Battery-electric vehicle (BEV) sales in the United States rose sharply in the second quarter of 2026, reaching their highest level since the nationwide EV purchase incentive expired last year, according to Cox Automotive.
A total of 247,226 BEVs were sold between April and June, up 14.2% from the first quarter. However, sales remained 20.5% lower than the same period in 2025.
Tesla Leads as Market Recovers
Tesla remained the dominant player, delivering 124,800 vehicles during the quarter, more than half of all BEVs sold in the country. The Model Y was the best-selling EV with 84,863 deliveries, followed by the Model 3 with 34,944 units.
Other top-selling models included the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Toyota bZ4X and Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Toyota posted one of the strongest growth rates, selling 11,826 electric vehicles in the quarter, a 225% increase from a year earlier, driven by its expanded lineup that includes the bZ4X, C-HR and bZ Woodland.
Market Adjusts After Incentive Expiry
Cox Automotive said the market is gradually stabilizing following the expiration of the federal EV purchase incentive in September 2025. The firm cited new model launches, state-level incentive programs and continued consumer interest as factors supporting the recovery.
Despite the quarterly improvement, sales remain well below the record 437,487 BEVs sold in the final quarter before the incentive ended, when many consumers accelerated purchases ahead of the policy change.
While the U.S. market increasingly relies on market demand and state incentives, BloombergNEF expects global EV sales to reach another record in 2026 but forecasts U.S. sales will decline 19% from the previous year.