Top Selling EVs Of The Year Feature Some Surprises | Carscoops

      Tesla continued to top the overall sales charts, although the most unexpected entry in the top 10 came from a luxury German brand.

      As of October 25, 2025, a total of 437,487 electric vehicles (EVs) were sold in the U.S. during the third quarter of 2025. Leading the sales were the Tesla Model Y and Model 3, while other significant performers included the Ioniq 5 and the Prologue.

      The final sales numbers for the third quarter have been released, marking the conclusion of one of the most scrutinized reporting periods for the electric vehicle industry in recent history. There’s little doubt that the Trump administration's decision to eliminate the federal EV tax credit prompted a final buying surge, pushing sales figures sharply higher.

      As expected, two well-known Tesla models maintained a strong lead, while several other notable vehicles saw marked increases in demand.

      What Was the Sales Increase?

      Data from Kelley Blue Book indicates that U.S. EV sales reached an unprecedented quarterly high of 438,487 units, a 40.7% increase from Q2 and up 29.6% compared to the same quarter last year, exceeding the previous record from Q4 2024 by nearly 20%.

      Electric vehicles achieved a record 10.5% share of total vehicle sales, rising from 8.6% during the same period last year.

      The Tesla Model Y remained the best-selling EV in the United States, with 114,897 units sold, reflecting a 29% increase from the previous year's 89,077. However, Tesla's overall market share dipped to 41% from 49% last year.

      Following close behind was the Tesla Model 3, which sold 53,857 units. This figure represented a 7.8% decline year over year, suggesting that some consumers may have shifted their focus to the revamped Model Y.

      Top 10 Best-Selling EVs in Q3 2025

      As for non-Tesla models, the Chevrolet Equinox EV was the first to make the best-sellers list, with total sales of 25,085, reflecting an impressive 156.7% increase from 9,772.

      Trailing closely were the Hyundai Ioniq 5 with 21,999 sales, the Honda Prologue with 20,236, and the Ford Mustang Mach-E with 20,177 units sold. The VW ID.4 also performed well in the quarter with 12,470 units sold, up 176% from Q3 2024.

      A surprising entry among the top-sellers was the Audi Q6 e-tron, which sold 10,299 SUVs in the quarter, a noteworthy performance given its premium market positioning that allowed it to outpace the Ford F-150 Lightning (10,005 units).

      Other notable performers included the Rivian R1S with 8,184 sales, the Chevrolet Blazer EV (8,089), the Kia EV9 (7,510), and the Cadillac Lyriq with 7,309 units sold.

      Nevertheless, fewer than 10 models surpassed 10,000 sales in Q3 2025, highlighting the lopsided nature of the market, with many automakers still falling short of the sales volumes needed for profitability.

      Best Sellers Year-to-Date

      Year-to-date data shows total U.S. EV sales exceeded 1.04 million units, an 11.7% increase from approximately 935,000 a year prior.

      Tesla maintained its lead with 451,160 units, down 4.3% from last year, yet holding a 41% market share. Chevrolet followed with 87,137 units sold, a remarkable 113% increase, while Ford came in third with 69,600 units (+2.8%), and Hyundai ranked fourth at 57,167 (+31.1%).

      In terms of individual models, the Tesla Model Y led with 265,085 units, an 8% decline year over year, followed by the Model 3 at 155,180, which is an 18% increase. Chevrolet's Equinox EV jumped to third place with 52,834 sales, an enormous 390% increase.

      The Ford Mustang Mach-E recorded 41,962 units, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 reached 41,091, and the Honda Prologue had 36,553 sales. Tesla’s Cybertruck placed seventh with 25,973, narrowly surpassing the Ford F-150 Lightning’s 23,034 and Volkswagen’s ID.4 at 22,125. The Chevrolet Blazer EV rounded out the top ten with 20,825 units sold.

      What Lies Ahead

      With federal incentives now expired, analysts anticipate a cooling off period. "The training wheels are coming off," remarked Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Director of Industry Insights at Cox Automotive. "The federal tax credit was a crucial driver