Chinese carmakers continue to accelerate their presence across Europe, steadily carving out a larger slice of the market. Once regarded as niche entrants, they now account for a 6.8 percent share of total European sales in October, with powerhouses like SAIC and BYD leading the charge while Tesla’s momentum falters.

Chinese Brands Gain Ground

In that month alone, around 75,000 vehicles from Chinese brands were sold across the European Union, the UK, and EFTA nations, which include Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

SAIC enjoyed a particularly strong month, with sales soaring from 17,552 in October last year to 23,860 this October. Across the January-October period, its sales have also risen 26.6 percent from 197,686 to 250,250 units.

Read: BYD’s European Expansion Is About to Explode

BYD is also enjoying a surge in demand and has almost triple Tesla’s sales. In October, the company sold a total of 17,470 vehicles across the region, a 206.8 percent rise from 5,695 last October. Year-to-date, its sales have increased by a monumental 285 percent, from 35,949 to 138,390 units.

Tesla’s Bloodbath

Things are not looking so pretty for Tesla. In October, its European sales slipped 48.5 percent from 13,519 units in the same month last year to just 6,964 in 2025. That means it fell even behind Porsche, which itself recorded a 26 percent sales decline but still usurped Tesla with 7,653 sales. Through the first ten months of the year, the American brand’s local sales have fallen 29.6 percent to 180,688.

Of the new cars sold by Chinese brands across the region in October, 36 percent were battery-electric vehicles. Of these, the small BYD Dolphin was the best-seller.

EU + EFTA + UK New Car Sales

Europe Sales Rise

Across Europe, new car registrations have edged up 1.4 percent, with battery-electric vehicles now holding a 16.4 percent share.

In the first ten months of 2025, 1,473,447 new battery-electric cars were registered across the EU. This growth owes much to the four largest markets, including Germany (+39.4%), Belgium (+10.6%), the Netherlands (+6.6%), and France (+5.3%), which together make up 62 percent of the total. In October alone, year-on-year battery-electric registrations rose by 38.6 percent.

Hybrid-electric cars continue to dominate as the most popular powertrain, holding a 34.6 percent share of the market. Between January and October 2025, registrations reached 3,109,362 units, led by Spain (+27.1%), France (+26.3%), Germany (+10.3%), and Italy (+8.9%).

Plug-in hybrids are also on the upswing, totaling 819,201 registrations, a 43.2 percent increase over last year. Demand has been especially strong in Spain (+109.6%), Italy (+76.5%), and Germany (+63.4%). Plug-in hybrids now represent 9.1 percent of all EU registrations, up from 7 percent a year ago.

Petrol-powered cars still hold 27.4 percent of the market, though their share has dropped from 34 percent last year as combustion sales continue to contract. Through October, petrol registrations fell 18.3 percent across major markets, with France down 32.3 percent, Germany 22.5 percent, Italy 16.9 percent, and Spain 13.7 percent.

Diesel continues its downward trend too, shrinking by 24.5 percent to a 9.2 percent market share.

It’s been six long years since Ford unveiled the Mustang Mach-E, its first mainstream electric SUV and a direct challenger to the Tesla Model Y. The model has become an important part of Ford’s global lineup, even if it hasn’t reached the same sales heights as its Californian rival.

However, in Australia, things are looking particularity bleak for the electric pony car.

Read: Ford’s Electric Pony Car Gets A Classic Gas Mustang Package

Ford started selling the Mustang Mach-E in Australia in 2023 and in that time, has managed to sell just 1,113 units. This year, just 380 of them have been sold.

To put those numbers into perspective, Tesla has sold forty-six times more Model Ys this year than Ford has managed with the Mustang Mach-E. The gap is wide enough to make clear that Ford’s electric SUV won’t be troubling Tesla’s dominance anytime soon.

Everything’s Fine

Despite these meek sales, Ford Australia doesn’t seem too bothered. According to Ford’s local marketing director Ambrose Henderson, the Mach-E is different than its competitors and has been made all the more appealing thanks to recent upgrades.

“The Mach-E is something that is iconic and clearly different from most of the other EVs in the market,” Henderson told Drive.

“The market’s immensely competitive. We think, with the updates that we’ve made in terms of design, technology and the drive feel and dynamics, that it will resonate with customers. We’re really excited about what that will do going forward.”

He added that Ford’s intent was never to produce another anonymous, efficiency-shaped crossover. “There are a lot of aerodynamically designed white boxes on the road that are EVs, right? And that’s not us. That is not what we wanted to deliver. We wanted something that was authentic and really leverages off what is a global icon with Mustang,” he explained.

A Real Mustang Alternative?

According to Henderson, the Mustang Mach-E wasn’t necessarily created to chase huge volumes, but rather engineered as a compelling electric alternative to the V8-powered Mustang. According to him, the Mach-E “delivers the same excitement, the same emotion, same thrill of the drive, and the same sort of design,” as the pony car.

Of course, if you ask any car enthusiast if they’d rather drive a Mustang GT or Mustang Mach-E up a mountain pass, or along a coastal road, we suspect the vast majority would opt for the ICE model. While the Mach-E is good, few would consider it to be the same kind of sports car.

Who Is It For?

Interestingly, Henderson also hesitates to position it as a family vehicle. “The primary audience is couples, just from a demographic and opportunity perspective,” he said, suggesting Ford envisions the Mach-E less as a people mover and more as a lifestyle choice for drivers who still want a bit of Mustang spirit, even without the roar.

Not too long ago, BYD vehicles were a rare sight on the roads of Europe. But over the past five years, the car manufacturer has grown into a global powerhouse, expanding into new markets quicker than any of its competitors. Next year, its models will become even more commonplace throughout Europe.

