US Electric Vehicle Sales Rise Year-Over-Year in March, Defying Tariff Uncertainty
You may be surprised at the percentage of shoppers that are “very likely” to purchase an EV during the next 12 months.
This probably cannot continue, but it's interesting that the trend has lasted this long. Americans are perhaps finally coming to understand what they actually need.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
EV sales are growing on national and global scales
A J.D. Power report has revealed that the overall electric vehicle (EV) market share percentage rose to 9.3% in March 2025 compared to 8.4% during March 2024. While consumers are facing new and used car price increases stemming from President Trump’s tariffs on auto imports, 23% of shoppers looking for a new vehicle are “very likely” to consider purchasing or leasing an EV in the next 12 months, matching February’s percentage and up from 22.5% in March 2024. While Tesla’s brand popularity has decreased as of late, the automaker was the study’s most-considered EV brand among shoppers in front of Chevrolet , Ford , and Toyota . The highest number of drivers contemplating an EV purchase earn more than $100,000 annually and live in Western and Northeastern states.
US states like Illinois have seen an especially significant jump in EV sales spurred by incentives. Illinois residents registered 9,821 EVs in January through March compared to 6,535 EVs during the same period last year, Electrek reports. ComEd, Illinois’ largest utility company, is partially responsible for this registration growth with its new $90 million EV incentive program providing qualifying business and public sector customers with discounts, including $20,000-30,000 in utility rebates. Following an 18% decline during Q4 in 2024, new EVs are estimated to have experienced a 12% overall increase in sales year-over-year during Q1 2025, according to Cox Automotive . Most automakers, except for Tesla , racked up promising Q1 EV sales numbers. General Motors (GM) recorded a 94% increase in EV sales, vastly outperforming the automaker’s 17% US sales growth across all categories, according to CleanTechnica .
SUVs lead the charge
Chevrolet’s Equinox EV and Blazer EV were driving forces behind GM’s 94% increase. Ford’s electric Mustang Mach-E sold a record high of 11,607 units during Q1, but Stellantis is playing catch-up, having just released their Jeep Wagoneer S and Dodge Charger Daytona EVs this year. Porsche set a US Q1 sales record with 18,884 delivered vehicles, with the third-most-popular model being the brand’s all-electric Taycan. The second best-selling Porsche in the US during Q1 was the 718, which is receiving a new EV version scheduled for release in 2027.
Experian Automotive notes that 292.3 million US cars and light-duty trucks were in operation in 2024—1.4% or 4,092,200 of which were electric. While 1.4% seems insignificant, the figure is a 2 million vehicle increase from 2022. Other countries like Germany are also experiencing EV growth. In March, electric cars held a 27.1% market share in Germany, representing an 18% year-over-year increase. Germany’s best-selling EV in March was the Volkswagen ID.7. In February, global all-electric vehicle registrations moved further beyond plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) with a 58% or 814,000 unit year-over-year growth rate. EVs represented 19% of global auto sales in February, with all-electric models holding a 13% share.
Final thoughts
Since Tesla experienced its worst sales decline in history during Q1 , legacy carmakers like Chevrolet are driving national EV growth with new models like the Equinox EV and Blazer EV. While this sales growth is incremental and not dramatic, recent data should convince companies like Chevrolet and Ford to continue on their EV paths and motivate brands like Dodge and Jeep to catch up. Incentives, which are subject to expiration or changes, will play a central role in whether EV adoption continues to grow. Still, ComEd’s decision to provide qualifying business and public sector customers with discounts shows that government incentives aren’t the only game in town.
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This is despite "entry level" EVs still being far too expensive.
Americans are losing interest in EVs. And it’s not just about Elon Musk.
Do you ever read your own links?
All this despite the left setting certain EV's on fire.