We’re constantly hearing about an EV downturn and how automakers are changing their electrification strategies because consumers aren’t consuming. And sure, sales of electric cars are down in countries like Germany, but in the US people are still buying EVs, and they’re buying more of them than they did 12 months ago.

EV registrations climbed 5 percent in October versus the same month in 2023, topping out at 101,403, according to data from S&P Global Mobility. And it wasn’t Tesla driving that growth, but legacy automakers.

Related: Global EV Sales Shatter Records In November Thanks To China’s Unstoppable Growth

Chevrolet’s EV sales jumped 38 percent to 6,741 helped by demand for the Blazer and Equinox, while Cadillac Lyriq registrations grew threefold to 2,489 and the Hummer shifted 1,015 electric trucks, four times as many as it did last October. 

Like the Equinox, Honda’s Prologue, which is built on the same GM platform and in the same Mexican GM plant, wasn’t available in 2023, but made its presence felt this year. It found 4,168 homes, only 12 fewer than Chevy did of its version. Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 facelift also gave its sales numbers the desired nip and tuck, boosting registrations from 3,555 to 4,485.

Although the overall number of EV sales is up, the rate of growth has slowed and some models registered fewer deliveries than previously. The Ford Mustang Mach-E, for instance, was down from 3,949 to 3,479 according to S&P Global Mobility’s spreadsheet and Rivian R1S sales dropped by more than 500 to 2,456. There are also fears that the EV segment relies heavily on tax credit availability to boost demand, and public interest could wane if Trump pulls the plug on the incentives when he takes office.

BEST SELLING EVs USA

Tesla’s registration numbers actually fell by 1.8 percent, and if you remove Tesla from the equation, EV sales increased not by 5 percent, but by 11 percent. And this isn’t a blip for Tesla: the automaker’s numbers have fallen in seven of the first 10 months of 2024, Auto News reports, and that’s despite the facelifted Model 3 and Cybertruck being new for this year. While the Model 3 gained ground, the Model Y fell back, sales tumbling from more than 25,000 to under 22,000.

But before anyone gets the idea that Tesla is falling behind in the EV race, we should make clear that it still outperformed the second best-selling brand’s EV models six times over. Or every single brand in the 2nd to 12th spots combined.

EV REGISTRATIONS USA

As the year comes to a close, automakers are eager to make deals. Ford is no stranger to this game plan and it’s coming to market with some serious incentives. Not only will it agree to install a charger for those who buy or purchase some EVs, but it’ll stack discounts and financing deals onto that too. Here’s a breakdown of what to look for if you want an electric Ford.

First and foremost, these deals all include Ford’s “Power Promise” that it launched earlier this year. That means that buyers or lessees will get a charger installed at their home (if applicable) included in the cost of the car itself. That on its own is already a big cost savings and is a major hurdle to overcome for many EV buyers.

More: You Can Get A Tesla For Under $20K From Hertz, But You Probably Shouldn’t

On top of that, InsideEVs points out that those who lease a Mustang Mach-E get up to $3,000 off in bonus cash. That can be combined with the $7,500 federal tax incentive to effectively lop off $10,500 from the price of a Mach-E—not to mention any additional state-level tax breaks.

That’s a screaming deal on a mostly good electric vehicle. Those who prefer to buy the Mach-E still get a good deal. That includes 0% APR for 72 months and $5,000 in bonus cash. Notably, the Mach-E doesn’t qualify for the federal tax credit when bought. Nevertheless, buyers still get the free charger installation.

On the F-150 Lightning side of the world, the pickup gets the same APR and bonus cash deal for buyers. In this case, that deal is only available to buyers who select the XLT and Platinum+ trim levels. Customers interested in leasing the truck get $3,500 in lease cash along with $3,000 bonus cash.

In a market where several car brands are offering deals right now, these ones from Ford are competitive to say the least. Don’t forget that state tax incentives could add to these discounts too. 

Ford has high hopes for their next-generation of electric vehicles, but their current models continue to struggle. That’s clear today as the automaker reported an 8.3% drop in EV sales compared to October of last year.

The big loser was the F-150 Lightning, which saw a 49.8% drop in sales. Given the steep decline, it’s not surprising the company recently announced plans to temporarily halt production later this month until early next year.

More: Ford Halts F-150 Lightning Production Until 2025 Over Weak EV Demand

While buyers turned their backs on the electric pickup, they embraced the Mustang Mach-E as sales were up 21.3% to 3,313 units. That upward trend could continue in the future as Ford recently announced pricing for the 2025 model would start at $36,495 which is $3,500 less than its predecessor.

