U.S. EV Sales Rebound for a Third Straight Quarter as Toyota, Rivian and Subaru Surge

The American electric vehicle market is no longer in freefall. After a steep drop triggered by the expiration of federal tax credits, EV sales have now climbed for three quarters in a row, according to fresh data from Cox Automotive.

Battery-electric models accounted for 6.1% of the U.S. light-vehicle market over the period — the strongest slice since the third quarter of 2025. Cox Automotive’s Stephanie Valdez Streaty described the trend as the market “finding its footing again,” pointing to two forces at work: EV sticker prices that have grown more competitive, and elevated gasoline prices that are pushing shoppers to reconsider plug-in options.

Not every brand is sharing equally in the upswing. Toyota, Rivian and Subaru posted the biggest gains. Sales of the Toyota bZ and its Lexus RZ sibling roughly doubled after a refresh reached dealers late last year; those updated models switched to Tesla-style charging ports and picked up bigger battery packs, stronger motors and quicker charging. Tesla, by contrast, saw volumes slide about 20% versus a year earlier — a notable dip for the company that still accounts for more than half of all EVs sold in the U.S. and continues to enjoy its early-mover position.

The U.S. trajectory echoes what happened in Germany after Berlin ended EV purchase incentives in November 2023, a year sooner than planned. Sales there fell by more than half the following month before gradually recovering, and by August — the most recent month with published figures — German EV sales had climbed to their second-highest level on record. That parallel suggests a market can stabilize even without direct subsidies once pricing, product quality and running costs line up for buyers.

For now, the U.S. numbers point to a market that is adjusting rather than collapsing. Whether the momentum holds depends largely on how aggressively automakers keep cutting prices and how quickly charging infrastructure and refreshed model lines reach mainstream shoppers.