EV Gross sales Stumble In October As $7,500 Tax Credit score Disappears : Automotive Addicts
Automotive
September regarded like a final name rush for electrical autos, and October confirmed the hangover. With the federal $7,500 EV tax credit score ending on the shut of September, customers who had been on the fence jumped early, then stepped again. Solely a handful of manufacturers share month-to-month numbers, but the snapshot we do have paints a tough image for the market’s speedy publish incentive actuality.
Hyundai and Kia took the most important punches. Hyundai Ioniq 5 fell 63 p.c 12 months over 12 months to 1,642 items in October 2025, after transferring 4,498 in October 2024. Kia EV6 slid 71 p.c to 508 items, and Genesis GV60 landed at simply 93 deliveries, a 54 p.c drop. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 sedan was down 52 p.c to 398 items, whereas Hyundai’s new three row Ioniq 9 posted 317 items after topping 4 figures in every of the three prior months. Kia EV9 tallied 666 items, a 66 p.c decline, and Genesis Electrified GV70 discovered solely 15 patrons in contrast with 154 a 12 months earlier.
Honda’s numbers had been even more durable. Acura ZDX has already bowed out after a single mannequin 12 months, and the associated Honda Prologue slipped 81 p.c to 806 items, down from 4,130 in October 2024. Honda has not detailed the 2026 Prologue but, which raises honest questions on the place the mannequin goes from right here.
Ford didn’t crater just like the Korean manufacturers, however it nonetheless misplaced floor. Mustang Mach E eased 12 p.c to 2,906 items, F-150 Lightning dipped 17 p.c to 1,543 items, and E Transit moved 260 items, a 76 p.c fall. Even for an organization with broad EV title recognition, the absence of a headline incentive cooled visitors.
A part of that is easy timing. Consumers who needed to seize the credit score pulled demand into September, which leaves a softer month to comply with. That dynamic is frequent round expiring incentives and it may well take 1 / 4 or two for the market to discover a new baseline. Worth positioning, stock, and financing additionally matter extra with no in-built $7,500 help, so worth comparisons in opposition to hybrids and environment friendly fuel fashions develop into sharper.
Perspective is necessary right here. A number of main gamers solely report quarterly, together with Normal Motors, Toyota, Nissan, and Volkswagen, and Tesla and Rivian don’t escape mannequin degree month-to-month outcomes. With that in thoughts, October is just not the entire story. It’s an early sign that the market is recalibrating to life with no federal sweetener on the hood, and 4 of the highest ten EVs by means of Q3 exhibiting declines provides weight to that sign.
What to observe subsequent is easy. Closing quarter incentives from automakers, vendor degree pricing, and enhancements to charging entry will do extra heavy lifting now that the tax credit score cushion is gone. Finish of 12 months totals will inform us whether or not October was a blip attributable to a September pull ahead, or the beginning of a more durable stretch the place EVs should win extra prospects on product power and complete possession worth alone.
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Darryl Taylor Dowe is a seasoned automotive skilled with a confirmed observe report of main profitable ventures and offering strategic session throughout the automotive business. With years of hands-on expertise in each enterprise operations and market improvement, Darryl has performed a key position in serving to automotive manufacturers develop and adapt in a quickly evolving panorama. His perception and management have earned him recognition as a trusted professional, and his contributions to Automotive Addicts replicate his deep data and keenness for the enterprise facet of the automotive world.
