EV Sales Are Out, and One Top Seller Experienced a Significant Decline in Q1 | Carscoops

      Chevrolet, BMW, and Porsche experienced significant growth, while Mercedes and Kia faced substantial declines in their electric vehicle (EV) sales.

      Tesla maintained its market leadership but saw an 8.6% reduction in its market share.

      Rivian dropped to ninth place overall, experiencing a notable 37.1% decline in Q1 sales.

      Ford’s F-150 Lightning continued to be the best-selling electric truck, despite a slight decrease in sales.

      Americans purchased more electric vehicles in the first quarter of 2025, driven not only by enthusiasm for clean energy but also by concerns about vanishing federal tax credits and impending tariffs. Overall, EV sales increased by 11.4% compared to the previous year, while gasoline vehicles also gained traction as buyers hurried to secure purchases before potential changes in incentives or pricing. It appears that crisis buying is now extending beyond just essential items.

      For reference, the entire new vehicle market (across all powertrains) grew by 4.3% in Q1 2024, totaling approximately 3.9 million units, as reported by Auto News. This places EVs at 7.6% of the overall market—a clear increase from the previous year and an indicator that while electric vehicle adoption is still uneven, it is gradually progressing.

      **Brands: Tesla Remains on Top, Yet Faces Challenges**

      As expected, Tesla still leads in the EV market. The company sold 128,100 vehicles in Q1, capturing a substantial 43.5% of the EV market share. Although this remains a strong position, it represents a decline of 8.6 percentage points compared to last year. This decrease can partly be attributed to delays in the release of the updated Model Y, along with heightened market competition and the so-called “Elon Effect”—a mix of social media drama and questionable business decisions that have left both investors and consumers on edge.

      Ford continues to secure a strong second place, selling 22,550 electric vehicles in Q1, which is an 11.5% increase from the previous year, resulting in a 7.7% share of the U.S. EV market. However, significant changes occurred just below this ranking. Rivian, which was third last year, fell to ninth place after a sharp 37.1% decline, with only 8,553 units sold. Hyundai, which previously held fourth position, dropped to sixth place despite a modest 5.1% increase to 12,843 units. Kia fell from fifth to eighth, with a 24.1% drop in sales to 8,665 units.

      In contrast, Chevrolet surged into third place with 19,186 units sold, marking a 114.2% increase, while BMW rose to fourth with 13,858 deliveries, a 26.4% rise from last year. Porsche also saw significant growth, more than tripling its EV sales in Q1, attributing this to the success of the Macan Electric. Conversely, Mercedes faced the largest downturn, with sales plummeting by 58.3%, despite aggressive lease offers and major incentives, as highlighted by several readers. For detailed statistics and further surprises, refer to the full brand breakdown below.

      **BEST SELLING EV BRANDS**

      **Models: The Y Declines While The 3 Soars**

      When examining individual models, the Tesla Model Y still ranks first in U.S. EV sales, though its lead is diminishing. It sold 64,051 units in Q1, illustrating a significant 33.8% decrease from last year. The delayed launch of the revamped standard "Juniper" version likely impacted these numbers, as only the more expensive Launch Edition was available at the start of the quarter. It will be interesting to see how the new Juniper performs once the complete lineup is available.

      In contrast, the Model 3 is experiencing a surge. Its sales have skyrocketed by 70.3%, reaching 52,520 units in Q1. To put that in perspective, this is nearly as many as the combined sales of the next three brands (Ford, Chevrolet, and BMW), which totaled 55,274. Tesla's proactive sales strategy, including improved lease options and zero-percent financing, likely contributed to this growth, although this promotion ended in April.

      **More: Tesla Model 3 Performance Vs. BMW 330i xDrive, Which One Deserves Your $47K?**

      The Ford Mustang Mach-E maintained its position as the third best-selling EV model with 11,607 units sold, a notable 21% increase, supported by solid discounts and lease incentives. Completing the top five are the Chevy Equinox EV (10,329 units), the Honda Prologue (9,561), and the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which recorded 8,611 units delivered, a 26.2% increase.

      **Trucks: F-150 Still Domin