Ford And GM Are Crushing Tesla And Rivian At Electric Trucks
Electric vehicle sales in the U.S. hit a record level during the third quarter, but don’t expect it to last.
Car shoppers were rushing to get in before the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs expired on Sept. 30, so many sales were pulled forward to make the deadline.
Most automakers are expecting a big drop in the fourth quarter, but the Q3 sales do draw a picture about what’s popular in the market. A total of 437,487 plug-in vehicles were delivered, which was up 30% from the same period in 2024.
The Tesla Model Y remained far and away the bestseller with 114,897 deliveries, according to Cox Automotive. It was followed by the Tesla Model 3 at 53,857, the Chevrolet Equinox EV at 25,085, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 at 21,999, the Honda Prologue at 20,236 and the Ford Mustang Mach-E at 20,177.
No other model sold more than 20,000 units and Tesla dominates the market with a 41% share. That’s the big picture, however. Things are very different in the pickup segment where Tesla competes with the controversial Cybertruck.
Here’s how the electrics trucks did from July to Sept:
1. FORD F-150 LIGHTNING: 10,005
The F-150 Lightning has never come close to the 150,000 annual sales that Ford originally planned for, but the 10,005 it delivered in Q3 made it the best selling EV pickup.
Read Also: FORD IS SLASHING F-150 LIGHTNING PRICES BY UP TO $4,000
2. CHEVROLET SILVERADO EV AND GMC SIERRA EV: 7,314
The Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV are uniquely styled, but mechanically identical. Chevy sold 3,941 and GMC sold 3,374 for a combined 7,314 trucks.
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3. TESLA CYBERTRUCK: 5,385
Cybertruck sales plummeted in the quarter from 14,416 last year to 5,385, despite the credit rush. Tesla delivered 16,097 from January through September, which puts it second to the F-150 Lightning’s 23,034 tally and just ahead of the GM siblings’ 15,526.
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4. RIVIAN R1T: 2,378
The Rivian R1T is smaller than its electric pickup competitors and so are its sales. Rivian delivered 2,378 in Q3 while the R1S SUV built on the same platform hauled in 8,184 customers.
Read Also: THE RIVIAN R1S HAS A BUILT-IN TRAFFIC COP
GMC Hummer EV: ?
GMC delivered 5,246 Hummer EVs in Q3, but didn’t say what the split was between pickups and SUVs and neither did Cox Automotive. It’s possible that the pickup outsold the R1T, but likely not by much.