Read: Stellantis Dealers Are Embracing BYD And Making Things Awkward

Despite the added weight of European tariffs on Chinese-made cars, BYD has no intention of slowing down. The company views Europe as one of its key new territories and expects to reach around 1,000 retail points across the continent before the year closes. That milestone, however, is only the start of what’s planned for 2026.

How Big Will BYD Go?

At a recent event in Frankfurt, Maria Grazia Davino, BYD’s regional managing director for Europe, outlined the company’s next move. She confirmed that BYD will double its footprint in the region next year, calling the expansion essential for winning over customers in a highly competitive landscape.

“In line with successful competitors, we need to have proximity and win proximity to the European customers,” Davino said, reports Reuters.

Currently active in 29 European markets, BYD is pursuing what Davino describes as a “long-term localization strategy.” The plan centers on building more of the vehicles it sells within Europe itself, reducing reliance on imports and strengthening its ties to local economies. Key to this effort is a major new production hub in Hungary, set to open soon.

So far this year, BYD sales in Europe have more than tripled, reaching 80,807 vehicles in just the first nine months.

Even though the Hungarian site has yet to open its doors, BYD is also weighing up the possibility of building a factory in Turkey and a site in Spain.

“Localizing in a mature region like Europe is a very important project. It requires knowledge, dedication, investments, and resources at all levels,” Davino added.

Source: Reuters

While the loss of the federal EV tax credit in the United States threw a wrench into sale figures in October, the global picture told a more upbeat story. New data shows worldwide sales of battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles climbed 23 percent, powered by a surge in demand across Europe and China.

Read: Hyundai And Kia EV Sales Collapse After Tax Credits Vanish Overnight

According to data from Rho Motion, an estimated 1.9 million electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles were sold globally last month, a 23 percent rise over October 2024.

The figure, however, was slightly lower than the 2.1 million plug-in passenger cars and light-duty vehicles sold in September.

Unsurprisingly, Rho Motion’s data reveals that China continues to lead the way with a total of 1.3 million EVs and PHEVs sold last month, marking a 6 percent increase over the same month last year.

EV SALES 2005 YTD (JAN-OCT) VS 2024 YTD

• Global: 16.5 million, +23% 
• China: 10.3 million, +22%
• Europe: 3.4 million, +32%
• North America: 1.6 million, +4%
• Rest of World: 1.3 million, +48%

Over in Europe, October deliveries jumped 36 percent from last year to 372,786 units, including 32 percent growth in BEVs and an even steeper 47 percent climb in PHEVs. Although the total was down from the 427,000 vehicles registered in September, year-to-date EV growth across Europe remains at 32 percent.

Germany’s EV sales have risen 45 percent year-to-date, while the UK is up 31 percent. France, however, remains slightly in the red at minus 2 percent. Spain has more than doubled its tally, and Italy has matched Germany’s pace with a 45 percent year-to-date increase.

Beyond these regions, EV and PHEV sales in the rest of the world climbed 37 percent to 141,368 units. The contrast with North America, however, could hardly be sharper.

What Happened in North America?

After the Trump administration axed the EV tax credit worth up to $7,500 for newly-purchased and leased vehicles, sales in North America collapsed by 41 percent to 100,370, This follows record highs in August and September, when buyers rushed to secure incentives before the cutoff on September 30, 2025.

Month-on-month comparisons show how steep the drop was. Ford’s BEV sales fell 60 percent (Mach-E, F-150 Lightning, E-Transit), Hyundai’s plunged 77 percent (Ioniq models), Kia’s dropped 77 percent (EV6, EV9), Honda’s fell 83 percent (Prologue), and Subaru’s nearly vanished, down 97 percent (Solterra). Each brand also saw year-over-year declines.

In Canada, Rho Motion says EV sales have stayed sluggish through 2025, weighed down by reduced purchase incentives and the government’s decision in September to pause the 2026 EV mandate.

Market Outlook

Rho Motion data manager Charles Lester expects the European and Chinese markets to remain strong through the rest of the year: “In Europe, the overall year-to-date growth figure remains relatively high and we’re expecting strong sales towards the end of the year,” he told Reuters.

He added that the Chinese market should stay robust through November and December, aided by a “pull forward” effect as the country transitions from a full purchase tax exemption on new energy vehicles to a 50 percent exemption.

LOS ANGELES — GreenPower Motor Company Inc. (NASDAQ: GP) (“GreenPower” or the “Company”) today announced accelerated production of its all-electric school bus lineup, supported by a financing facility of up to $18 million, deployable in tranches of up to $2 million. The facility is designed to optimize cash conversion cycles, enabling GreenPower to match capital deployment with production timing as the Company scales output.

“We are entering a period of meaningful operational leverage,” said Fraser Atkinson, CEO of GreenPower. “With more than $50 million in contracted orders for our Nano BEAST and BEAST school buses, this facility allows us to convert backlog into deliveries more efficiently. Before finalizing the facility, we pre-built over 100 Nano BEAST cab chassis and 30 BEAST chassis, significantly reducing production lead times. This creates a clear path toward accelerated revenue recognition, margin expansion, and improved operating cash flow.”

GreenPower remains the only fully electric OEM manufacturing both a Class 4 Type A and Class 8 Type D school bus. This vertically integrated, purpose-built platform strategy positions the Company to capture share as the school transportation sector transitions to zero-emission fleets supported by federal and state incentives.

About GreenPower Motor Company Inc.

