After over a decade of rapid growth, the global new energy vehicle (NEV) industry has entered a critical phase transitioning from scale expansion to quality improvement. In 2025, global electric vehicle sales exceeded 20 million units for the first time, with a 25% market penetration rate, and China remained the world’s largest NEV market. Meanwhile, battery technology has seen multiple breakthroughs: accelerated industrialization of solid-state batteries, commercial deployment of sodium-ion batteries, and continuous iteration of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) technology. However, the industry also faces challenges including slowing growth, profit pressures, escalating trade barriers and key technological bottlenecks. Based on the latest data from the International Energy Agency’s *Global EV Outlook 2026* and the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, this paper systematically analyzes the development status and trends of the global NEV industry in 2025–2026, focusing on diversified progress in battery technologies, industrial structural challenges and high-quality development pathways. It puts forward policy recommendations including accelerating solid-state battery industrialization, improving charging infrastructure, and deepening international cooperation, to provide a reference for the sustainable development of the NEV industry.