Overview
- Cox Automotive estimates show U.S. EV sales rose to about 247,226 units in the second quarter of 2026, a roughly 14% increase from Q1 and the strongest quarter since the federal tax credit expired.
- Tesla kept a dominant share, selling about 124,800 vehicles in Q2 and accounting for roughly half of U.S. EV volumes while the Model Y remained the country’s top-selling EV.
- Performance varied widely across manufacturers with Toyota, Hyundai, Rivian and Subaru posting strong sequential gains while some brands, notably Audi in the U.S., recorded very low electric volumes.
- The market rebound has been driven by higher gasoline prices, new model rollouts, and state incentives, but total U.S. EV volumes are still about 20% below Q2 2025 after the $7,500 federal tax credit ended and EPA fuel-economy rules were scaled back.
- Europe continues to lead global EV growth, and analysts say the U.S. recovery could strengthen if public charging expands, more affordable EVs arrive and policy or incentives change, all of which would affect prices, dealer offers, and consumer choices.