Western sanctions on Russia were significantly expanded in February 2022 following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since then, its EV market has continued to evolve, but in a different direction to western markets. Following an exodus of previously well-established western brands, Chinese players have moved in to fill the gap. Russian BEV sales rose 27% […]
> Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, specialising in EV supply chain research and insights, reports that 1.9 million electric vehicles were sold globally in October 2025. Rho Motion Data Manager, Charles Lester, commented: “Global EV sales reach 1.9 million units in October 2025, marking a 23% increase year-to-date. Europe led regional growth with a 36% year-on-year increase, driven […]
> China has postponed the implementation of its expanded rare earth export controls announced in early October following high-level US-China trade negotiations in South Korea this week. It marks a temporary easing in what had become an escalating front in the tit-for-tat US–China trade confrontation. The announcement follows extensive economic and trade consultations in Kuala Lumpur, […]
> Nickel prices surged by a record 60% on Monday as fears deepened that buyers will avoid Russian metal following the country’s invasion of Ukraine, in a dramatic move that could further increase the cost of electric vehicle batteries. Nickel traded on the London Metal Exchange closed at $48,078 a tonne, its highest level in fifteen […]
> Benchmark has tracked over $50 billion of energy transition funding, throughout 2025 in its Energy Transition Capital database, with the largest share allocated to the battery supply chain. The role of debt, grants, and equity Debt The EV, battery, and battery materials markets have matured rapidly over the past few years. As a result, debt is playing an increasingly […]
> China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has unveiled stricter listing requirements for new energy vehicles (NEVs), set to take effect from 2026. Vehicles must meet these revised specifications to qualify for inclusion on the official MIIT listing, a prerequisite for receiving favourable tax treatment. How will the new PHEV rules affect the market? From […]
> After an almost two-year hiatus, the German government plans to revive subsidies for electric vehicles (EVs) in January 2026, aligning with many other European nations in subsidising EVs. The package, expected to total around EUR3 billion (~$3.3 billion), will be funded through the federal Climate & Transformation Fund and the EU’s Social Climate Fund. How will the support […]
> Cobalt prices jumped 10%–20% on the first trading day after China’s Golden Week holiday last week, amid deepening concerns over stock availability following the implementation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) new export quotas. Market participants reported to Benchmark last week that cobalt sulphate was trading at RMB 65,000–75,000/t ($9,170–10,580/t), up from RMB 60,000–62,000/t before the break. […]
> California has led the way in the electrification of the US’ vehicle market with one in four of all new vehicle sales in 2024 being an EV, higher than the country-level penetration rate of 10%. As the most populous state, it commands a large proportion of the total vehicle market (11%) but this is dwarfed […]