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Tesla Model Y

The Tesla Model Y was dethroned as the world’s best selling car last year, according to data from JATO dynamics. It was beaten by the Toyota RAV4, by a margin of just 0.16%.

Since Q1 2023, the Tesla Model Y had held the crown as the best-selling car in the world. It was the first EV to do so, quite an accomplishment for a vehicle company that didn’t exist two decades prior.

The win had actually been a fulfillment of a prediction by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who said when the Model Y was introduced that he thought it had the potential to take the crown. Unlike many of Musk’s other predictions, this one came true.

The Model Y retained the crown of best-selling car for the full year of 2023, and continued to sell well starting in 2024. It looked like it might retain the crown for the full year of sales.

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But then, things started to change… Musk decided to get involved in politics and became the largest source of bribes to anti-EV forces in the world. Musk gave hundreds of millions of dollars to try to destroy the American EV market, something that the party he donated to is trying to follow through with today in Congress.

Unsurprisingly, getting himself involved in anti-EV politics was not helpful for sales of the EV that the EV company he is the titular CEO of sells.

As the year drew on, consumers were turned off of Tesla, not only in the US but in other countries around the world which disliked Musk’s attempts to meddle in their own domestic politics (by, for example, showing support for German neo-Nazis, or his many other white supremacist statements).

This resulted in sales troubles for Tesla, which started in the middle of last year, when Tesla saw its first consecutive down quarters in deliveries that it had ever seen since the company got off the ground.

Now, given the new data compiled by Felipe Munoz of JATO dynamics, we know that the brand damage done by Musk was enough to knock Model Y off the top step – though by an exceedingly small margin.

The Toyota RAV4 managed to beat the Tesla Model Y by less than 3,000 units globally, which is around one tenth of one percent of the total sales of the two models. So, these models were essentially tied. The RAV4 gained sales and the Model Y lost sales over the full year.

Notably, Tesla also had another model, the Model 3, in the top-ten cars in the world. It retained its 9th-place spot, and sales increased by 10% in 2024. The BYD Qin rounded out the top 10, leaving 3 plug-in models among the 10 best-selling cars in the world.

The competition came at a weird time, for both the RAV4 and Model Y. The RAV4 was nearing the end of its current generation, needing a refresh which was announced in May for the 2026 model year. Among other things, that refresh kills off the ICE-only version of the RAV4, leaving only hybrid and plug-in hybrid models (though, as usual, Toyota is being deceptive in its marketing about what that means).

However, despite that upcoming refresh, the RAV4 still saw its best sales in its current generation, which is a rare feat.

The Model Y also had an upcoming refresh, which was perhaps more anticipated, and also expected/announced sooner. The refresh was officially announced on January 9, just a few days after the full year of sales ended, but we had seen plenty of leaks and information prior (including the refresh of the Model 3).

This upcoming refresh, and all the information about it, likely did help to depress sales from individuals who wanted to wait until the refresh came through.

So both models were late in their life, which means their places as #1 and #2 on the global sales charts were all the more impressive – but also, given the balance of how “expected” each refresh was, and how big of a refresh might have been expected, we think perhaps the Model Y’s sales were affected more by this than the RAV4’s, adding a potential asterisk to the change in title due to changeovers… but it’s still a bit of a stretch.

So, if 2025 were a normal year, we might expect another close fight, with both vehicles working through new order lists of their refreshed models.

But, if you haven’t been paying attention to the news (how? please tell me, I’d like to join you), 2025 is not turning out to be a normal year.

Musk has continued his politicking, which included starting the year off by making two unambiguous Nazi salutes in front of a world audience. He has since gone on to agree with a defense of Hitler’s actions in the Holocaust. His actions have driven protests against the company, embarrassed owners and pushed many customers away – and despite a very public breakup with the anti-EV forces he had previously allied himself with, the protesters he inspired aren’t planning on stopping.

As a result, Tesla sales have continued to crater this year. They’re dropping in almost every territory, and Tesla just confirmed its poor Q2 sales numbers, down significantly from the previous year. Tesla doesn’t break out individual model sales, but given the Model Y is its best-seller, we’re sure they’re down quite a bit.

So, while a fight might have still been possible in 2025, it seems unlikely at this point that Tesla can come back from the brand damage done to it by its titular CEO. Congratulations Model Y on your almost two years at the top, and for breaking this glass ceiling for EVs everywhere – and BYD/Xiaomi/Xpeng, we’ll be waiting to see you up there soon enough.

