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.

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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.

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November’s performance for the Honda Group was a tale of contrasts, most notably the continued decline in sales of Acura’s two remaining sedans, the Integra and TLX. But in the midst of these disappointing numbers, there are a few bright spots, including the Honda Prologue. Let’s dive into the details.

Prologue Breaks Records

In November, Honda delivered 6,823 units of its electric Prologue SUV, setting a new monthly sales record. Since its launch in April this year, the Prologue has moved a total of 25,132 units, a respectable figure for a vehicle still finding its place in the competitive electric SUV market. Developed in collaboration with General Motors, the Prologue is built on the same Ultium battery architecture and BEV3 platform as the Chevrolet Blazer EV, Acura ZDX, and Cadillac Lyriq, and is manufactured by GM.

More: These Are The Best Selling EVs Of 2024 Up Until Now

What makes the Prologue particularly impressive is its ability to outpace GM’s own offerings based on the same platform. In the third quarter of 2024, the Prologue sold 12,644 units, easily surpassing the Chevy Blazer EV (7,998 units) and the Cadillac Lyriq (7,224 units). Ouch. It’ll be interesting to see how the Prologue fares at the end of Q4, especially when GM’s results come in, given that the company has stopped releasing monthly sales reports.

Sales Snapshot: Honda vs. Acura

Overall, Honda and Acura saw an uptick of 14.5% in November, with total sales reaching 121,419 units. Year-to-date, they’re up 8.7%, tallying 1,288,260 units. Breaking it down, Honda had a solid November, with sales increasing 15.9% (110,020 units) and an 11.1% rise year-to-date (1,168,890 units). On the flip side, Acura took a hit, with sales dropping 10.1% in November. Year-to-date, however, Acura is still up a modest 2.6%.

Accord, Integra, and TLX: Supply Chain Struggles

Honda has been quick to blame the struggles of some of its key models, like the Accord, Integra, and TLX, on supply chain constraints. Specifically, the retooling of the Marysville Auto Plant to establish Honda’s EV Hub in Ohio has caused production delays. While this might explain some of the shortfall, it doesn’t do much for the dealerships facing disappointed customers looking for the latest sedans.

Honda Pilot Soars, Acura Stumbles

The biggest success story from Honda and Acura in November was the Honda Pilot, which saw sales soar by 38.5%, reaching 12,652 units. Other popular Honda models like the CR-V (+9.5%), Civic (+9.1%), Odyssey (+12.2%), and HR-V (+18.3%) also posted solid gains.

Acura, on the other hand, had a rough month, with only the MDX SUV (+6.2%) managing to show a positive sales trend in November, moving 3,386 units. The rest of the lineup didn’t fare well, with the Integra and RDX falling 18.5% and 8.3%, respectively. Looks like Acura’s luxury ambitions are facing a rather painful reality check.