GreenPower designs, builds and distributes a full suite of high-floor and low-floor all-electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including transit buses, school buses, shuttles, cargo van and a cab and chassis. GreenPower employs a clean-sheet design to manufacture all-electric vehicles that are purpose built to be battery powered with zero emissions while integrating global suppliers for key components. This OEM platform allows GreenPower to meet the specifications of various operators while providing standard parts for ease of maintenance and accessibility for warranty requirements. For further information go to www.greenpowermotor.com

The post GreenPower Accelerates Production of All-Electric School Buses; Secures Financing Facility of Up to $18 Million to Convert Record Backlog appeared first on School Transportation News.

We all knew that sales of EVs in the US would fall dramatically in October, since there’s no $7,500 federal tax credit available. However, major automakers like Hyundai and Kia may not have anticipated just how dramatically sales would fall due to this policy change.

Starting with Hyundai, it recently confirmed that it sold 70,118 vehicles last month, a 2 percent decline from the 71,802 in October 2024. Importantly, year-to-date sales are up 10 percent to 748,467. But this is where the good news mostly ends.

Read: Hyundai Enjoys Record Sales Thanks To Some Unlikely Models

Sales of the Ioniq 5 plummeted 62 percent to just 1,642 units, down from 4,498 sold last October. Similarly, Hyundai sold 52 percent fewer Ioniq 6s, down from 837 units to 398. The Ioniq 9 wasn’t available last year, but it hasn’t been a big seller this year, shifting 4,494 units year-to-date and just 317 in October.

Other Hyundai models that experienced significant declines included the Kona (-13 percent), Santa Cruz (-29 percent), Sonata (-32 percent), and Elantra (-16 percent). Helping to prop up total sales were the likes of the Palisade (+6 percent), Santa Fe (+22 percent), Tucson (+16 percent), and Venue (+49 percent).

Hyundai USA Sales

Kia’s EV Collapse

Things are similar at Kia. Year-to-date, it sold 705,150 vehicles, a solid increase from the 653,078 units moved over the same period in 2024. Its total sales also rose slightly in October from 68,908 units to 69,002. However, like Hyundai, Kia EVs didn’t share in this success.

Kia sold just 666 examples of the three-row EV9 this October, over 1,941 examples sold the same month last year. Overall sales of the EV9 this year are down from 17,911 to just 13,114. Then there’s the EV6, which saw its number fall from 1,732 to just 508.

Through the first ten months of the year, 11,585 EV6s have been sold compared to the 17,717 last year. Kia also sells the Niro as an EV in the US, but has grouped its sales with those of the gasoline and hybrid versions.

These numbers come just after Kia confirmed that it has postponed the American launch of the EV4 “until further notice” due to changing market conditions.

Kia USA Sales

Once hailed as a maverick genius we could all get behind, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has earned plenty of haters over the last few years as a result of his controversial political stances and affiliations.

Moreover, a new study has just confirmed what we all suspected all along: that those politics have cost Tesla billions of dollars in lost sales revenue.

How Bad Is the Damage?

Tesla US vehicle sales dropped by between 1 million and 1.26 million between October 2022 and April 2025, according to The National Bureau of Economic Research, a group of economists based at Yale University.

Related: Musk’s Tesla Payday Is So Absurd Even The Pope Had Something To Say

The authors estimate Teslas sales during that period should have been 67-83 percent higher. Some of those disaffected would-be buyers were pushed into the arms of rival carmakers, whose electric and hybrid vehicle sales grew by roughly 17-22 percent as a result, the study claims.

Among the actions that Tesla’s traditionally Democrat-voting customer base found offensive were his donation of $300 million to Republican candidates in the run up to the 2024 presidential election. The move marked a clear political shift that unsettled parts of his core audience.

Further controversy followed when Musk accepted a position with Donald Trump’s newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and voiced support for far-right political parties abroad, including Germany’s AfD.

Together, these choices reshaped his public image and deepened the divide between his business ventures and their once-loyal fan base.

The study suggests Musk’s behavior and its effect on sales negatively impacted California’s work towards achieving net zero emissions, derailing its plans to meet 2026 targets.

A Partial Rebound?

Even so, the researchers note that public sentiment toward the Tesla CEO had improved since Musk shifted his attention away from Donald Trump and back toward technology, namely robotaxis, self-driving cars and its fledgling robot business.

Tesla’s global sales are still projected to fall by about 10 percent this year, but that hasn’t slowed Musk’s ambitions. He’s now pushing for a $1 trillion pay package, which shareholders are set to vote on next month.

If approved, it would be by far the largest compensation deal ever granted to a corporate executive. Tesla chairman Robyn Denholm has written to shareholders warning that Musk could walk away if the cash doesn’t come through.

There was no getting around the fact that EV sales would take a massive blow without government subsidies. $7,500 is no small amount of cash, and tacking it onto the price of a car will make most vehicles way less appealing.

If J.D. Power is right, the loss of that credit has had an even larger impact on the EV market than many in the industry expected.

How Deep Is The Dip?

The research firm, working with GlobalData, predicts 54,673 EV retail sales for October. If that figure holds, it represents a 43.1 percent decline compared with October 2024, when 96,085 electric vehicles were sold. That would also mean a slide in market share from 8.5 percent to just 5.2 percent.

More: Germany Brings Back EV Incentives To Save Its Auto Industry

That’s a massive drop from the way September went. EVs hit a record 12.9 percent of the market that month, yet if October’s projected 54,673 EV sales come true, it would mark a 59.9 percent drop from September’s 136,211 units.

“The automotive industry is experiencing a significant recalibration in the electric vehicle segment,” said J.D. Power data analyst Tyson Jominy. “The recent EV market correction underscores a critical lesson: Consumers prefer having access to a range of powertrain options.”

