Even as the global car market continues to shift, one thing remains certain: Toyota knows how to move metal. After a brief detour in second place, the Toyota RAV4 is back on top as the world’s best-selling car, edging out the Tesla Model Y by a sliver.

And it’s not just the soon-to-be-replaced RAV4 doing the heavy lifting, as Toyota has managed to land five models in the global top ten, including the Corolla Cross, Corolla sedan, Hilux, and Camry.

More: New RAV4, See Every Angle And Hidden Detail

This ranking comes from industry analyst Felipe Munoz, who compiled a detailed snapshot of 2024’s global car sales by model. His methodology pulls from a wide mix of sources, including national statistics offices, dealership associations, customs data, specialized websites, blogs, other analysts, and informed estimates. According to Munoz, the ranking covers 153 markets, accounting for roughly 99% of all cars sold globally.

Toyota Retakes the Lead, Barely

Combined sales of the Toyota RAV4 and its China-market twin, the Wildlander, reached 1,187,000 units in 2024. That was just enough to slide past the Tesla Model Y, which landed at 1,185,000 units. It’s a narrow win, but a win nonetheless.

It’s important to note that both the RAV4 and Model Y were refreshed shortly after the period covered by this report. Toyota rolled out a full redesign for the RAV4, that hasn’t gone on sale yet while Tesla introduced its updated Model Y Juniper that’s already available.

That said, the Model Y still holds the title for best-selling EV worldwide by a comfortable margin. Its 2025 numbers, however, are already showing signs of slowing.

Compact Crossovers Keep Climbing

The Toyota Corolla Cross occupied the third place with 859,000 sales, benefiting from the fact it is offered in many different markets around the world. The compact crossover was closely followed by the Honda CR-V/Breeze SUV that sold 854,000 units.

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Toyota’s dominance continues with the Corolla / Levin Sedan (697,000 units) in the fifth place and the Toyota Hilux (617,000 units) in the sixth place.

World’s Best Selling Pickup

The aging Hilux is due for a new generation soon, but that didn’t stop it from becoming the world’s best-selling pickup. Despite not being sold in North America or China, two massive truck markets, it still managed to outpace all competitors. Right behind it in the global rankings is the Ford F-150, which sold 595,000 units and claimed seventh place overall. In the US, the F-150 was the second best-selling vehicle of 2024, coming in just behind the RAV4.

More: Cracks Are Beginning To Appear In China’s Largest EV Maker

Rounding out the top ten are three sedans that continue to hold their ground in a market that increasingly leans toward crossovers and SUVs. The Toyota Camry took eighth with 593,000 sales, followed by the Tesla Model 3 at 560,000 and the BYD Qin at 502,000. BYD’s entry marks the only Chinese brand on the list this year, underscoring the company’s steady rise as a global competitor in both EVs and internal combustion vehicles.

Rivian was supposed to be the new-age automaker that could finally go toe-to-toe with Tesla. However, while Tesla sold nearly 1.8 million vehicles last year, Rivian managed around 50,000, barely enough to register as a rounding error on Tesla’s sales report. To have any shot at closing that canyon, Rivian needs to get its more affordable R2 and R3 models on the road quickly. But price isn’t the only hurdle.

A Demographic Rivian Can’t Ignore

According to a recent study by S&P Global, Rivian also needs to do a better job connecting with Asian-American buyers in the United States. Through the first quarter of this year, Asian households accounted for approximately 7.2 percent of total new car registrations, but for Tesla, this figure rises to a remarkable 27.2 percent . They also accounted for 12.7 percent of all EV sales, excluding Rivian and Tesla.

That’s a clear pattern. Asian-Americans are buying EVs in significant numbers, and a large share of them are choosing Tesla.

Read: Rivian’s Secret Stockpile Could Be Its Key To Defeating Tariffs

However, according to S&P Global, just 13.7 percent of Rivian’s sales go to Asian households. One possible explanation is that one of Rivian’s only two models currently on sale is a pickup truck. Data shows that Asian buyers account for just 2.3 percent of all full-size pickup sales in the U.S.

Even among those who are shopping for electric pickups, Rivian still comes up short. The Tesla Cybertruck, polarizing as it is, seems to be faring better with this demographic. About 24 percent of Cybertruck sales are to Asian buyers, compared to just 8 percent for the Rivian R1T. So it’s not just about the body style. Tesla’s appeal clearly extends deeper.

Can It Be Done?

Brand perception might be playing a major role here. Asian-American buyers seem to gravitate toward brands with a strong premium or tech-forward image. Just look at the numbers: 28.3 percent of Mercedes EQS SUV sales and 25.5 percent of BMW iX sales go to Asian households. Tesla is in that same league, with Asian buyers making up a full 33 percent of Model X sales.

For Rivian to break through, it’s not enough to be different or electric, as it needs to be desirable in the same way these established brands are. That means competing not just on specs, but on image.

