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EV sales surged past 300,000 for the first time in the third quarter, a nearly 50% increase over last year. As automakers like Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Hyundai ramp production, Tesla’s market share is slipping.

The latest quarterly EV sales estimates from Cox Automotive dropped Thursday, showing a record 313,086 electric cars sold from July to September. EV sales have now expanded for 13 straight quarters.

Electric vehicles accounted for 7.9% of total US auto sales in Q3, up from 6.1% a year ago and 7.2% in Q2.

EV sales surged 49.8% compared to last year, increasing 5% from the 298,039 sold in Q2. The data shows most automakers have picked up the pace significantly over the past year.

Volvo, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, and Hyundai posted notable progress, with sales growing over 200%. The growth comes as new electric models hit the market. Over the past year, 14 new EVs have been introduced.

Higher inventory, more availability, and lower prices have also contributed to the growth. According to Cox Automotive, EV prices are down 22% over the last year, with a $50,683 average price paid in September.

The price cuts are led by Tesla, with prices down around 25% from last year. Last week, the Tesla Model 3 hit its lowest starting price ever at $38,880.

US-EV-sales-Q3
(Source: Tesla)

Tesla’s market share shrinks as US EV sales pick up

Although Tesla continues its dominant expansion, delivering over 435,000 cars in Q3 (+19.5% YOY versus industry average of 16.3%), the EV leader’s market share is slipping.

Tesla’s market share hit 50% in the third quarter, down from 62% in Q1 and its lowest so far. The highly anticipated Cybertruck could help turn things around, but the competition is still picking up.

Since Tesla pioneered the industry, losing market share as other automakers ramp up is inevitable. The gap is still massive at 50% of the market. (Check out these two charts for proof.)

US-EV-sales-Q3
Rivian R1S (Source: Rivian)

Rivian delivered 15,564 electric vehicles in the quarter, up 126% from last year. GM began delivering the Chevy Silverado EV (although they only delivered 18 units), and Ford expects F-150 Lightning production to pick up by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, overseas automakers are beginning to make their presence known. Mercedes-Benz EV sales climbed 284% to reach 10,423 in Q3.

Although Ford (20,962) and GM (20,092) sold more electric models in the quarter, Mercedes topped the American automakers as a percent of total sales. Mercedes’s EV sales in the US reached nearly 15%, while GM and Ford are around 3% to 4%.

Q3 2023 sales Q3 2022 YOY Q3 Market Share
Audi 7,538 3,891 93.7% 2.4%
BMW 13,079 4,365 199.6% 4.2%
BrightDrop 35 0% 0%
Cadillac 3,018 36 0% 1%
Chevrolet 15,872 14,709 7.9% 5.1%
Ford 20,962 18,257 14.8% 6.7%
Genesis 1,802 888 102.9% 0.6%
GMC 1,167 411 183.9% 0.4%
Fisker 997 0% 0.3%
Hyundai 19,630 5,824 237.1% 6.3%
Jaguar 86 22 290.9% 0%
Kia 9,325 5,583 67% 3%
Lexus 1,394 0% 0.4%
Lucid 1,618 654 147.4% 0.5%
Mazda 34 8 325% 0%
Mercedes 10,423 2,717 283.6% 3.3%
Mini 516 1,105 -53.3% 0.2%
Nissan 6,074 1,276 376% 1.9%
Polestar 3,710 2,852 30.1% 1.2%
Porsche 2,050 1,325 54.7% 0.7%
Rivian 15,564 6,884 126.1% 5%
Subaru 2,791 0% 0.9%
Tesla 156,621 131,024 19.5% 50%
Toyota 2,827 0% 0.9%
VinFast 1,159 0% 0.4%
Volvo 4,087 542 654.1% 1.3%
Volkswagen 10,707 6,657 60-.8% 3.4%
US electric vehicles sales Q3 (Source: Cox Automotive)

Hyundai has been on a hot streak as sales of its dedicated EV models continue gaining momentum. The South Korean automaker sold 19,630 EVs in Q3, a 237% increase from last year. Hyundai set a record by selling 11,665 IONIQ 5 electric SUVs in the quarter (+143% YOY).

US-EV-sales-Q3

Volvo was another legacy automaker that saw substantial growth, with EV sales climbing 650% over last year. The Swedish automaker expects the trend to continue with new models, including the EX30 (its smallest and cheapest EV) and the flagship EX90, its first electric seven-seater SUV.

Other German luxury automakers saw sales growth, with BMW’s EV sales climbing nearly 200% and Audi’s up 94%.

EV-sales-US-Q3
EV share of brand sales Q3 (Source: Cox Automotive and KBB)

BMW, Audi, Volvo, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche all posted double-digit EV sales share. Meanwhile, Toyota, GMC, Subaru, and Lexus were below the 2% mark.

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After 300 years of innovation, Husqvarna definitely dreams of electric sheep

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After 300 years of innovation, Husqvarna definitely dreams of electric sheep

Founded in 1689, Husqvarna was a musket maker for the king of Sweden – but now, the company best known for quirky motorcycles and commercial riding mowers is becoming an innovator in the field of robotics, and its latest fleet of electric autonomous mowers are eager to get grazing.

Husqvarna’s autonomous lawnmowers made history earlier this year at the AIG Women’s Open, when they became the first autonomous groundskeeping solution to see duty during a UK Major golf week.