Perhaps the wildest bit of this entire thing is that it could’ve been even worse for EVs. Many brands, including Hyundai, GM, and Tesla, rolled out different methods to ease the pain of losing the federal tax credit.

Had they not done those things, like cutting total costs, rolling out new cheaper models, and more… the hit would’ve no doubt been even harder.

Sales & SAAR Comparison

¹ Figures for Oct 2025 are forecasts based on the first 16 selling days of the month.
² October 2025 has 27 selling days, the same as October 2024.

Automotive executives also believe the EV market will stabilize and continue to grow over time. Both Ford’s current CEO and former CEO agreed on that point recently. Obviously, only time will tell.

Rising Prices, Fewer Discounts

Another interesting find is that average transaction prices are climbing as the EV share drops. The typical new-vehicle sold in October is expected to hit $46,057, about $1,000 higher than last year. Incentive spending has slipped to $2,674 per vehicle, roughly five percent of MSRP.

Analysts say the pullback in incentives largely stems from fewer EV sales. “EVs usually carry far steeper discounts,” noted one researcher. Average EV discounts rose to $13,161 as brands tried to offset lost tax credits, while non-EV discounts fell to $2,423, helping boost overall profitability despite softer EV demand.

Final sales results for the third quarter are now in, closing one of the most closely watched reporting periods the electric vehicle market has seen in recent years. No doubt, the Trump administration’s move to scrap the federal EV tax credit sparked a final buying spree that sent sales figures sharply upward.

Unsurprisingly, two familiar Tesla models held a commanding lead, but several other notable models experienced significant demand spikes.

How Big Was the Jump?

According to Kelley Blue Book data, U.S. EV sales hit an all-time quarterly high of 438,487 units, up 40.7 percent from Q2 and 29.6 percent higher year over year, surpassing the previous record from Q4 2024 by nearly 20 percent.

Electric vehicles also claimed a record 10.5 percent share of total vehicle sales, up from 8.6 percent in the same period last year.

Read: Federal Deadline Turns EV Into One Of VW’s Hottest Sellers

The Tesla Model Y was still comfortably the most popular EV in the United States, as 114,897 were sold during the period, a 29 percent increase from 89,077 delivered last year. Even so, Tesla’s overall market share slipped to 41 percent from 49 percent a year ago.

In second place was another Tesla, the Model 3, at 53,857 units. That result was actually down 7.8 percent year over year, suggesting some buyers may have shifted their attention toward the updated Model Y.

Top 10 Best-Selling EVs In Q3 2025

What About Non-Tesla Models?

The first non-Tesla entrant on the best-sellers list was the Chevrolet Equinox EV. A total of 25,085 were sold, a huge 156.7 percent rise from 9,772.

Positioned not far behind it were the Hyundai Ioniq 5 with 21,999 sales, the Honda Prologue with 20,236 sales, and the Ford Mustang Mach-E with 20,177 sales. The VW ID.4 was also a strong performer for the quarter, with 12,470 units, a 176 percent increase from Q3 2024.

A surprise inclusion among the best-sellers was the Audi Q6 e-tron. A total of 10,299 SUVs were sold during the quarter, an impressive result considering that model’s premium positioning that allowed it to outsell the Ford F-150 Lightning (10,005 units).

Other strong performers included the Rivian R1S with 8,184 sales, the Chevrolet Blazer EV (8,089), the Kia EV9 (7,510), and the Cadillac Lyriq, of which 7,309 found new homes.

Still, fewer than 10 models managed to exceed 10,000 sales in Q3 2025, underscoring how top-heavy the market remains. For most automakers, EV volume remains well below the levels needed for profitability.

The Best Sellers YTD

Year-to-date figures show total U.S. EV sales surpassed 1.04 million units, up 11.7 percent from about 935,000 a year earlier.

Tesla continued to lead with 451,160 units, down 4.3 percent year over year but still holding a 41 percent market share. Chevrolet followed in second place with 87,137 units, a 113 percent jump, while Ford ranked third with 69,600 (+2.8%) and Hyundai came in fourth at 57,167 (+31.1%).

Among individual models, the Tesla Model Y led the way with 265,085 units, down 8 percent year over year, followed by the Model 3 at 155,180, up 18 percent. Chevrolet’s Equinox EV climbed into third place with 52,834 sales, a massive 390 percent surge.

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

What Happens Next

With federal incentives now expired, analysts expect a cooldown. “The training wheels are coming off,” said Cox Automotive’s Director of Industry Insights, Stephanie Valdez Streaty. “The federal tax credit was a key catalyst for EV adoption, and its expiration marks a pivotal moment.”

Cox Automotive projects a temporary dip in EV sales through late 2025 and early 2026 before growth steadies again over the long term.

John Halas contributed to this story.

BEST SELLING EVs JAN-SEP 2025

EV BRAND SALES USA 2025

EV MODEL SALES USA 2025

Cox Automotive

Like every other automaker trying to keep its EV lineup from gathering dust, Ford knows that enthusiasm for the F-150 Lightning could fade fast now that the federal tax credit has vanished. To keep shoppers from drifting off, it’s slicing up to $4,000 off the price.

Now, that doesn’t come close to the $7,500 buyers just lost, but it might be enough to keep a few more trucks rolling off the lot. For the moment, anyway.

The 2026 F-150 Lightning will start at $63,345 before destination charges for the base STX trim, which replaces the outgoing XLT. Though the sticker remains identical to last year’s, the new model carries a larger 123 kWh battery pack instead of the previous 98 kWh unit, boosting range by roughly 50 miles (80.4 km).

