The Final Breath of the EV Credit: Summary of Q3 2025 Sales

      Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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      Hello, everyone! We're experimenting with a new format this quarter. If you have feedback or suggestions, don't hesitate to reach out at [email protected].

      Welcome to our sales roundup for Q3 2025! We will be highlighting the highs and lows from the sales reports of major automakers as they come in over the coming days. Stay tuned to this hub for essential facts and figures, along with any stories we feel deserve extra attention.

      Now, let's get started...

      What to pay attention to

      Electric Vehicles! This quarter marked the end of federal electric vehicle incentives in the United States. We anticipate some erratic sales figures as customers rush to purchase them while they were still (relatively) affordable, with domestic manufacturers aiming to maximize sales before the deadline and importers looking to attract bargain-hunters.

      Significant figures from Korea

      Hyundai and Kia both achieved record sales in the third quarter. It's important to note that neither company has a U.S.-manufactured electric vehicle, so any incentives for EV sales came directly from their budgets. We believe they were actively trying to gain market share from domestic brands that were pushing sales ahead of the expiring credits, which helps explain the 90% increase in Ioniq 5 sales compared to last year. Hyundai reported that most of those sales occurred in September.

      Zombie car alert: Ford Edge

      Ford significantly cleared out its remaining Edge models from dealership lots earlier this year. The company has tallied over 3,000 sales of the two-row midsize crossover in 2025, but none of these were from Q3.

      Mustang sales enjoyed a small increase in Q3, yet they still trail by over 10% for the year to date.

      Honda finds its balance

      Sales for Honda and Acura have risen by 4% this year, but unlike Hyundai and Kia, Honda isn't carrying much momentum into September. The September sales for Honda were nearly unchanged from last year; Acura experienced a slight decline.

      The Integra continues to struggle, with just under 15,000 sold so far in 2025. In comparison, the canceled ZDX contributed slightly under 12,000 units to Acura's sales this year.

      The Prologue benefited from the EV credits, achieving over 36,000 sales by the end of September (nearly a 160% increase year-to-date); we'll need to see how it performs without as much financial incentive.

      Toyota takes the lead

      If Honda stumbled, Toyota clearly capitalized. Combined sales for Toyota and Lexus in the U.S. surged over 14% in September. Lexus experienced an overall sales increase of more than 19%, despite a tough month for the GX, as this decline was more than compensated for by the sales of the tariff-friendly TX.

      The BZ didn't even reach 100 units in September, showing a 95% decrease from a year ago.

      Grand Highlander. That’s all.

      GM excels in EV sales

      It seems there isn't a single EV on GM's delivery list that didn't experience a notable sales increase in Q3. From the Hummer EV down to the lower-tier models, every battery-powered vehicle performed better in Q3 than in the previous year, and GM even found buyers for an additional 10,000 units of the new Cadillac Escalade IQ, Optiq, and Vistiq (combined). Let's see how this trend continues into Q4 without federal assistance.

      A shout out to the Cadillac CT4 for its 1.7% sales increase in Q3.

      Who is suddenly purchasing all these Enclaves?