GM has released its Q4 sales numbers, showing Ultium still ramping steadily, but overall EV sales are down as its best-selling model, the Bolt, winds down as Chevy takes it off the market in its best year of sales ever – leaving GM with only 3.1% EV share, well below the US average.
In Q4, GM sold a total of 19,469 EVs in Q4, a small decrease from last quarter’s total of 20,092, and a significant increase from Q4 2022 which had 16,266 EV sales.
After quite a bit of difficulty getting Ultium off the ground, GM’s new battery platform is finally seeing significant ramps in production. Both Lyriq and Hummer EV sales grew, and Blazer and Silverado EV finally saw deliveries of cars to the public, though still in small numbers.
2023 Hummer EV pickup and SUV versions (Source: GM)
Hummer EV had an impressive quarter, particularly considering how ridiculously excessive it is, with 2,028 in Q4 ’23, almost doubling last quarter’s sales of 1,167 units, and up from just 72 in Q4 of last year.
The Lyriq saw similar growth, as GM sold 3,820 Lyriqs, up from 3,108 in Q3 and from 86 (yes, 86) in Q4 of 2022.
So while we’re not yet seeing large volume deliveries of Ultium-based EVs, we are at least seeing significant ramping of deliveries each quarter now. Hopefully this means the kinks are getting ironed out at GM, and the floodgates can really open as the more mass-market models come into play.
One of those potentially more mass market models (at least, when the base model becomes available – as of now, it’s hard to justify the $56k base price when compared to the Lyriq) is the Blazer EV, which had its first customer deliveries in Q4. 463 Blazers were delivered to customers, marking the start of the model’s availability. But this number would have been affected by a temporary stop sale on the model related to software issues, which resulted in a recall today.
The Silverado EV also started deliveries to customers, but only the work truck version is available so far. It sold in similar numbers, with 443 units delivered in its first quarter of availability.
But the real mass market model, the Equinox EV, isn’t out yet. So we’ll have to see how the ramp goes on that, when it shows up later this year.
2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV
However, overall EV sales were down for GM, primarily due to one model: the Chevy Bolt. The Bolt had a down quarter, going from 15,835 units sold in Q3 to 12,551 in Q4 (also down from 16,108 in Q4 ’22). But this wasn’t because people aren’t interested in it – it was because GM ended Bolt production in December.
This is part of a planned phaseout of the Bolt so GM can focus on Ultium, including an upcoming Ultium-powered Bolt, but it also means that Chevy ended production on the Bolt during its absolute best year yet.
Previously, the Bolt’s best year sold 38,122 units in 2022. But in 2023, the last year of its existence, Chevy sold 62,045 Bolts – a 63% improvement. And now it’s done, so we won’t get to see how far up that line could have gone.
But if you’re still interested in a Bolt – and you should be, because it’s an excellent vehicle – you can still get one from Chevy in the next weeks and months. And it’s a better deal than ever now that the US EV tax credit is now easier to get for low-income buyers and available upfront as well, making it possible to get a Bolt for under $20k off the lot. If you’d like, you can use our links to contact your local dealers about the 2023 Chevy Bolt EV or 2023 Chevy Bolt EUV, and see if they have any in stock before it goes away for good.
Finally, GM delivered 164 BrightDrop vans, up from 35 last quarter.
Electrek’s Take
19,469 EVs represents 3.1% of GM’s 625,176 overall sales in Q4, which is well below the US average of about 8% EV market share (based on Q3 numbers). GM has claimed for years that it is “all-in” on EVs, but it is currently well behind the pack in US EV sales.
GM employees told us at the Blazer EV drive event that they’re certainly feeling the internal pressure to get more EVs out quickly, but looking at these numbers, it seems like there must not be nearly enough pressure. So we’re here to provide a little more.
If GM truly was “all-in” on EVs, then it should be bringing the average up, not pulling the average down. Even if you ignore the all-EV startups (a newer one of which, Rivian, is almost matching GM in sales), big automakers like Hyundai, VW and Volvo are all bringing the average up, along with several luxury brands (including one GM brand, Cadillac, and Hummer which is all-EV now). Why can’t the rest of your brands bring the average up too, GM?
GM is one of the largest automakers in the world, and largest in America, and therefore is more responsible for the pollution choking all of our lungs than almost anyone else.
GM’s current complacency on EVs is not only not good enough, but it is actively bad, because a vast majority of the company’s sales are of polluting vehicles. Every gas vehicle GM sells this year will continue to pollute the air for a decade or more, exacerbating climate change and causing political and social instability.
If GM was leading the charge for EVs, if it was above the average instead of below it, if it was making more high-volume EVs after years of promises and getting them into customers hands in volume, then our words would not be as harsh. We’re sure that many GM employees are trying – but the numbers show that it is clear the company as a whole is not trying hard enough. 3% is pathetic. At least be average, GM.
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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 a big Tesla Robotaxi setback, the new Mercedes-Benz CLA EV, Bollinger is over, and more.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Climate XChange, a nonpartisan nonprofit working to help states pass effective, equitable climate policies. Sales end on Dec. 8th for its 10th annual EV raffle, where participants have multiple opportunities to win their dream model. Visit CarbonRaffle.org/Electrek to learn more.
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.