Read: Ford’s New F-150 Lightning Trim Solves Its Biggest Flaws For Free

Perhaps of even more interest to potential customers will be the Flash trim. Cars Direct reports it will start at $65,995 for 2026, down from last year’s $69,995. There will also be a generous $2,000 savings for the Lariat, with its price reduced from $76,995 to $74,995.

At the top of the lineup sits the F-150 Lightning Platinum, which holds steady at $84,995. Ford hasn’t trimmed that figure, but at least it hasn’t gone higher either.

If the F-150 Lightning is still out of your price range after these cuts, then leasing could be a good option. Ford is continuing to offer 2025 XLT models with a $9,000 lease cash incentive.

Shoppers in certain states are also eligible for a $500 Summer Sales Event bonus, and for those who turn down Ford’s complimentary home charger, a $2,000 Public Charging Credit is available.

During the most recent quarter, Ford sold 10,005 units of the F-150 Lightning, marking a 39.7 percent jump from the same period last year.

How the Trump administration’s decision to end the federal tax credit will affect Q4 results remains to be seen. The next few months will likely reveal whether price cuts alone are enough to keep Ford’s electric pickup moving off lots.

For all the talk about market forces shaping the car industry, it still seems that government incentives are doing most of the heavy lifting for electric vehicles. Or at least they were, until the end of September, when the federal tax credits officially ran out.

Read: Expiring EV Tax Credit Sent Tesla Sales Into Overdrive But Its Flagships Crashed

As much as 90 percent of all battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles sold in the United States through the first nine months of the year are believed to have benefited from some form of tax credit, according to market research firm Rho Motion.

A Surge Before the Deadline

The end of the federal EV tax credit on October 1 set off a nationwide rush for qualifying models, driving record sales for several brands and pushing overall EV demand to new highs in August and September.

This year, the EPA determined that 20 battery-electric vehicles and a single plug-in hybrid model were eligible for the New Clean Vehicle Credit, valued at up to $7,500. These vehicles together accounted for 55 percent of all EV sales from January through September.

Leasing Loopholes and Fleet Boosts

Of equal importance in propping up sales was the lesser-known Qualified Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit, also valued at up to $7,500.

This credit was available for vehicles weighing less than 14,000 lbs and aimed at fleet and business buyers. This is also the credit that allowed car manufacturers to claim the tax credit themselves, and then to reduce the lease price on new vehicles.

Notably, leased passenger cars and trucks were not subject to the same sourcing and assembly requirements as purchased vehicles. They also didn’t need to be built in North America, which made leasing an especially attractive option for both manufacturers and buyers.

As the September 30 axing date for the credits drew closer, sales of electrified vehicles surged across the United States. As noted by Rho Motion, Ford sold 30,612 battery-electric vehicles in the third quarter, a huge 86 percent increase from Q2.

Additionally, GM’s BEV sales jumped 44 percent to 66,501 units. Tesla also reported a 27 percent sales increase, and Hyundai also enjoyed substantial growth, thanks to a more than doubling of demand for the Ioniq 5.

What Comes After the Incentives?

It remains to be seen how sharply BEV and PHEV sales will dip in the fourth quarter now that the tax credit has ended. Rho Motion expects demand to “decline sharply.”

The research firm also points out that tariffs, high local manufacturing costs, and relaxed fuel efficiency standards are likely to deter investment in domestic EV production, creating further pressure on demand in the months ahead.

After a promising start in the EV spotlight, the road ahead looks steeper for Lucid. Much like fellow American startup Rivian, Lucid is facing a difficult 2025, with financial pressures mounting after the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, which also helped lower lease payments, was scrapped.

The company behind the Air sedan and new Gravity SUV built 3,891 vehicles in the third quarter, falling short of projections and trailing the 5,621 average estimate from Bloomberg analysts. During the same period, it delivered a total of 4,078 vehicles, representing a significant jump from the 2,781 vehicles delivered in Q3 last year.

Read: Lucid CEO Reminds Everyone Tesla’s Model S Hasn’t Changed Since The Obama Era

Year-to-date, both production and delivery numbers are higher than in 2024. During the first nine months, Lucid produced 9,966 vehicles in the US and delivered 10,496. For context, the company delivered 10,241 vehicles across all of 2024, a 71 percent jump from 6,001 in 2023. While the momentum shows progress, it still trails what analysts had hoped to see.

Adding to that, Lucid confirmed it has built over 1,000 more vehicles awaiting final assembly at its facility in Saudi Arabia, an important piece of its long-term manufacturing strategy.

Leaving aside analyst forecasts, we’re talking under 10,000 cars in a span of nine months, a number that in no way is sustainable in the long term. For context, Tesla now sells that many vehicles roughly every four days in America, and even younger rivals like Rivian are comfortably outpacing Lucid’s output.

Shifting Gears With Gravity

While the latest numbers suggest growth, it’s also worth noting that Lucid is no longer a single-model company. The Gravity SUV has officially begun reaching customers, marking a key step in broadening its lineup. However, the company hasn’t disclosed how many units of the Air and Gravity were included in its third-quarter deliveries.

Even so, Lucid expects the Gravity to take the sales lead through the remainder of the year, potentially becoming the brand’s volume driver.

The next chapter for Lucid could prove even more critical. A mid-size electric SUV is set for unveiling next year, positioned to enter the market at under $50,000. The model could finally give Lucid a foothold in the more accessible end of the EV market, where volume growth matters most.

Provided the company secures the necessary funding, production of this new SUV will take place at Lucid’s Saudi Arabian facility.