Meanwhile, E-Transit sales rocketed up 181.1%, but before popping the champagne, consider this: they only sold 1,088 units. It’s hard to celebrate when the numbers are still so small. A triple-digit percentage increase doesn’t mean much when the baseline is barely on the radar.

Ford US Sales

While Ford doesn’t breakdown hybrid sales in a similar fashion, the automaker reported a 38.5% jump in October. That outpaced sales of conventionally powered models, which were up 14.1% to 148,268 units.

It’s not immediately clear which eco-friendly models performed best, but Ford has previously credited strong truck sales. During their third quarter earnings bonanza, the automaker revealed they “commanded 77% of the U.S. hybrid truck market during the quarter, with hybrid truck sales up 42%.”

Putting hybrids aside, Bronco sales were up 104.7%, while the Bronco Sport saw a 13% improvement for the month. Mustang sales were off by 37% and they’re down 1% year-to-date.

Over at Lincoln, the company continues to see strong demand for the facelifted Aviator as well as the redesigned Nautilus. The luxury brand could also get a boost from the 2025 Navigator, but it won’t arrive until next spring.

Ford October 2024 US Sales

Ford F-150 Lightning sales more than doubled in the third quarter, but CEO Jim Farley appears more excited about the company’s upcoming mid-size electric pickup. Tentatively dubbed the Ranger EV, the model is slated to go into production in 2027 and be based on an all-new platform developed by a ‘skunkworks’ team focused on developing affordable, next-generation electric vehicles.

The automaker hasn’t said much about the truck, but it will be the first vehicle based on the new architecture. The company has also stated the pickup will “cater to customers who want more for their money – more range, more utility, [and] more usability.”

More: Flip-Flopping Ford Delays Electric Truck And Axes 3-Row EVs, Will Build Hybrids Instead

While that’s a lot of marketing malarkey, Farley recently talked about the truck during the company’s third quarter earnings call. He said, I’ve seen a lot of game-changing products but the mid-sized truck has “got to be one of the most exciting.”

The executive went on to describe it as an “incredible package” in a segment Ford knows extremely well. More interestingly, he said the model will match the “cost structure of any Chinese auto manufacturer building in Mexico in the future,” suggesting it will be both affordable and profitable.

Speaking of which, Farley said there’s a “global price war” fueled by “overcapacity, a flood of new EV nameplates, and massive compliance pressure.” The executive stated no automaker is immune from the challenges and they’re expecting “roughly 150 new EV nameplates to hit North America by the end of 2026.”

This has resulted in some automakers slashing prices and embracing a ‘race to the bottom’ mentality. Farley isn’t a fan as he said “very aggressive lease tactics” carry “huge residual risk” and can damage brands.

While Ford lowered prices for the 2025 Mustang Mach-E, the automaker was able to cut their costs by $5,000 per unit over the past 24 months. These efforts will help enable the automaker to save $1 billion on EVs this year and Farley said they’re going to stay “laser-focused on cost and getting leaner as a company.”

Analysts often tell us that the high price of EVs is one of the main reasons they’re not selling in the volumes automakers had hoped for. But that thinking doesn’t apply to the Tesla Cybertruck, whose sales are surging despite a six-figure price. It seems that, for a certain type of buyer, the Cybertruck’s brute, sci-fi appeal is well worth the price of admission.

Cybertrucks found 16,692 new owners in the US in Q3, making the pickup the country’s third most popular EV, according to data from Kelley Blue Book. Its move into the number three spot came at the expense of the Ford Mustang Mach-E, whose sales dropped by almost 10 percent to 13,392. Honda’s Prologue bagged fifth place with 12,644 units sold and 11,590 Americans bough the sixth-placed Hyundai Ioniq 5.

Related: EV Discounts Drive U.S. Record Sales Boom In Q3, But Can It Last?

As if you hadn’t already guessed, the Cybertruck’s Q3 performance also completed Tesla’s lock-out of the EV sales chart’s top three positions. But the angular truck has a long way to go before it can think of ascending to first or second spot. Second place in the Jul-Sept period went to the freshly facelifted Model 3, whose sales climbed 9.7 percent to 58,423, and the Model 3 hung onto first despite its deliveries dropping 9.1 percent to 86,801.

Other Q3 EV winners include the Cadillac Lyriq (up 139.4 percent to 7,224 units), Ford F-150 Lightning (up 104.5 percent but still miles behind the Cybertruck at 7,162), Nissan Leaf (up 187.5 percent to 4,514) and Lexus RZ (up 96.7 percent to 2,742). Toyota bZ4X sales also improved by 45.3 percent to 4,109 in a period where its Subaru Solterra twin made a more modest 34.4 percent gain to 3,752.

