Tesla Model Y & 3 Still Top US EV Sales Despite Controversies (2025)

We don't need to tell you that Tesla's been getting some bad press lately. The Cybertruck has turned out to be such a disappointment for the brand, it's almost hard to believe that people were once paying $100 deposits just for the privilege of being added to a reservation list for the EV, and Elon Musk's brief political stint has proven to be... let's keep it polite and just say divisive.

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In light of all that, and increased competition in the EV segment, it may come as something of a surprise to learn that, with the first two sales quarters for 2025 in the books, Tesla remains America's favorite electric automaker. The Model Y retains the top spot, despite experiencing slower sales than this time last year, and the Model 3 actually saw an increase in sales, holding tight in second place. Here's how the numbers shake out...

America Still Loves The Tesla Model Y And The Tesla Model 3

Tesla

Now that the first half of 2025 is settled, here's what the top 10 sellers in the EV segment look like...

If you're wondering where Rivian places on the list, the brand sold 14,982 R1s in the US for the first half of 2025. If we wanted to count the R1S and the R1T as a single model, this would place the R1 right ahead of the F-150 Lightning and right behind the Honda Prologue, knocking the Nissan Ariya EV out of the top 10. Counting them separately, the R1T pickup has sold just 3,479 units, while the R1S SUV has sold 11,503 units.

The Tesla Cybertruck places just outside the top 10, with 10,712 units sold in total, which would rank it in 12th place, just behind the R1S.

Teslas Still Qualify For Full EV Credits

Tesla

Most EV incentives will be swept off the table at the end of September, like a coffee mug around a misbehaving cat. But, in the meantime, every version of the Model Y qualifies for the full $7,500 credit, and the same goes for the Model 3. That includes entry-level models, as well as the 510-horsepower Model 3 Performance, which comes in at well under the $80,000 cutoff, with a $54,990 price tag.

From the sidelines, it's easy to pick apart some of Tesla's more confusing business decisions, but even the brand's fiercest critics have to concede that Tesla has done a good job of staying ahead of ever-shifting EV credit guidelines. For instance, not only does Tesla use domestically produced batteries, even the brand's sound systems are created in-house, drawing on the experience of audio engineers hired from premium brands like Bang & Olufsen, and Harman-Kardon. This means we're getting European luxury sound from an American-made audio system, giving the federal government one less reason to pull the EV credits.

What Does The EV Marketplace Look Like In 2025?

Rivian

With very few exceptions, almost any mid-point EV sales number you want to look at in 2025 is going to be lower than the same number in 2024. For instance...

• Total EV sales are down an estimated 6.3% from last year's second quarter, at 310,839 units sold to 331,853 units sold a year ago.
• Tesla's Q2 sales in 2025 are down 12.6% from last year, at 143,535 units sold to 164,264 a year ago.
• Despite lower sales across the board for Tesla, the Model 3 actually saw a 14.3% sales boost from this time a year ago, up to 48,803 units sold in Q2 2025, compared to 42,710 units sold in Q2 2024.
• Porsche has seen the biggest increase in EV sales, thanks to the introduction of the all-electric Macan. Last year the brand sold 807 EVs in Q2, and this year that number is up to the tune of 251.1%, or 2,833 sales.
• The Porsche Taycan also saw a sales bump of 31.8%, having been solely responsible for all 807 of Porsche's EV sales in Q2 2024, compared to 1,064 Taycan sales in Q2 2025.

Tesla

These numbers could all look very different in another month. The news of EV credits expiring has created a sales spike, with buyers looking to make the most of the EV credit while they still can. What we're probably looking at in the short term is a record-setting Q3 across the whole segment, followed by a near-vertical plummet in sales right off the edge of the cliff in Q4, as the EV credits are taken out of the equation.

Is Now The Time To Buy A Model Y Or Model 3?

Tesla

In the short term, EVs are about to become $7,500 more expensive. In the long-term, we can expect automakers to adjust their pricing in order to make up the difference. Whether that means Tesla knocks a clean $7,500 off the base MSRP of a Model 3, or they meet us halfway and drop the price tag by a few grand, we won't know for another month or two.

At present, here's what you can expect to pay for these models before we factor in delivery fees, taxes, and incentives...

Just Don't Rush Into Buying Something You Don't Really Want

Tesla

Our take: if you've got your down payment saved up, and you've been waiting for an excuse to buy your first EV, the loss of the $7,500 EV credits is as good a motivator as any. Otherwise, don't let FOMO (Fear of missing out) rush you into buying something before you've done your research and made your decision. There are still state-level discounts to claim, and chances are good that automakers will try to make up the difference with incentives and discounts of their own.

In fact, several brands, including Tesla, have already got ahead of the incoming credit cuts with incentives of their own. Mercedes-Benz recently confirmed price drops of up to $15,000 for the 2026 EQ EV, while Tesla has been throwing in bonuses like free superchargers for Cybertruck buyers.

To put it another way: if you wait until October to buy a Tesla Model 3, missing out on those incentives by just a few days, you'll feel like a real goof. But, wait until November, December, or early next year, and there's a chance that we'll see prices more or less evening out in the long-term.

Sources: Tesla, Kelley Blue Book.