Rivals for decades, BMW and Mercedes largely fish in the same pool. But while one of the big German brands saw its catch rate tumble, the other is soon going to need a bigger boat, judging by sales figures released this week.

Mercedes shifted 441,500 cars in Q3 (plus 83,800 vans), a drop of 12 percent on the same quarter in 2024, while BMW moved 514,620 BMW-branded vehicles, representing a rise of 5.7 percent. Factor in the BMW Group’s other brands, including Rolls Royce, BMW M and Mini, and total sales hit 588,300, or 8.8 percent more than in Jul-Sep last year.

Related: BMW Somehow Sold Fewer Electrified Cars Than Last Year

What’s really interesting is how differently the two brands performed in certain key markets. In the US for instance, which has been impacted by tariffs this year, it’s probably not a surprise to see that Mercedes sales dropped 17 percent to 70,800 units.

But turning that logic on its head, BMW actually grew its US sales by a whopping 24.9 percent in the same period to 297,247.

And even in China, where both brands – like many Western automakers – are having a tough time, Mercedes fared much worse. Benz sales sank by a shocking 27 percent but BMW escaped with an 11 percent drop. Still terrible, but much less so.

BMW vs Mercedes Sales Q3

The electric (and electrified) numbers deepen the divide. For Mercedes, battery-electric vehicle (BEV) deliveries flatlined. The company delivered 42,600 BEVs in Q3, essentially holding steady year-on-year as it battles cost pressures, tariff headwinds, and intensifying EV competition in China.

BMW’s story is more complicated. The BMW Group’s electrified portfolio (including BEV + PHEV) showed healthy growth overall, as it moved 151,282 electrified units in Q3, up 8 percent. But they were down 2.8 percent in the US. Full EV sales in that same period fell by 0.6 percent to 102,864 units globally, though they’re up 10 percent YTD.

Both automakers have some crucial new products coming through including the GLC with EQ Technology and iX3, so it’ll be fascinating to see how those cars impact next year’s numbers.

BMW vs Mercedes sales by region

BMW sales split

EV sales are on the rise in the UK, thanks in part to surging demand for vehicles from Chinese manufacturers such as BYD. Plug-in hybrids and traditional hybrids have also enjoyed strong growth, pushing total electrified vehicle sales beyond the combined total of petrol and diesel cars last month.

Read: EVs Poised To Exceed Half Of Europe’s New Car Sales Sooner Than Expected

In September, 72,779 new battery-electric vehicles were registered nationwide, marking a 29.1 percent jump from the 56,387 sold during the same month last year.

The pace hasn’t slowed over the course of the year either. So far, 349,414 BEVs have been sold, up 29.4 percent year-on-year. That now gives electric models a commanding 22.1 percent share of the UK’s new car market, a sharp climb from 17.8 percent a year ago.

Hybrid Uplift

The demand for plug-in hybrids has increased significantly. In September, PHEV deliveries increased by 56.4 percent to 38,308 units, and year-to-date, sales have reached 172,639, resulting in a 10.9 percent market share.

Regular hybrid models have followed suit, with sales rising 23.5 percent in September and 8.6 percent across the year to 222,669 units in total. The steady growth across all electrified categories shows that buyers are increasingly open to alternative powertrains, even if they’re not ready to go fully electric just yet.

While the electric tide rises, traditional fuels are losing ground. From January through September, petrol vehicle sales slipped 8.2 percent to 749,794, and diesel fared worse, down 14.3 percent to just 83,656.

China’s Growing Footprint

A major contributor to the electrified upswing has been BYD, whose presence in the UK has expanded dramatically. In September alone, the brand sold 11,271 cars, representing an eye-catching 880 percent increase compared with the same month last year.

Over the first nine months of 2025, BYD has sold 35,000 vehicles in the UK, capturing a 2.2 percent share of the market. That performance makes the UK its largest single market outside China.

To put BYD’s results for this year into perspective, it sold just 5,260 vehicles in the UK in the first three quarters of 2024.

MG, another Chinese brand with established roots in the UK, also enjoyed strong results. September sales jumped 62.71 percent to 14,577 units, while year-to-date growth sits at 4.11 percent, totaling 65,394 vehicles.

Other new Chinese entrants, including Changan, Chery, Jaecoo, Leapmotor, and Omoda, have also seen their sales increase, reflecting the growing influence of Chinese automakers across the UK market.

As for Tesla, its sales remained steady, rising 4.4 percent in September to 7,993 cars compared with 7,656 in the same month last year. Year-to-date, though, sales have dipped 3.4 percent to 36,160 units.

Electric cars have become a central part of Volkswagen’s global strategy, with a wide mix of models sold across Europe, Asia, and beyond. In the States, though, the lineup is far narrower, limited to just the ID.4 and the ID.Buzz. Even so, the ID.4 has taken on a critical role for the brand, climbing to Volkswagen’s third best-selling model in the country during the third quarter of this year.

Read: VW ID.4 Gets A Stealthy Blackout But Something Bigger Waits In The Shadows

In the third quarter, VW managed to sell a total of 87,705 vehicles in the US, consisting of 73,444 SUVs and 87,705 passenger cars. The company’s most popular model proved to be the Tiguan LWB, shifting 22,050 units, a 4 percent increase from Q3 last year. In second place was the Atlas, with 19,105 examples finding new homes, marking a 2 percent increase.

A Sharp Rise For The ID.4

Slotting into third place was the all-electric ID.4. Q3 sales hit 12,470, a dramatic 176 percent jump over the 4,518 sold in the same period last year. That single quarter accounted for a sizeable portion of the 22,125 ID.4s delivered nationwide so far in 2025.