But not everyone can be a winner. VW ID.4 sales dropped 57.8 percent to 4,518, the Tesla Model S plummeted 46.7 percent to 1,669, Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 lost 56.9 percent of its sales, which fell to 2,158,  the Audi A8 e-tron found only 1,745 buyers (down 51.5 percent) and BMW’s i7 slipped 47 percent to just 573. America’s least popular EV was the Genesis G80. Only 155 people bought one of those, 67.1 percent fewer than in Q3 2023.

When looking at sales by brand, it’s no surprise that Tesla reigns supreme with 166,923 cars sold. Ford trails far behind in second place with 23,509 units (up 12 percent), while Chevrolet, with a 25.6 percent sales boost, rounds out the top three with 19,993 units.

US EV SALES Q3

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US EV SALES YTD (Q1-Q3)

Ford has issued two new recalls in the United States, impacting the 2021 Mustang Mach-E and the 2024 Maverick. Fortunately for the car manufacturer, one of the recalls only impacts 50 vehicles, while the other is limited to just 6 units.

The largest of the two recalls impacts the Mustang Mach-E. Ford has revealed an over-the-air update rolled out to the anti-lock braking system calibration file can cause the ABS to switch to its default configuration. If this happens, the brake system will not provide brake power assist, meaning customers may notice longer pedal travel, higher pedal efforts, and experience reduced braking response.

Read: Ford Bronco And Ranger Recalled Over Loose And Missing Nuts

This isn’t the only thing owners of certain Mustang Mach-E models have to worry about. In addition to causing the brake power assist system to stop functioning, the over-the-air update also disables the ABS, electronic stability control, traction control, hill start assist, and pre-collision assist systems. It also reduces the capabilities of the regenerative braking system.

Owners of impacted models may notice several ABS-related warning lights and text on the instrument cluster at start-up. All 50 Mustang-Mach E models being recalled were built between August 28, 2020, and September 24, 2021.

Dealers will rectify the issue by updating the ABS calibration. Owners will be alerted of the recall from November 4.

The second recall involves six examples of the 2024 Ford Maverick. In this case, the second-row child seat tether anchors have been installed with below-average thread-forming torque. If the thread does not completely engage, vehicles may not meet the strength requirements for child restraint anchorage systems and fall foul of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Ford has blamed the issue on unauthorized rework at a supplier facility in Mexico.

All impacted Mavericks were built on August 28, 2024. Ford will inform owners of the fault by December 2 and instruct them to take vehicles to a Ford or Lincoln dealership, where the tether anchorage points will be repaired free of charge.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E is reaching middle age, but the company is keeping things fresh with a handful of updates for 2025. While the changes aren’t dramatic, there are a few welcome additions including a newly standard heat pump that helps to optimize energy consumption in cold climates.

Besides that handy little feature, the crossover will be offered with a new Sport Appearance Package. Available on the Premium trim, the package cribs the front fascia and grille from the Mustang Mach-E GT. Buyers will also find 19-inch gloss black wheels, black accents, and red Brembo front brake calipers. Inside, there are sport pedals and red contrast stitching.

More: Ford Offers Free EV Home Charger And Installation To New Buyers

The Premium trim sees further refinements with the addition of ventilated front seats. All 2025 Mustang Mach-Es also have a new column-mounted shifter, which replaces the the previous center console-mounted dial.

On the tech front, the 2025 Mustang Mach-E rolls out a new Ford Connectivity Package, which includes a 5G Wi-Fi hotspot, connected navigation, and in-vehicle apps. The latter include everything from YouTube to karaoke.

Sticking with the tech theme, the 2025 Mustang Mach-E offers BlueCruise 1.5. It has a new Automatic Lane Change function, which is automatically initiated when a “vehicle ahead is slower than the set speed or if a vehicle is following too closely in the passing lane.” Ford said the feature “keeps drivers engaged longer in hands-free mode and helps navigate traffic” and added that “internal testing shows BlueCruise 1.5 automates up to 45% of driver-initiated lane changes on a typical drive.”

Rounding out the highlights are a revised color palette that gains three new options known as Desert Sand, Velocity Blue Metallic, and Molten Magenta Metallic Tinted Clearcoat. Customers will also find three new wheels including a Dark Carbonized Gray design for the Mustang Mach-E Rally.

The electric crossover will hit Ford dealerships early next year with a starting price of $36,495—a sizeable drop from the current base price of $39,995 before destination fees.