream.
Special guest: Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple
More information: www.adamasevent.com
