Overview
- Cox Automotive estimates about 213,000 new EVs sold in Q1 2026, a 28% drop from a year ago.
- Used EV sales reached roughly 93,500 in Q1 and rose 17% from Q4, according to Cox.
- In February, 44% of used EV purchases were under $25,000, and lease returns are projected to climb to about 240,000 per month with roughly 20% EVs.
- Gasoline is about $1 more per gallon than in February and now nears $4 nationwide, yet EV purchases have not picked up, with Tesla projected to deliver 4.6% fewer vehicles in Q1 and its stock down about 3.6%.
- Premium electric models are holding up better, with J.D. Power saying EVs make up 26.4% of premium sales as mass‑market share slips to about 1.9%.