Another effect of Musk’s politicking is that republicans just voted to kill the rooftop solar credit. That means you could have only until the end of this year to install rooftop solar on your home, before republicans raise the cost of doing so by an average of ~$10,000. So if you want to go solar, get started now, because these things take time and the system needs to be active before you file for the credit.

To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here. – ad*

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ECOVACS Goat RTK robot mowers start from $850 low, Rad Power RadWagon 4 cargo e-bike $1,499, EcoFlow solar bundle flash sale, more

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July 30, 2025

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ECOVACS Goat RTK robot mowers start from 0 low, Rad Power RadWagon 4 cargo e-bike ,499, EcoFlow solar bundle flash sale, more

This week’s hump day Green Deals start off with the ECOVACS Goat O1000 RTK Robot Lawn Mower returning to its $850 low for the third time ever, while its upgraded A2500 model is down at its second-lowest price too. From there, we have a spotlight on Rad Power’s popular RadWagon 4 Cargo e-bike at $1,499 while the brand’s Back to School Sale continues through to next week, as well as EcoFlow’s final 24-hour July Monthly Madness flash sale that is taking up to 55% off DELTA 2 Max and DELTA 3 Pro solar generator bundles starting from $1,349, while also offering an increased EcoCredits purchase option. We also have a returning low on the 80V Pro-grade Greenworks 18-inch chainsaw, a one-day-only discount on Anker’s SOLIX C300X DC power station with a book-sized 60W folding panel, and more waiting for you below. Plus, all the hangover savings at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Navee ST3 Pro electric scooter savings, Aiper’s HydroComm pool monitor hitting its lowest price for the second time, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Save up to 35% on ECOVACS’ Goat RTK robot lawn mowers with fisheye cameras starting from an $850 low

Amazon is offering the ECOVACS Goat O1000 RTK Robot Lawn Mower for $849.99 shipped, which beats out the brand’s direct website pricing by $50. This newer lawn care solution has only been on the market for five months and normally goes for $1,000 at full price, with discounts having mostly taken the price down to $900, aside from the two recent falls to the $850 low in May and June, while getting skipped over during Prime Day sales. This is the third time that we’ve seen this all-time low price appear with $150 cut from the tag price, and you’ll also find its upgraded counterpart benefitting from a discount below.

The ECOVACS Goat O1000 robot mower is the base model of the series designed to handle up to 1/4 of an acre of land on each full charge, with it able to stop, charge, and return to its duties for larger yards. Forget having to deal with laying boundary wires here, as it’s been given RTK navigation that provides more accurate location tracking on top of efficient route planning, with bolstered support from the LiDAR (3D-ToF) and fisheye camera that can take over steering when it enters heavily shaded or tree-lined areas that the satellites can’t see into. There’s also AIVI 3D obstacle avoidance tech, with the added bonus that it can also identify small animals alongside everyday inanimate objects around your yard – whether in the sun or in the dark.

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ECOVACS’ Goat robot mowers can fit into tighter spaces between fences and the like that a normal mower may struggle or fail to tackle well, thanks to the compact and narrow design of its body, with it even given an IPX6 waterproof construction should it need to tough out sudden weather changes as it works. There’s plenty of remote smart controls available via its companion app, giving you the means to adjust settings, monitor its real-time performance, and edit the 3D maps it creates.

There’s also the more advanced ECOVACS Goat A2500 RTK Robot Lawn Mower down at its second-lowest price of $1,299.99 shipped right now, down from its $2,000 price tag. This model comes with a 32V motor and dual-blade discs, with a 5Ah battery that allows it to cover up to 5,382 square feet of mowing on a single charge, which it can be ready to pick back up on after only 45 minutes of charging at its station. It brings much of the same smart capabilities for its navigation and obstacle avoidance as the above model, with the added bonus of responding to voice commands via Alexa or Google Assistant too.

woman riding Rad Power RadWagon 4 cargo e-bike with two children

As part of its ongoing Back to School Sale running through August 6, Rad Power Bikes is offering its RadWagon 4 Cargo e-bike at $1,499 shipped, alongside the ongoing low RadExpand 5 pricing and the new RadRunner e-bike bundles. This popular model fetches $1,799 at full price, which we’ve only seen dropped down to $1,599 over the last year, with more frequent returns to $1,499 in 2025 or otherwise given some bundled accessory packages. This is the lowest price we have tracked in the last two years, beaten out by the $1,399 post-launch low from 2023 and the all-time $1,299 preorder low from its launch years before.

