Ukrainians are buying fewer and fewer electric cars – Ukravtoprom

Ukrainians are buying fewer and fewer electric cars – Ukravtoprom shutterstock
Maria Semenova

In the new electric car segment, Chinese brands are the most popular

During May 2026, the fleet of electric cars in Ukraine grew by 2,652 vehicles. This is 12% less than in the previous month.

This was reported by the Ukrainian Automobile Manufacturers Association (Ukravtoprom) on its Telegram channel.

On an annual basis, the growth in the number of battery-powered vehicles fell by 57%.

As the industry association added, the lion’s share of electric vehicle registrations was accounted for by passenger cars. Their number stood at 2,495 units. Of these, only 466 were new cars, with the remainder being used cars.

In the commercial electric vehicle segment, there were even fewer new vehicles – 10 units. In total, there were 157 vehicle registrations in this group.

The most popular cars

Chinese brands are the clear leaders among new electric vehicles. In May, 64 BYD Sea Lion 06 EVs, 57 BYD Leopard 3s and 39 ZEEKR 7Xs were registered. The top five best-sellers also included the TOYOTA bZ4X (30 units) and the VOLKSWAGEN ID.UNYX (24 units).

Meanwhile, in the segment of used electric cars sold in Ukraine for the first time, tried-and-tested models lead the way:

  • NISSAN Leaf – 310 units;
  • TESLA Model Y – 262 units;
  • TESLA Model 3 – 199 units;
  • CHEVROLET Bolt – 100 units;
  • KIA Niro EV – 89 units.

The main reason for the contraction of the electric vehicle market has been the return of value-added tax (VAT) on vehicle customs clearance. EcoPolitic reported that in January 2026, compared to December 2025, electric vehicle imports fell by a factor of 14.

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Let’s take a look at how this document differs from the previous two

In just three years’ time, the EU could overtake China in terms of its share of electric vehicle sales
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In some European countries, more electric lorries are already being purchased than in China

Another bill concerning the NETS has been tabled in the Rada without any fuss or debate
Another bill concerning the NETS has been tabled in the Rada without any fuss or debate

Just as with Bill No. 15386 two weeks ago, this came as a complete surprise to the stakeholders