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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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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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Segway’s feature-packed E3 Pro electric scooter with Apple Find My hits new $500 Black Friday low (Save $200)
Segway’s Black Friday Sale is in full gear and currently seeing hundreds in savings and plenty of returning and new low prices on its e-scooters and e-bikes. One such standout is Segway’s latest E3 Pro Electric Scooter down at $499.99 shipped, and which seems to have disappeared from Amazon’s marketplace. Carrying a $700 MSRP since launching back at the top of October, we’ve only seen this model given $100 price cuts in its launch deal and the brand’s Halloween and early Black Friday sales. Now, with things having ramped up with increased savings now that Black Friday is in full swing, you can score a larger-than-ever $200 markdown to a new all-time low price, giving you an advanced upgrade to your commute that I have been loving so far since getting one a short time ago.
I’ve been riding around Brooklyn for a short time now with my own Segway E3 Pro Electric Scooter and have been loving my experience so far, as it’s a MAJOR step up from the very basic E22 model I’ve had for short travels since 2020. While power has been significantly ramped up from its E2 Pro predecessor, this new generation still retains a fairly lightweight 40-pound design, which I am able (as a not-so-strong person) to carry easily with one hand/arm up and down my second-story stoop.
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Segway’s E3 Pro comes bearing a 400W motor (with 800W peaking) alongside a 368Wh battery, the combination of which delivers up to 34 miles of commuting support for your travels at up to 20 MPH speeds. The regenerative brake paired with the brand’s SegRange Optimization tech really lends towards the extended travel times here, with safety taken into mind with the SegRide stability enhancement tech, the latest traction control system, turn signaling, RGB ambient lighting for nighttime journeys, and a bright headlight. What’s more, security is bolstered by the Apple Find My inclusion for those worried about tracking it down should theft (or forgetfulness) occur.
One thing I have really been enjoying, especially when riding over more pot-hole lined streets, is Segway’s E3 Pro’s dual elastomer suspension, which does a great job of smoothing out overall rides, while providing added cushioning when sudden, jolting sections of the road (or debris/trash) are driven over. Along with all those, there are also additional features, including the previously mentioned rear electronic regen brake getting a companion front drum brake, as well as 10-inch self-sealing jelly tires, an IPX5 water-resistant build, a 265-pound total payload, and a 3-inch full-color LED screen for setting adjustments.
Score up to 47% Black Friday savings on NIU EVs, like the 2025 KQi 200F e-scooter at its $529 low (Reg. $799), more from $279
NIU’s Black Friday EV Sale is in full motion now, taking up to 47% off its lineup of e-scooters and e-bikes, like the KQi 200F Foldable Handlebar Electric Scooter for $529 shipped, which you can currently only find in a used condition at Amazon. This is one of the brand’s newer 2025 models that fetches $799 at full price, which dipped down to this rate for the first time earlier in the month before these Black Friday savings. Now, you’re getting another shot at this all-time low price with $270 savings, giving you a solid commuter that sits among the mid-range models from NIU.
The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.
Tesla’s much-awaited entry into the Indian market has resulted in very slow sales to start, but it may not all be bad.
We’ve covered the years-long effort of Tesla to enter the Indian auto market. There have been a lot of intentions and fits and starts, but due to protectionist schemes in the country it never made a lot of sense for Tesla to enter.
That changed this year in March, when India waived EV import duties, allowing foreign firms to bring their cars in for sale. While India does have some strong local brands in Mahindra and Tata, this opened the gates to Chinese, German, Korean and American brands – namely, Tesla.
So far, other American companies have declined to bring their EVs to India, but Tesla opened its first showroom in Mumbai, India’s most populous city and financial capital, in July of this year. It opened a larger “Tesla Center” showroom in Gurugram, outside Delhi, this week.
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So, Tesla is only getting started in India, but by all measures it has been an exceedingly slow start, according to the BBC.
Dealership data shows that Tesla has only sold “just over” 100 cars in India since July, an exceedingly low number by any measure – especially when considering the India is now the most populous country in the world, with a population of just under 1.5 billion.
The numbers look a little less bad when comparing against EV sales in the country. While India has sold an impressive 2 million electric vehicles this year, the vast majority of them have been electric scooters.
Electric passenger cars are a much lower share at around 160k total unit sales this year so far, making up only around 3% of the passenger car market. And the majority of those are lower-cost domestic brands Mahindra and Tata or a growing section of Chinese challengers, with very few sales from overseas luxury brands.
Tesla could be included in that “luxury brand” list, largely due to the price of its imported vehicles. While the Model Y starts at $40k in the US, that price rises to 5,989,000 Rupees in India (~$67k USD). This is simply an unaffordable price for the vast majority of Indians – indeed, only around 1% of India’s auto sales are in the “luxury” category.
Further, EV infrastructure is not very well developed in the country. Tesla has one Supercharger in India, and two listed as “coming soon” in the Gurugram area. There are thousands of other charging points across India (and of course, drivers can charge overnight at home), but the number is still relatively low compared to the country’s population.
Meanwhile, other brands’ EV sales are growing well in India. The auto market as a whole has grown by about 13% this year in the developing country, but EV car sales have grown by 57% in the same period, rapidly outpacing the auto industry as a whole.
Much of that sales growth has been driven by Chinese EVs, which make up around a third of the market. That’s around ~60k Chinese EVs sold this year in India.
Even luxury German EVs from Mercedes, BMW and Audi have sold around 4,000 units so far this year, not a large number, but certainly dwarfing Tesla’s.
So while it’s tempting to look at Tesla’s poor numbers and make excuses about the size of the EV market, ability of Indians to afford luxury vehicles, or state of India’s charging network, it’s hard to compare that low ~100 sales number at any of the competition and label it as anything other than an extremely poor showing.
But, you do have to start somewhere, and the company is only a few months in. So we’ll have to see where it goes from here – though with the sales we’ve seen so far in Mumbai, entering the Delhi market is unlikely to forestall Tesla’s current global sales decline.
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