General Motors' EV Sales Are Way Down. But It's Not As Bleak As It Seems

Last year's Q3 was a big one for GM. It sold 66,501 EVs in Q3 2025, making last year its strongest ever for electric vehicles. This year, things look different. Q3 EV sales fell by more than a third, only 25,473 electric cars delivered. While that drop is massive, it likely has more to do with the loss of federal tax credits and an industry reset than a lack of demand for GM's electric portfolio.

The Trump administration eliminated the federal tax break for $7,500 EV buyers one year ago. Many buyers pulled ahead their purchases, racing to get EVs before the tax credit ended on September 30, 2025. That led to GM's record third quarter last year, which may have over-inflated its sales perceptions.

So this drop off more likely just a recalibration toward normal than it is customers losing interest in electric Chevys and Cadillacs. EV and hybrid sales are down across the board in the U.S., not just at GM, despite growing consumer interest. These vehicles are more expensive than they were last year, and the regulations that incentivized automakers to sell more EVs have been largely dismantled.

Some electric GM models are still selling pretty well, though, even though Cadillac seems to be doing most of the heavy lifting. America's luxury brand had two of GM's three best-selling EVs in Q3. The Cadillac Optiq recorded 4,550 deliveries. The return of the Chevy Bolt took the number two spot, with 3,866 deliveries, and the Cadillac Lyriq was close behind with 3,617. The Cadillac Vistiq did well, too, with 2,587 sales.

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the cheaper models suffered the most. The previous tax incentives benefited affordable car buyers most, as rich folk don't need the extra discount. So the Chevy Equinox EV saw the biggest sales fall from last year, at a massive 92.4%. The Blazer EV dropped 84.4%, too. Interestingly, both EV pickups dropped a similar amount, with the Silverado EV falling 58% and the Sierra EV losing 50.8% of sales. Cadillac Escalade IQ and IQL sales fell only 29.2%. The outlier is the Hummer EV, which saw a massive 72.9% decline. (The Chevy Bolt might technically have improved in sales but that's only because it wasn't on sale during Q3 2025.)

It might seem like doom and gloom, over at GM's electrified lineup, but only if you just look at the sales sheet without context. This year, GM is only down from a record year. If anything, this proves how effective federal tax incentives are for customers to switch over to electric. As demand recovers and gas prices rise, we'll see how long it takes for GM to reach its previous high water mark.

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