Needless to say, the surge didn’t happen by chance. Like several other automakers, Volkswagen benefited from a rush of customers eager to secure their EV purchase before the federal EV tax credit expired on September 30.

Although the 2025 ID.4 did not qualify for the incentive, unlike the 2023 and 2024 models, it was available with the $7,500 rebate if leased. Now that the government’s incentive is no longer available, it’s likely there will be a decline in demand through the remaining three months of the year.

Where The Numbers Land

Looking at the year as a whole, the ID.4 ranks as VW’s sixth best-selling new vehicle in the States with 22,125 units sold. This positions it behind the Atlas (51,181), the Tiguan LWB (48,951), the Jetta (48,610), the Taos (40,524), and the Atlas Cross Sport (24,282).

In Q3, VW also managed to sell 2,469 ID.Buzzes, roughly 50 percent of all the examples it has sold through the entire year through September.

Correction: An earlier version of this story mistakenly referred to third-quarter sales as September sales.

VW US Sales 2025

Rivian has once again trimmed its delivery outlook for the year, now projecting it will finish 2025 with between 41,500 and 43,500 vehicles handed over to customers. Earlier forecasts had painted a more optimistic picture. In May, Rivian suggested it would finish 2025 with between 40,000 and 46,000 deliveries, which was itself a downward revision from an even earlier target of roughly 51,000 vehicles.

Read: Rivian Offers Owners Cash To Sign Away Their Legal Rights

To put these figures into perspective, Rivian sold a total of 50,100 vehicles in 2023 and 51,579 in 2024. While the electric car manufacturer would have inevitably hoped to see sales continue to grow throughout 2025, that hasn’t been the case.

Mixed Numbers

The revision arrives even after Rivian recorded its best sales quarter of the year. Still, the annual forecast hints that appetite for the R1T pickup and R1S SUV may be tapering off, a concern that pushed the company’s stock down nearly 10 percent.

During the past quarter, Rivian delivered a total of 13,201 vehicles and produced 10,720 at its facility in Normal, Illinois. That’s an increase of nearly 32 percent in third-quarter (Q3) deliveries, a surge driven in part by U.S. buyers hurrying to lock in tax credits, even through leasing, before they expired on Tuesday.

Rivian’s Big Hope

Rivian’s long-awaited mid-size R2 cannot come soon enough. It’s been in the works for a couple of years now and is scheduled to launch in the first half of 2026. It will initially be built at an expanded line at the company’s plant in Normal, Illinois, before moving to Rivian’s forthcoming multi-billion-dollar facility in Georgia.

During a recent interview with InsideEVs, Rivian Chief Executive RJ Scaringe noted that while a large car manufacturer like Chevrolet or Volkswagen could absorb the costs of a new model that does not prove popular upon launch, Rivian does not have the same luxury.

“For a big company that has lots of other products, you can absorb that not going well, and the business will be fine,” he said. “For a Rivian, it must go well.” Prices for the R2 will start at approximately $45,000, significantly undercutting the R1-series models that start at over $70,000.

Audi sells no fewer than 18 different models in the United States, and among them, it was an unexpected contender that claimed the sales crown through the third quarter. Outpacing long-time favorites like the Q5 and Q3, the spotlight landed on the electric Q6 e-tron.

However, that an EV managed to outpace Audi’s long-standing ICE models says less about sudden enthusiasm for electrification and more about the terrible year its combustion lineup has faced that was compounded by buyers rushing to make the most of federal EV incentives before they vanished.

Numbers Behind the Surge

Over the past three months, Audi sold 10,059 Q6 e-trons across the US. This represents a 22,761 percent increase over the third quarter of last year, although that’s somewhat irrelevant, as deliveries hadn’t started in earnest in 2024. Year-to-date, a total of 17,021 Q6 e-trons have been sold.

Read: Audi’s Electrifying Crossover Coupe Arrives With A 509 HP Range-Topper

The reason for the surge in demand is quite simple. The $7,500 federal EV tax credit is no longer available, leading to a rush of shoppers who wanted to benefit from it before it was discontinued. Interestingly, the Q6 e-tron wasn’t eligible for the tax credit when purchased upfront, but customers could receive it when leasing. While Audi hasn’t disclosed how many of the Q6 e-trons it sold in the third quarter were leased, we suspect most of them fell in that category.

With sales of the electric SUV climbing into five figures, the Q6 e-tron edged past the Q5, Audi’s traditional sales leader. In the third quarter, the compact SUV recorded 9,719 units, bringing its year-to-date total to 32,633. It still holds the top spot overall, but that position comes with a caveat: sales are down 17 percent compared with 2024. Looking at just the third quarter, the drop was even sharper, falling 34 percent from the 14,677 sold in the same period last year.

The Q3 was next in line during July through September, logging 5,597 units, a huge 25 percent dip year-over-year. Behind it came the Q7 with 4,281 sold, which marked a steep 24 percent decline compared with the same period in 2024. Even so, its year-to-date tally of 14,256 is actually 5 percent higher than last year’s, showing that while the third quarter dragged, the bigger picture looks better.

The electric Q4 e-tron also carved out its own space in the lineup. Sales rose 32 percent in the third quarter to 2,956 units, although its year-to-date total of 5,194 remains slightly behind last year’s pace.

Sales of virtually all other Audi models fell last quarter. These included the A5 (-34 percent), A6 (-41 percent), A7 (-2 percent), and Q8 (-22 percent). Demand also fell for some of Audi’s EVs, including the e-tron GT (-3 percent), Q8 e-tron (-98 percent), and the Q8 Sportback e-tron (-96 percent).