If you want to learn more about this model, be sure to check out our original coverage of this e-bike here, while you can also browse the entire Rad Power Back to School Sale lineup here.

man aiming solar panel towards sun on leafy ground while plugged into EcoFlow DELTA 2 max portable power station

EcoFlow’s final July Monthly Madness flash sale takes up to 55% off DELTA 2 Max and DELTA Pro 3 bundles starting from $1,349

As part of the final days of its July Monthly Madness Sale running through July 31, EcoFlow has launched the last of this sale’s scheduled 24-hour flash sales through tomorrow at 9 a.m. PDT / 12 p.m. EST with up to 55% discounts on two solar generator bundles and an increased EcoCredits one-time purchase promotion. The most budget-friendly of the two bundles gives you the DELTA 2 Max Portable Power Station with a 400W solar panel at $1,349 shipped, and that price matches at Amazon too. This bundle would normally cost you $2,298 at full price, with discounts having mostly kept costs between $1,399 and $1,599 over the year, though we have seen it go as low as $1,279 during Prime Day. You’re looking at a 55% markdown here for the next 24 hours that saves you $949 at the third-lowest price we have tracked. Head below to learn more about this unit and the other offers during this sale.

If you want to learn more about this power station or the other offers during this 24-hour flash sale, be sure to check out our original coverage of these deals here.

man cutting log with Greenworks 80V 18-inch cordless chainsaw

Cover storm cleanup, firewood, more with Greenworks’ Pro 80V 18-inch cordless chainsaw at $199 low

Amazon is offering the Greenworks Pro 80V 18-inch Brushless Cordless Chainsaw with 2.0Ah battery at $199 shipped, while it’s priced at $229 directly from the brand’s website. It carries a $350 MSRP direct from Greenworks, but we have been seeing it more often at $299 at Amazon, with discounts mostly keeping things at $229 on average, with two previous falls to the $199 low, most recently during Prime Day three weeks ago. You’re looking at the best price we have tracked on this pro-grade model, giving you significant power for sawing needs with $100 cut from the tag (and $151 off the MSRP).

If you want to learn more about this pro-tier tool, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here.

man and woman camping during the day and night with Anker's SOLIX C300X portable power station solar bundle

Carry Anker’s SOLIX C300X DC power station with a book-sized 60W folding solar panel at $237 (Today only)

As part of its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is now offering the Anker SOLIX C300X DC Portable Power Station bundled with a 60W foldable solar panel for $236.99 shipped. While this model starts for $330 at full price here, it carries a lower $300 tag directly from the brand’s website, where it’s currently sitting untouched by discounts, while Amazon’s matching grey colorway is priced $23 higher. For most of 2025, while there have been price cuts, they generally hit $250, though it did drop a tad lower to $230 during Prime Day, as well as $220 in February, with everything beaten out by the $190 Black Friday low. For the rest of the day, you can pick up this solar generator bundle with $63 off the going rate ($93 off the Best Buy tag) at the third-lowest price of the year and fourth-best overall.

If you want to learn more about this compact solar generator bundle, be sure to check out our coverage of this one-day-only deal here.

Best Summer EV deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

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.

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Ford says it will build ‘breakthrough’ EVs in the US

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2 hours ago

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July 30, 2025

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Ford says it will build 'breakthrough' EVs in the US

Ford-Q2-2025-earnings

Ford (F) reported Q2 2025 earnings on Wednesday, beating top and bottom line expectations. Despite the revenue growth, Ford is warning profits will take a hit thanks to Trump’s tariffs. We will also learn about Ford’s plans to build “breakthrough” EVs in the US very soon.

Ford Q2 2025 earnings preview

After suspending full-year guidance in May, Ford warned that it expected to take a $2.5 billion hit from Trump’s auto tariffs.

Given that Ford builds more vehicles in the US than any major automaker, outside of Tesla, it’s expected to see less of an impact from the 25% tariff on imports.

Ford imports just about 21% of the vehicles it sells in the US. In comparison, crosstown rival GM imports around 46%. GM announced last week that the tariffs cost it an extra $1.1 billion in the second quarter. For the full year, GM still expects a $4 billion to $5 billion impact.

