EV Sales in America Dip for the First Time in Years

Tesla’s Share Starts to Slip

US electric vehicle sales in 2025 landed at about 1.28 million units, slipping roughly 2 percent from the 1.3 million sold in 2024. After years of steady growth, this marks the first dip, as buyers recalibrated in reaction to shifting incentives and higher prices at the dealership.

Tesla still leads the US EV market, but its dominance is slipping, according to the EV sales data published by Cox Automotive. The brand held about 48.7 percent of sales in 2024, but that dropped to 46.2 percent in 2025. There are plenty of reasons for this, but primarily, buyers now have more choices, and Tesla is no longer the only name in the game.

A number of causes played into the EV industry's overall slowdown: the federal EV tax credit expired, prices stayed high across most models, and an influx of new competitors hit the market. EVs still make up a solid chunk of sales, but the rapid-fire growth of previous years has clearly cooled off.

Other Brands Gaining Ground

As Tesla’s share slipped, other brands picked up the slack. General Motors sold 169,887 EVs in 2025 – a jump of about 48 percent over 2024, and more than double Ford’s EV numbers. GM’s push to expand its lineup is finally paying off in real sales.

Ford, on the other hand, saw its EV sales drop off late in the year, especially in the last quarter. Meanwhile, brands like Hyundai, Chevrolet, and Cadillac made progress with updated or expanded models, showing that the EV race is far from settled.

Not every established brand had a good year. Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, and Kia all posted lower EV sales compared to 2024. Nissan and Mercedes-Benz weren’t a surprise as their lineups of EVs are aging. Kia, on the other hand, had a massive dip despite a strong EV sales performance in the previous year.

Specific Models That Stood Out

Among specific models, the Tesla Model Y continued to lead overall US EV deliveries, with strong sales that kept it atop the year’s rankings. The Model 3 also remained a major contributor, although particular quarterly data suggested that both experienced softer year-end results compared with 2024.

Among non-Tesla competitors, the Chevrolet Equinox EV and other mainstream crossovers made noticeable contributions. Other brands like Cadillac are also finding some traction with new electric SUVs, though none are close to matching Tesla’s sales just yet.

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