Click to enlarge.
The U.S. electric vehicle market delivered its strongest performance in a year during Q2 of 2026. According Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book estimates, 262,649 EVs were sold in Q3, up 6.1% from the second quarter and the highest quarterly total since the record-setting third quarter of 2025.* [EV sales in Q3 were down 39.5% from a year ago, but that decline was inevitable, as Q3 2025 was the best quarter ever for EV sales in the United States as consumers scurried to take advantage of expiring federal incentives under the Trump Mis-administration. Trump’s ongoing tariff, trade and failed shooting wars with the U.S. now in retreat and bailing out Putin’s failed economy and wars, have sent the price of fuel to absurdly high levels with no end on the consumer and economy killing inflation in sight. – AutoCrat.]
“What we’re seeing now is a market finding its footing again,” said Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of Industry Insights at Cox Automotive. “The third quarter was the highest EV sales volume in a year, and improvement through 2026 suggests the reset phase is largely behind us. The next stage of growth will be driven by great products, competitive pricing, and automakers that continue to give consumers compelling reasons to make the switch. And high pump prices are likely helping as well. With gas prices well above $4 a gallon, electric vehicles look better than ever.”
“Nearly every automaker posted lower year-over-year EV volume in Q3,” Cox said.
However:
- Toyota and Lexus continued to gain momentum, with EV sales rising nearly fivefold from a year earlier.
- Rivian delivered one of the strongest performances in the industry, with sales rising 46% from a year earlier.
- Subaru posted 31% growth, supported by an expanding EV lineup. [The best car ultimately wins barring extreme political interference – AutoCrat.]
“The brand with the market’s most mature product line continues to drive industry growth. Despite a 20% year-over-year decline, market leader Tesla remained dominant, accounting for more than half of all EV sales in the United States during the quarter. Tesla sales are now almost entirely driven by two long-running products: the Model Y and the Model 3, with the Model Y accounting for 69% of the company’s sales in Q3 and the Model 3 28%.
“The U.S. EV market is smaller than it was, but it appears to be finding a more sustainable footing as automakers shift their strategies, consumers weigh an expanding range of electrified options, and high gas prices offer the segment a healthy and now seemingly sustained tailwind,” said Cox.
*About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive says it is the world’s largest automotive services and technology provider. It uses first-party data fed by 2.3 billion online interactions a year. Cox Automotive tailors leading solutions for car shoppers, auto manufacturers, dealers, lenders and fleets. The company has 29,000+ employees on five continents and a portfolio of industry-leading brands that include Autotrader®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, vAuto®, Dealertrack®, NextGear Capital™, CentralDispatch® and Cox Fleet®. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately owned, Atlanta-based company with $23 billion in annual revenue.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Trumpoline – EV Sales Increase in Q3 2026!
Click to enlarge.
The U.S. electric vehicle market delivered its strongest performance in a year during Q2 of 2026. According Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book estimates, 262,649 EVs were sold in Q3, up 6.1% from the second quarter and the highest quarterly total since the record-setting third quarter of 2025.* [EV sales in Q3 were down 39.5% from a year ago, but that decline was inevitable, as Q3 2025 was the best quarter ever for EV sales in the United States as consumers scurried to take advantage of expiring federal incentives under the Trump Mis-administration. Trump’s ongoing tariff, trade and failed shooting wars with the U.S. now in retreat and bailing out Putin’s failed economy and wars, have sent the price of fuel to absurdly high levels with no end on the consumer and economy killing inflation in sight. – AutoCrat.]
“What we’re seeing now is a market finding its footing again,” said Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of Industry Insights at Cox Automotive. “The third quarter was the highest EV sales volume in a year, and improvement through 2026 suggests the reset phase is largely behind us. The next stage of growth will be driven by great products, competitive pricing, and automakers that continue to give consumers compelling reasons to make the switch. And high pump prices are likely helping as well. With gas prices well above $4 a gallon, electric vehicles look better than ever.”
“Nearly every automaker posted lower year-over-year EV volume in Q3,” Cox said.
However:
“The brand with the market’s most mature product line continues to drive industry growth. Despite a 20% year-over-year decline, market leader Tesla remained dominant, accounting for more than half of all EV sales in the United States during the quarter. Tesla sales are now almost entirely driven by two long-running products: the Model Y and the Model 3, with the Model Y accounting for 69% of the company’s sales in Q3 and the Model 3 28%.
“The U.S. EV market is smaller than it was, but it appears to be finding a more sustainable footing as automakers shift their strategies, consumers weigh an expanding range of electrified options, and high gas prices offer the segment a healthy and now seemingly sustained tailwind,” said Cox.
*About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive says it is the world’s largest automotive services and technology provider. It uses first-party data fed by 2.3 billion online interactions a year. Cox Automotive tailors leading solutions for car shoppers, auto manufacturers, dealers, lenders and fleets. The company has 29,000+ employees on five continents and a portfolio of industry-leading brands that include Autotrader®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, vAuto®, Dealertrack®, NextGear Capital™, CentralDispatch® and Cox Fleet®. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately owned, Atlanta-based company with $23 billion in annual revenue.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.