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Unlike GM, Ford breaks down earnings into three units, including Model e, its electric vehicle business. Ford’s Model e posted a nearly $1 billion loss in the first quarter, but new EVs rolling out in Europe boosted revenue.

Although Ford’s vehicle sales rose 14% to over 612,000 in Q2, EV sales dropped 31% to just 16,438. Ford spokesperson Martin Gunsberg told Electrek that both the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning were impacted by the changeover to the 2025 model year and the Mach-E recall.

Ford-Q2-2025-earnings
Ford Mustang Mach-E (left) and F-150 Lightning (right) (Source: Ford)

According to Estimize, Wall Street expects Ford to post second-quarter EPS of $0.33 on revenue of $43.75 billion.

Improving costs and more EV news to come

Ford beat earnings estimates posting second quarter revenue a record $50.02 billion in revenue, up 5% YOY and an adjusted EPS of $0.37.

  • Ford Q2 2025 Revenue: $50.02 billion vs $43.75 billion expected
  • Ford Q2 2025 adjusted EPS: $0.37 vs $0.33 expected

Despite the higher revenue, Ford posted a $36 million net loss, which was due to a “field service action and expenses related to a previously announced cancellation of an electric vehicle program.” It also incurred an $800 million loss due to tariffs in the quarter.

Ford Pro continues to drive both top and bottom-line growth with high-margin revenue streams from software and services.

Its Model e EV business, on the other hand, lost another $1.3 billion in the second quarter. Through the first half of the year, Model e has now lost $2.2 billion.

Ford-Q2-2025-Earnings
Ford Model e Q2 2025 earnings (Source: Ford)

Ford attributed the higher losses to tariff-related costs and investments in launching its new EV battery plant in Michigan.

After launching new EVs in Europe, like the Capri and electric Explorer, Model e’s revenue doubled to $2.4 billion. Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning material costs also improved in the quarter.

Ford-EVs-Europe
Ford’s electric vehicles in Europe from left to right: Puma Gen-E, Explorer, Capri, and Mustang Mach-E (Source: Ford)

Ford now expects full-year adjusted EBIT of $6.5 billion to $7.5 billion, including a $2 billion hit from tariffs. That’s down from the $7 billion to $8.5 billion it previously forecasted.

The company will partially offset a $3 billion gross adjusted EBIT impact, partially offset by $1 billion in recovery actions.

CEO Jim Farley announced an event on August 11 in Kentucky, where Ford will share more details about its “plans to design and build breakthrough electric vehicles in America.”

Check back for more info from Ford’s Q2 2025 earnings call. We will keep you updated with the latest.

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Tesla is about to lose the $7,500 EV tax credit – again – and this time the cliff is a lot steeper

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2 hours ago

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July 30, 2025

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Tesla is about to lose the ,500 EV tax credit – again – and this time the cliff is a lot steeper

Tesla family hero

Tesla is about to tumble off a familiar policy cliff. The $7,500 federal tax credit that juiced demand for electric vehicles in the US, Tesla’s last large, healthy market, after September 30, 2025. Tesla has been here before, but the ground underneath the company looks very different today.

Let’s dig into what happened last time, what’s changing now, and why Elon Musk is already warning shareholders of “tough quarters ahead.”

We have been here before. Tesla lost access to parts of the federal tax credit for electric vehicles in 2019 and lost it fully by 2020.

Flashback: the 2019 credit phase‑out was painful—but survivable

  • Trigger: Tesla crossed 200,000 cumulative US deliveries in July 2018, starting a timer that halved the credit to $3,750 on Jan 1, 2019, and again to $1,875 on Jul 1, 2019, before it went to zero on Jan 1, 2020.
  • Tesla’s playbook: On Jan 2, 2019 the company shaved $2,000 off the sticker of every Model S, X, and 3 to “partially absorb” the lost incentive.
  • Demand whiplash: The price cut wasn’t enough to avoid a huge pull‑forward. Deliveries spiked in Q4 2018, then fell 31 % QoQ in Q1 2019.
  • Fast recovery: Thanks to Model Y’s arrival and virtually zero credible EV competitors, Tesla ended 2019 with 367,500 global deliveries (‑US dip only 1 %) and roared back to 499,550 in 2020.

Last time, the phase-out was gradual, enabling Tesla to fill the hole with price cuts.