The Bigger Picture

Looking at the totals, Audi sold 46,758 vehicles in the third quarter, practically as many as it delivered a year earlier (46,752). Year-to-date, the brand has moved 128,709 cars and SUVs in the US, which is 8 percent fewer than in 2024.

Audi US Sales 2025

Additional reporting by John Halas

Tesla’s been having a terrible year, but there’s a bit of good news as third quarter deliveries climbed 7.4% from last year. That’s a sizable increase and it’s believed the recently expired clean vehicle tax credit played a significant role in driving consumers to showrooms.

Jumping right into the numbers, Tesla delivered 481,166 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in the third quarter. That’s up from 439,975 last year, for an increase of 9.4%.

More: Tesla’s EV Market Share Just Sank Below 40%

However, it wasn’t all roses as the Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck continue to underperform. Q3 deliveries dropped from 22,915 units last year to 15,933 vehicles this time around.

In total, Tesla produced 447,450 vehicles and delivered 497,099. One year ago, the company made 469,796 EVs and only delivered 462,890.

2025 Q3 Tesla Production And Deliveries

Digging deeper, Tesla sales have rebounded significantly since Elon Musk’s disastrous foray into politics turned off a number of consumers. Compared to last quarter, deliveries soared an impressive 29.4%. The biggest boost came from the Model 3 and Y, which were up by 107,438 units. Deliveries of “other models” also grew by 53.3% as the company handed over 15,933 of them.

Of course, the sales bonanza is likely over now that the tax credit is dead. This means customers will need to shell out at least $42,490 for a Model 3 or $44,990 for the Model Y. Those prices will likely limit their appeal, although the company is working to address that with a cheaper Model Y.

They’re not the only ones working on more affordable EVs as Hyundai recently slashed prices for the 2026 Ioniq 5. The crossover starts at $35,000, which is $7,600 less than last year’s model. Other trims have steeper reductions and they average $9,155.

Hyundai sales surged to record heights in the US last month, thanks in part to a significant increase in demand for its EVs and a few of its SUV and sedan models. And, despite the removal of the federal EV tax credit at the end of September, the Korean carmaker appears confident it can keep the momentum going through the rest of the year and into 2026.

Read: The EV Price War Just Got Real And Hyundai Fired First

In September, Hyundai sold a total of 71,003 vehicles in the US market, a 14 percent increase over the 62,491 sold the same month last year. In addition, Hyundai’s Q3 sales were up 11 percent to 678,349 units compared to the 610,494 sold through the first three quarters of 2024.

EVs Leading the Charge

Several models contributed to the surge in demand last month. The all-electric Ioniq 5 stood out, with sales soaring 152 percent from 3,336 units to 8,408. While many automakers saw a final bump in EV sales before the federal tax credit expired, Hyundai has moved quickly to soften the impact.

The company is now offering a $7,500 cash incentive on 2025 models, along with price cuts of up to $9,800 on 2026 Ioniq 5s. Year-to-date, sales of the Ioniq 5 have climbed 36 percent, from 30,318 units to 41,091.

Hyundai US Sales 2025

Elsewhere, sales of the Ioniq 6 have jumped 36 percent, although it remains a small blip in terms of Hyundai’s overall sales, with just 814 sold in September and 9,132 sold this year. The large, three-row Ioniq 9 sold 4,177 examples.

Demand for the small Venue also soared by 77 percent last month, with 2,836 finding new homes across the country. Hyundai reported a 28 percent rise in Santa Fe sales to 10,114 units. In September, sales of the Elantra increased by 23 percent.

There are some outliers in what has been a very good year for Hyundai. For example, year-to-date sales of the Sonata are down 5 percent to 45,914, Santa Cruz has fallen 18 percent to 20,633, and the Kona is down 11 percent to 57,278.

The end of the federal EV tax credit has left the industry on edge, and Ford’s top executive is warning of serious consequences. Without the $7,500 incentive, Jim Farley believes demand for electric vehicles in the United States could collapse, with sales potentially dropping by half. It’s a sobering reminder of how much the credit has shaped America’s shift toward electrification.

Read: Jim Farley – “If We Lose This, We Do Not Have A Future Ford”

Speaking at the automaker’s  “Ford Pro Accelerate” event in Detroit, Farley said EVs might soon represent only 5 percent of the overall US car market, a level last seen in 2022 and well below the record 10 to 12 percent share expected this month. That projection paints a far more modest future for electric adoption than many in the industry had anticipated.

A Shrinking Market?

“I think it’s going to be a vibrant industry, but it’s going to be smaller, way smaller than we thought, especially with the policy change in the tailpipe emissions, plus the $7,500 consumer incentive going away,” Farley said. “We’re going to find out in a month. I wouldn’t be surprised that the EV sales in the U.S. go down to 5%.”

According to Farley, Ford’s Model e team is continually analyzing the demand for electrified vehicles. The car manufacturer will also have to change plans and decide how it should make use of excess EV capacity and its battery factories.

Adjusting To New Rules

“We’ll fill them, but it will be more stress, because we had a four-year predictable policy,” Farley noted. “Now the policy changed. … We all have to make adjustments, and it’s going to be good for the country, I believe, but it will be one more stress.”

During the same event, Farley also acknowledged that Ford’s customers are not interested in an expensive electric car. As such, the carmaker will need to make cheaper EVs, but now that the tax credit is gone, doing so will be much more difficult than before.

“Customers are not interested in the $75,000 electric vehicle,” the Ford CEO said. “They find them interesting. They’re fast, they’re efficient, you don’t go to the gas station, but they’re expensive.”