247,226 EVs were sold in the second quarter of 2026, and that rise from the first quarter came even as the U.S. Cars For Sale market for battery-powered models stayed 20.5% below a year earlier. Cox Automotive’s data points to a market that is healing, but only after a sharp reset that has kept sellers focused on price, range and everyday usability.
Kelley Blue Book's 247,226 EVs
247,226 EVs in Q2 marked a 14.7% increase from the revised first-quarter total, but the same period in 2025 was still larger by 20.5%. That puts the market on a slower path than the record 10.6% share reached in the third quarter of 2025, even though second-quarter EV sales accounted for about 5.8% of all new-vehicle volume.
5.8% is a better number than the first quarter delivered, because the share was essentially unchanged rather than falling again. But it is still far from the peak, and that gap tells buyers and sellers the market has not returned to the pace set before the correction that hit in late 2025.
Tesla, Chevrolet, Hyundai
Roughly half of all EV sales in the United States still came from Tesla, which posted first-half 2026 sales that were off more than 10%. Model Y and the Model 3 continued to drive that volume, while Chevrolet ranked second, Hyundai ranked behind Chevrolet, and Cadillac ranked behind Hyundai in U.S. EV sales.
Toyota and Subaru both doubled their EV volume year over year, and Toyota now ranks among the top five EV sellers in the U.S. That mix shows the recovery is no longer just a one-brand story: the market’s rebound is being helped by broader entries, even as the leading name still carries the largest share of the load.
Stephanie Valdez Streaty on EV growth
9% is the forecast for hybrid sales, and 2.2% is the expected decline in the broader U.S. new-vehicle market. Elevated gas prices continue to support demand for fuel-efficient vehicles, and automakers are expanding hybrid offerings across more product lines, with some nameplates now available exclusively as hybrids.
"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." Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of Industry Insights at Cox Automotive, said that as EV sales improved sequentially in Q2, they were still down 20.5% from a year earlier and remained well below the 10.6% share peak reached in the third quarter of 2025. For buyers, that leaves the near-term choice centered on value and daily use, not just range or badge.