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Most importantly, the phase-out period coincided with the launch of Model Y, which never had full access to the federal tax credit, allowing Tesla to grow in the US without it.

The 2025 sunset hits everyone, but it hurts Tesla most

The situation in 2025 is vastly different. Firstly, the EV market has undergone significant changes in the US. Tesla is still the biggest brand, but it’s nowhere near where it was 5 years ago:

2020 cliff 2025 cliff
Who lost the credit? Only Tesla and GM Every OEM, but Tesla sells the most EVs
Competitive field < 15 mainstream EVs on sale > 60 credit‑eligible models in showrooms
Tesla US share ~75 % of EVs 46 % in Q1 2025 and sliding
Gross margin cushion ~22 % automotive ~17 % in Q1 2025 after a year of price cuts

Furthermore, the impact of the tax credit was greater in the latest version. The Biden administration reinstated Tesla’s access to the $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicles in 2022 through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

However, it became even more attractive in 2024 when the government made it a “point-of-sale” incentive, which was applied directly to the vehicle’s price rather than as a rebate on taxes.

Going from that to nothing is expected to have a greater impact on demand for electric vehicles in the US.

What can Tesla do this time?

As last time, Tesla is expected to cut prices to compensate for the tax credit’s expiration.

However, Tesla has slimmer gross margins than it did previously, and it is not expected to be able to cut prices enough to compensate for the $7,500 price difference.

In addition to cutting prices, Tesla is expected to launch a stripped-down version of the Model Y with fewer features, which should significantly reduce the base price of its most popular model.

It should help with demand and avoid a greater reduction in Tesla’s production line capacity in Fremont and Austin, but with less value than the current versions of the Model Y, it is expected to cannibalize the more expensive versions of the best-selling vehicle mostly.

Key Take‑away 2018‑20 Phase‑out September 30 2025 Sunset (forward‑looking)
Trigger Tesla hit 200 000 cumulative U.S. EV deliveries in July 2018; credit stepped to $0 on 1 Jan 2020. Statutory clean‑vehicle credit (up to $7 500 new / $4 000 used) ends for all manufacturers on 30 Sep 2025 under the IRA sunset clause.
Immediate demand reaction Pull‑forward surges before each step‑down (Q4 2018, Q2 2019) followed by soft Q1 2019 deliveries (‑31 % QoQ). Dealers already advertising “buy before it’s gone,” and analysts expect a Q3 2025 bump.
Volume impact in the first full no‑credit year Tesla U.S. sales dipped only 1 % in 2019 and re‑accelerated +50 % in 2020 despite $0 credit, helped by Model Y launch and limited competition. Competitive landscape is radically different—Tesla’s U.S. EV share has slipped from 62 % in 2022 to 46 % in Q1 2025. Demand is more price‑sensitive.
Profit levers used $2 000–$3 000 price cuts, feature unbundling, and manufacturing scale offset lost credit. To replicate prior success Tesla would need deeper price moves or zero‑interest financing, pressuring gross margin already down ~650 bps YoY by Q1 2025.
Strategic cushion First‑mover advantage; few high‑volume rivals. 60+ eligible models from 17 brands compete in sub‑$60 k bracket; used‑EV market growing; interest‑rate environment still elevated.

Electrek’s Take

Shareholders should brace for the worst here. I know many of them have been holding on to the fact that Tesla did quite well after the removal of the tax credit last time, but as explained above, this time is entirely different.

The US has been Tesla’s only somewhat healthy market amongst the large automotive markets (US, Europe, and China). That’s because it is an uncompetitive market when it comes to electric vehicles.

Foreign EVs are not eligible for the tax credit, and Chinese EVs are subject to a 100% tariff.

The result is that Tesla was able to maintain a 45% (but declining) market share in the US EV market, compared to just 9% in Europe and 4% in China.

Now, demand for electric vehicles in the US is expected to crash.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk knows that he has warned that the automaker might face some “tough quarters” in “Q4 2025, and Q1 and Q2 2026.” After that, he expects Tesla to do well thanks to autonomous driving, but he has been consistently wrong about that for years.

I think the crash in demand will be accentuated in Q4 due to demand being pulled forward in Q3, which is likely to be Tesla’s last good quarter for a long time.

We are about to see Tesla’s sales decline, most likely sharply, in the US, while they have already crashed in Europe and are experiencing a decline in China due to intense competition.

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