The smaller R2 and R3 will also prove to be extremely important for Rivian’s expansion ambitions in the country, as they’ll appeal to a broader range of buyers. However, Rivian will need to be careful to ensure they remain well-equipped and feel premium, or else they may alienate one of their most important group of customers.

While electric vehicles continue to grab headlines and show up in more driveways each year, a new national survey suggests the average American still isn’t ready to plug in. EV adoption in the US is lagging behind much of the world, and the latest annual survey from the American Automobile Association (AAA) helps explain what’s slowing things down. Interest in EVs among US drivers is not just stalling, it’s actually shrinking.

More: Europeans Are Done With Tesla Except For One Country That Can’t Stop Buying

In the 2025 edition of the AAA survey, just 16% of respondents said they are likely or very likely to purchase an EV, marking the lowest percentage recorded since 2019. Meanwhile, 63% reported they are unlikely or very unlikely to go electric. That’s a noticeable shift from three years ago when 25% expressed interest and 51% were against it.

Confidence in the timeline for broader EV adoption is also fading. Only 23% of US drivers now believe most cars will be electric within the next decade, down from 40% in 2022.

Why Americans Are Saying No to EVs

When asked which is the main reason behind their decision not to go electric, 62% of the respondents mentioned high battery repair costs, while 59% cited the overall purchase price. Long-distance practicality was another key issue, with 57% saying EVs don’t suit extended travel, and 56% pointing to the lack of a convenient public charging network. Another 55% simply worry about running out of charge while on the road.

Other issues were mentioned less frequently. About 31% raised concerns about safety, 27% said they couldn’t install a home charging, and 12% noted the potential loss of EV-related incentives.

Those who are still considering an EV say the main draw is savings on fuel. That was the top reason cited by 77% of interested respondents. Another 59% referenced environmental benefits, and 47% said they expect lower maintenance and repair costs compared to traditional vehicles.

More: Huge Study Shows EVs More Reliable Than ICE Cars With One Surprising Common Issue

Support for federal and state incentives has also declined. Only 39% of respondents in 2025 listed tax credits and rebates as a reason to go electric, down from 60% in 2022. That drop aligns with the direction of the current political landscape, as the Trump administration continues efforts to scale back EV-related subsidies. Interest in EVs for their advanced tech features also dropped, with just 22% citing innovation as a motivator.

Uncertainty About The EV Future

AAA concludes that the public perception regarding the future of EVs remains uncertain. Despite the wide variety of EVs which are now available in the US market, many buyers find hybrids more appealing.

“Since we began tracking interest in fully electric vehicles, we’ve seen some variability,” said Greg Bannon, director of automotive engineering at AAA. “While the automotive industry is committed to long-term electrification and providing a diverse range of models, underlying consumer hesitation remains.”

The 2025 survey was conducted between March 6-10, with 1,128 participants. According to AAA, the respondents provide sample coverage of approximately 97% of the US household population.

Spain and Portugal recently experienced a massive power outage that left tens of millions of residents without electricity for most of the day. Lights out, appliances useless, Wi-Fi routers dead, the works. But for a small number of people, it was business as usual. Ironically, the reason they were able to carry on came down to a decision many might not expect: they bought an electric car.

Multiple EV owners in Spain posted to social media to show how they were leveraging their cars’ batteries to provide power to their houses. Some EVs such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, have what’s called V2H or vehicle-to-home functionality, which means they can feed their charge into a home’s electrical system.

Related: GM Energy’s Residential Charger Turns Your EV Into A Generator For Your Home

EVs with V2H can essentially function as giant versions of one of those portable power packs many of us rely on to keep our smartphones juiced on days out. Or the battery packs some homeowners with solar panels on their roofs already use to store excess energy harnessed during the day.

Not all electric cars support V2H, even though the technology has been around for years. But according to the UK think tank Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), an average EV with a 71 kWh battery and V2H capability could power a home for nearly six days using just 60 percent of its charge.

“As well as reducing emissions and saving their owners hundreds of pounds in running costs, EVs are also capable of adding resilience to their owners’ homes,” ECIU head of transport Colin Walker said. “More and more EVs are arriving on the market that are capable of returning power to the home. In an unprecedented blackout like the one we just saw in Spain, these EVs will allow people to keep their lights on, their fridges cold and their wireless routers running for days.”

Power Cuts Are More Than Inconvenient

Power outages can be frustrating, particularly if you, like me, work from home. They can also get expensive fast if you end up throwing out a freezer full of spoiled food. But more importantly, they can be dangerous. During a power cut that lasted more than a day, my 92-year-old father-in-law suffered third-degree burns when his dressing gown brushed against a candle he had lit in the kitchen.

Four months and multiple skin grafts later, he’s still recovering and it’s sobering to think he might have been spared lengthy hospital stays and permanent scarring if he owned an EV. Provided, that is, he remembered to charge it before the power went out…