Sales of electric vehicles in the United States skyrocketed in the third quarter, as many Americans decided to buy a new battery-powered car before the cancellation of the $7,500 federal tax credit on Sept. 30.
As a result, over 400,000 new EVs were sold stateside from July to September, a huge 29.6% increase over the same period last year. The third-quarter blitz also upped the year-to-date figure to over 1 million, leading to an increase of 11.7% over the first three quarters of 2024.
That’s all good news for the electric sector. But experts believe that demand will start to dwindle, now that most EVs are effectively $7,500 more expensive.
Before that happens, though, I thought it would be a good idea to take a look at the best-selling electric cars in America, all of which have been helped by the sunsetted tax credit to get a foothold in the U.S. market. Whether or not they’ll keep their spots on the list when the year draws to a close–that’s for another article.
With just one exception, the Tesla Model Y, the top 10 best-selling EVs stateside have sold more cars from January to September of this year than last year. So, without further ado, let’s dive in.
The best-selling EVs in the United States from January through September
Year-to-date sales with year-over-year difference in parentheses.
Sales figures provided by Cox Automotive.
10. Rivian R1S: 19,687 units (+0.6%)
Photo by: Victoria Scott / Motor1
9. Chevrolet Blazer EV: 20,825 units (+36.7%)
Photo by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs
8. Volkswagen ID.4: 22,125 (+35.1%)
7. Ford F-150 Lightning: 23,034 units (+1%)
Photo by: Ford
6. Honda Prologue: 36,553 units (+157.8%)
Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1
5. Hyundai Ioniq 5: 41,091 units (+35.5%)
Photo by: Hyundai
4. Ford Mustang Mach-E: 41,962 units (+17.8%)
Photo by: Patrick George
3. Chevrolet Equinox EV: 52,834 units (+389.9%)
Photo by: Motor1.com
2. Tesla Model 3: 155,180 units (+17.6%)
Photo by: Tesla
1. Tesla Model Y: 265,068 units (-7.7%)
Photo by: Patrick George
So what happens now? Well, the fourth quarter will be an interesting one for EV sales in America. Many automakers are now offering big discounts, aggressive lease deals and price cuts on their electric models in order to compensate for the lack of tax credits. But it may be tough for carmakers to eat those costs forever, and in some cases, those deals may be used to clear out existing inventory rather than drive long-term demand.
If you’re interested in an EV, make sure you do your homework—the rest of this year and 2026 will be anything but ordinary.