“At the AIG Women’s Open, the Husqvarna portfolio is helping us deliver this goal through improved resource management, regular lightweight mowing and reduced carbon usage,” explains Royal Porthcawl’s Course Manager, Ian Kinley, who has championed the use of robotic technology at the course. “With the AIG Women’s Open set to be the largest-ever women’s sporting event in Wales, we know there’s tremendous pressure to produce playing surfaces that are worthy of such a high-profile event.”

The robots themselves operate a bit differently than Husqvarna’s traditional line of big, bad, zero-turn riding mowers that whip through thick grass once or twice a month with heavy, whirling blades. Instead, they employ a series of tiny razor blades that gently nibble at the grass daily – just like little electric sheep grazing on the turf.

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“That cutting system, developed by Husqvarna engineers, has then become the basis for the entire robot mower industry, of which we’re the market leader,” Nick Rawson, VP of Strategy and Business Development at Husqvarna told Forbes.

Events like the AIG Women’s Open are proving that the little robot Huskies can get the job done quietly, sustainably, and with significantly less operator input. As such, you’d think everyone at Husqvarna would be excited about them.

You’d be wrong. The company’s franchise dealers have been hesitant to push them forward, effectively putting the parent company in the position of going B2C, or going home.

“Dealers live and breathe the previous technology,” said Yvette Henshall-Bell, Husqvarna’s President of its Forest and Garden division for Europe, in that same Forbes piece. “They want to protect that servicing, that aftermarket revenue. Whereas if they really thought about what the customer’s problems are and the job to be done, they would be looking at a completely different solution.”

A solution, frankly, that looks a lot like a little robot mower.

The things, themselves


Autonomous mowers at Women’s Open; via Husqvarna.

Husqvarna offers three types of autonomous electric mowers aimed at commercial golf courses, but the Husqvarna CEORA for large-area mowing, and Husqvarna Automower, for smaller, steeper and more complex areas, are the models relevant to this story.

The bigger CEORA can handle up to 18 acres of ground twice each week, while the Automower, with its 80V battery and pinpoint precision EPOS (Exact Positioning Operating System) software, can handle another 2.5 acres. Both are fully electric, and can guide themselves back to their pens to recharge as needed.

Prices aren’t public, but the Husqvarna CEORA and Automowers are available as part of a custom lease package through Husqvarna Finance that will include access to the company’s customizable back end and ongoing support. Check with your local dealer for more.

Electrek’s Take


As a typically pro-union, pro-labor type of guy, I am hesitant to heap praise upon a robot taking away anyone’s job. That said, it does seem to be difficult for landscapers and construction crews to keep and find good labor at rates they can afford (and, let’s face it – the current Trump Administration isn’t going to be making that any easier). As such, if companies like Husqvarna and John Deere and Einride and others can build a demonstrably better mousetrap at a compelling price point … good for them. (?)

Let us know what you think in the comments.

SOURCES: Forbes, Golf Monthly; images by Husqvarna.


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Podcast: Apple CarPlay in Tesla cars, VW on Superchargers, Toyota electric pickup, and more

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Podcast: Apple CarPlay in Tesla cars, VW on Superchargers, Toyota electric pickup, and more

In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Apple CarPlay possibly coming to Tesla cars, VW getting access to Superchargers, a Toyota electric pickup, and more.

The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.

As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.

After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:

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We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.

Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:

Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:

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October EV sales slid, but deals and rebates are still in play

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October EV sales slid, but deals and rebates are still in play

US EV sales declined in October following the expiration of the $7,500 federal tax credit on September 30, and the average transaction price (ATP) edged up, according to initial estimates from Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive brand. However, there are still deals to be had.

Kelley Blue Book’s initial estimates show that US EV sales fell to 74,835 in October, down 48.9% from September, which was a record month, and 30.3% year-over-year.

Prices also ticked up. The average transaction price (ATP) for a new EV climbed 1.6% month-over-month to $59,125, which is 2.3% higher than a year ago.

Tesla didn’t escape the downturn, but it held up better than the overall EV market. The company’s ATP fell 1.1% from September to $53,526, and its prices are 5.5% lower than they were in October 2024. Sales of the Model 3 and Model Y both declined month-over-month, and overall Tesla sales decreased by 35.3% from September and 23.6% year-over-year, which are smaller declines compared to the broader EV segment.

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Cox Automotive senior analyst Stephanie Valdez Streaty said the shift wasn’t surprising:

We expected this shift in the electric vehicle market. With the IRA-backed sales incentives gone, lower-cost EV volume was hit hard, pushing the mix toward more luxury and driving October’s EV ATP to a 2025 high of $59,125 – now $9,359 above the industry average. Affordability has always been the core challenge with EV sales, and this reset only underscores how critical it is to bring more attainable EV options to market.

Electrek’s Take

September was a record-breaking month for both EV deals and sales. Dealers were offering all sorts of sweet incentives to stack with the federal tax credit to move cars off the lot. October’s sales drop was entirely anticipated, like a pounding headache after a big blowout party.

We didn’t know what the post-federal tax credit EV market would look like. As Valdez Streaty rightly states, EVs do have a higher ATP than the industry average. But it turns out that, so far, it’s not all doom and gloom, and the federal tax credit isn’t the only incentive in town.

Every month, I compile great EV lease deals, and for the last few months, some EVs’ monthly lease payments have been cheaper than before the federal tax credit expired. Many states are still offering rebates on EV purchases, and dealers still have really good deals. While cheaper models would definitely be welcome, there are good deals available right now.

And let’s not forget the fact that EVs are much cheaper to drive than gas cars, with or without that tax credit.

Read more: From $189 a month: 5 of the best EV lease deals in November [Updated]


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