EVwire brief: An estimated 247,226 battery electric vehicles were sold in the United States during the second quarter of 2026, down 20.5% year over year but up 14.7% from the first quarter, suggesting the market may be stabilizing after several quarters of declining sales.
While Tesla continued to account for roughly half of all EV sales, competition across the rest of the market remained active. Chevrolet, Hyundai, Cadillac, Toyota and Rivian emerged as the largest EV brands behind the market leader, while several automakers posted notable year-over-year gains.
Toyota recorded one of the quarter's biggest gains, growing EV sales 225% year over year, while Subaru more than doubled its deliveries. Rivian and Cadillac also posted year-over-year growth as established automakers continued broadening their electric vehicle portfolios.
The latest quarterly EV Sales Report from Cox Automotive estimates total U.S. battery electric vehicle sales reached 247,226 units during Q2, down 20.5% from a year earlier. Even so, the report shows competition beyond Tesla continuing to evolve as more brands establish meaningful EV volume.
Toyota was one of the standouts of Q2 2026, growing its sales by 225% year over year.
Behind Tesla, the race among automakers remained close. Chevrolet led the field with 14,908 EV deliveries during the quarter, followed by Hyundai with 14,274, Cadillac with 12,216, Toyota with 11,826 and Rivian with 11,405. Ford, Kia and Subaru also remained among the market's largest EV brands.
The model rankings show the market becoming increasingly diverse. Hyundai's Ioniq 5 remained the best-selling non-Tesla EV in America, while Toyota placed the bZ in the top ten. Cadillac also secured two entries with the Optiq, highlighting how traditional automakers are expanding their presence in the EV market even as Tesla maintains a commanding overall lead.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 performed well in the second quarter, becoming the U.S.’s third best-selling electric car.
Details:
Top 10 best-selling EVs in the US, Q2 2026
Rank | Model | Q2 2026 Units |
|---|---|---|
1 | Tesla Model Y | 84,863 |
2 | Tesla Model 3 | 34,944 |
3 | Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 10,940 |
4 | Toyota bZ | 7,524 |
5 | Ford Mustang Mach-E | 7,032 |
6 | Chevrolet Equinox EV | 6,660 |
7 | Rivian R1S | 6,183 |
8 | Honda Prologue | 5,088 |
9 | Kia EV9 | 4,295 |
10 | Cadillac Optiq | 4,236 |
Rivian saw more than 11,000 deliveries in Q2 2026, though this number may increase as the R2 is ramped and delivered to customers.
Context:
While the EV market remains below the record levels seen before federal incentives expired, Cox Automotive believes the sector is beginning to stabilize as automakers expand their lineups and consumers continue embracing electrification. The firm noted that the next phase of EV growth will likely depend less on early adopters and more on delivering products that appeal to mainstream buyers.
As Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of Industry Insights at Cox Automotive, noted, "The next phase of EV growth will likely be driven not only by advances in the technology itself, but by how effectively automakers translate those advances into products that meet consumer expectations for affordability, utility, performance, and ownership experience."
Here’s Cox’s Q2 2026 EV sales report.
Source: Cox Automotive, Q2 2026 EV Sales Report
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