US EV sales up in 1Q, Tesla tumbles

Market: Battery materials, Metals
14/04/25

US electric vehicles sales in the first quarter rose despite a considerable decline from market-leader Tesla.

US sales of new electric vehicles (EVs) totalled nearly 300,000 in the first quarter of 2025, an11.4pc increase over the year, according to data from Kelley Blue Book. In total, EV sales accounted for 7.5pc of all car sales in the country, up from 7pc a year earlier.

Tesla maintained its position as the top seller, accounting for 128,100 units or 43.5pc of all EVs sold in the first quarter. This is 8.6pc lower than in the same period last year due to an aging line of models, fiercer competition and chief executive Elon Musk's public profile.

General Motors, which includes the Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC brands, and the Hyundai Group, which includes Hyundai, Kia and Genesis, closed out the top three at 31,886 and 22,995 units each, respectively.

Volvo and Subaru saw their sales grow by the most over the year at 173pc each, followed Toyota Motors at 102pc and GM with a 94pc growth year-over-year. Sales for Mercedes-Benz declined by the most at 58pc, followed by Rivian with 37pc and Hyundai's subsidiary, Kia, at 27pc, — although Kia still sold the ninth-most EVs in the period.

Honda and its subsidiary, Acura, and Stellantis brands Jeep and Dodge, debuted in the US EV market in January, with the Japanese brands already establishing themselves well into the top 10, with over 14,000 EV units sold.

Sales forecasts for the next quarters are "murky at best" because of President Donald Trump's 25pc auto tariffs and an escalating trade war with China, according to Cox Automotive. Tariffs for Chinese lithium battery packs are currently set at 173pc, which hurts the supply chain for several carmarkers.

The Hyundai Group is one EV maker that could see an increase in sales and market share, since the company is also building an EV battery cell production facility in the US, helping it in part to work around Trump's auto and "reciprocal" tariffs.

Serving Kia, Genesis and Hyundai itself, the plant, located in Bartow County, Georgia,is slated to begin production later this year and will support the production of 300,000 EVs/yr. In late March, the group also opened an EV assembly factory in Georgia with a 500,000-unit yearly production capacity, encompassing both hybrid and electric vehicles and currently making Hyundai's Ioniqs 5 and 9.

Ford, Stellantis and the Toyota and Honda Groups will also open battery-making plants in the US this year and could also have a less tariff-exposed US operation.

By Pedro Consoli

US electric vehicle (EV) sales				units
Brand	1Q 2025	1Q 2024	±	openin
Tesla	128,100	140,187	-12,087	-8.6
General Motors (Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC)	31,886	16,425	15,461	94.1
Hyundai Group (Hyundai, Kia, Genesis)	22,995	24,611	-1,616	-6.6
Ford	22,550	20,223	2,327	11.5
Volkswagen Group (VW, Porsche, Audi)	19,827	13,128	6,699	51.0
Honda Motors (Honda, Acura)	14,374	0	14,374	na
BMW Group (BMW, Mini)	14,234	11,536	2,698	23.4
Rivian	8,553	13,588	-5,035	-37.1
Toyota Motor (Toyota, Lexus)	7,063	3,500	3,563	101.8
Nissan	6,471	5,284	1,187	22.5
Additional unspecified EV models	5,930	6,764	-834	-12.3
Stellantis (Dodge, Jeep)	4,542	0	4,542	na
Mercedes-Benz	3,472	8,336	-4,864	-58.3
Subaru	3,131	1,147	1,984	173.0
Volvo	2,718	996	1,722	172.9
Jaguar	381	256	125	48.8
Total	296,227	265,981	30,246	11.4
Source: Kelley Blue Book

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