Tesla is still the king, accounting for about 50% of the US EV market, but a handful of brands are finally gaining traction with new models now on sale.
Top 10 best-selling EVs through the first half of 2026
Americans are turning to electric vehicles in search of relief from higher gas prices. According to Kelley Blue Book, 247,226 EVs were sold in the US in Q2, up 14.7% from the first quarter.
While EV sales are still recovering after the $7,500 federal tax credit expired last September, the market is stabilizing as new models roll out.
In the first half of 2026, over 463,000 EVs were sold in the US. Despite sales dropping about 10% from last year, Tesla remained the clear leader by a wide margin, accounting for 50.5% of the market.
The Tesla Model Y still dominates the sales charts with 163,454 units sold, up 8% from last year. Just last week, Tesla launched the Model Y L in the US, adding a longer, six-seat option. Despite sales slipping 34%, the Model 3 remained in second with 66,616 units sold.
Year-Over-Year Change in EV sales volume in the US (Source: Cox Automotive/ KBB)
GM’s Chevrolet ranked as the second-best-selling EV brand with a 6% market share (28,267 EVs sold), while Hyundai was a close third at 5.8% (26,936 EVs sold).
Outside of Tesla, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 was America’s best-selling EV in the first half of 2026 with 20,730 units sold.
Toyota and Subaru doubled EV sales over the past year, both of which now have three electric SUVs on sale.
The Toyota bZ (formerly the bZ4X) took fourth with 17,533 units sold, up 90% year-on-year, outpacing the Chevy Equinox EV, which ranked fifth with 16,249 units sold (-41% YOY).
RankModelSales in First Half of 2026 (US)YOY Change1Tesla Model Y163,454+8.8%2Tesla Model 366,616-34.3%3Hyundai IONIQ 520,730+8.6%4Toyota bZ17,553+89.8%5Chevy Equinox EV16,249-41.4%6Rivian R1S11,677+1.5%7Ford Mustang Mach-E11,632-46.6%8Honda Prologue8,407-48.5%9Lexus RZ7,814+106.8%10Cadillac Lyriq7,578-18.7%Top 10 best-selling EVs in the US in H1 2026
Rivian’s R1S placed sixth (11,677), followed by the Ford Mustang Mach-E (11,632), Honda Prologue (8,407), Lexus RZ (7,814), and Cadillac Lyriq (7,578).
Cadillac was the fourth-best-selling EV brand (4.9% market share) with a full lineup of electric SUVs, while Toyota ranked fifth (4.8% market share).
Keep in mind these are KBB estimates. Since not every automaker reports US sales figures, the data offers the best estimate of vehicle sales by brand and model.
Electrek’s Take
Despite the higher demand for its EVs, Toyota confirmed this week that it’s delaying production of the 2027 Highlander BEV, its first three-row electric SUV.
The 2027 Toyota Highlander BEV was set to go on sale by the end of 2026, alongside the Lexus TZ and Subaru Getaway.
With several new models arriving, such as the Rivian R2, BMW iX3, Ford’s $30,000 midsize pickup, and Kia EV3, the rankings could look very different over the next few months.
You can already see that some older models, which have not received major refreshes, like the Mach-E and Honda Prologue, are starting to slip as new options become available.
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