After several months of industry analysts and even companies’ reps warning of a slowdown in the speed of electric vehicle adoption, the sales results for 2023 paint an optimistic picture.
According to estimated data from Cox Automotive, there were 376,230 more EVs sold in the United States last year for a total of 1,189,051 units. But what about individual models? We combed through the numbers and came up with the 20 best-selling EVs in the U.S. in 2023.
The undisputed champion of the EV segment in the United States in 2022 keeps its spot for 2023 thanks to its impressive growth. At the end of last year, Tesla’s best-selling model had a whopping 33.2% share of the battery-powered vehicle segment.
Compared to 2022, the Model Y saw its sales numbers increase by 142,523 units, which translates to a 56.6% bump.
In the electric sedan segment, nothing comes close to the Model 3 when sales numbers are considered. Last year, Tesla’s entry-level EV saw a marginal improvement over 2022–just 9,292 more units–but that could change now that the refreshed Model 3 finally became available in North America.
The American compact hatchback/crossover duo made by General Motors was still going strong last year and even recorded 62.8% more sales compared to 2022, making GM’s decision to retire both models pretty hard to understand.
In fairness, though, the Bolt will eventually return in the near future in EUV-only form and will ride on the company’s modern Ultium platform. It might also get a version with cheap-ish lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries that might make it a better deal than the outgoing model.
Ford’s rival to the Tesla Model Y saw a minor increase in sales in 2023 compared to 2022 (3.3%), putting it in fourth place. The fact that none of the Mach-E trim levels are currently eligible for the $7,500 tax credit when buying instead of leasing probably won’t help sales for this year, but we’ll see what the numbers will show next year.
Despite much talk about the VW brand not being profitable anymore and EV factories put on hold in Europe, the ID.4 crossover had an amazing year in terms of sales in the U.S. Compared to 2022, the German EV saw its sales increase by a whopping 84.2%, enough to put it in fifth position on the list of best-selling EVs in the United States.
Hot on the tail of the ID.4 is the up-and-coming Ioniq 5 from Hyundai, which is also one of the better rivals to the Tesla Model Y. Parent company Hyundai Motor had a great year when it comes to EV sales in general, and the Ioniq 5 is a big part of that story.
Compared to 2022, the edgy crossover/hatchback saw an increase of 47.6% in sales. At the end of 2023, the model had a 2.9% share of the EV segment in the U.S.
A big surprise in the sales data for last year is Rivian’s all-electric SUV, which managed to crack the top 10 just one year after its production started in 2022. In the first year of its existence, the R1S was sold in just 676 units but that changed dramatically for 2023 when the number increased to 24,783.
One of the first mass-produced all-electric pickup trucks to hit the market, the F-150 Lightning had a very good year in 2023. Compared to 2022, Ford’s pickup saw sales numbers increase by 54.7%, which is much better than the next best-selling electric pickup, the Rivian R1T (more on this further down on the list).
What was once the epitome of Tesla’s lineup is now an aging SUV and it shows in the sales numbers. Slowly but surely, the Model X is going down as more and more buyers are flocking to the much more affordable Model Y. Compared to 2022, the Tesla with so-called falcon wing doors had sales decrease by 11.9%.
After selling a little under 10,000 units in 2022, BMW’s all-electric sedan entered the top 10 list (albeit in the last spot) after upping its numbers by an impressive 134.6%. It’s a similar story on a brand level, where the automaker sold 191.3% more EVs last year than it did in 2022 in the United States, so it looks like it’s doing something right.
An outlier for parent company Hyundai Motor, the sporty electric crossover that’s based on the same E-GMP platform as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 had a decrease in sales in 2023 compared to 2022, going down 7.9%. That said, momentum seems to be on the EV6’s side, with Q4 2023 sales being 39.1% higher than the same period in 2022, so we’ll have to wait and see what this year brings for the Korean EV.
Sales of the Ford F-150 competitor stalled last year as customers and Rivian seem to have shifted their attention to the R1S SUV. Compared to 2022, Rivian recorded just one (1) more sale of the R1T, according to Cox Automotive’s data, allowing Ford’s pickup to steam ahead in the rankings.
The numbers could have been a bit better if it weren’t for 2023’s fourth-quarter results which indicated a 48.6% decrease in sales compared to the same period in 2022.
Despite its divisive exterior design, the iX crossover had an amazing year in 2023 where sales figures are concerned. Compared to 2022, BMW sold 205.4% more iXs in the U.S.
The flagship electric sedan was the biggest loser in Tesla’s portfolio with 2023 sales decreasing by a hefty 65% compared to 2022. It’s a similar story to the Model X, but probably because Americans (and the world) show more interest in SUVs than sedans, the Model S saw a much sharper decline. The fact that the Model 3 is about half the price didn’t help either.
Tesla’s loss with the Model S is Mercedes’ gain, it seems, with the flagship EQS electric sedan getting very close to its American competitor in 2023 after it recorded an almost 50% increase in sales compared to 2022.
The slightly less expensive and smaller EQE sedan from Mercedes-Benz is poised to become the company’s best-selling EV, judging from last year’s numbers when it was sold in almost 15,000 units–a massive increase compared to the 384 units sold in 2022.
The aging Leaf, which is still one of the most affordable new EVs in the United States, has been relegated to the bottom positions of the sales charts and the newer, more expensive Ariya crossover seems to be much more to the liking of the American public.
Considering it’s a newcomer in the U.S. market, Nissan’s SUV-like EV did well last year and it might do even better in 2024 (but that remains to be seen).
One of the biggest rivals to the Tesla Model 3, Hyundai’s sleek Ioniq 6 sedan had a respectable year in terms of sales, considering it’s a new entry on the market, much like the Nissan Aryia.
Another rival to the Tesla Model 3, the Polestar 2 saw a 31% increase in sales last year compared to 2022, which was just enough to give the Swedish-developed EV a 1% share of the segment.
Numbers were on the rise in the fourth quarter of 2023 when the Polestar 2 recorded a 20% increase in sales compared to the same period in 2022.
Last on this list is Audi’s most affordable EV offering which saw a big bump in sales compared to 2022 (206.7%) but it wasn’t enough to propel the crossover higher in the rankings.
1. Tesla Model Y: 394,497 Units
2. Tesla Model 3: 220,910 Units
3. Chevrolet Bolt EV/EUV: 62,045 Units
4. Ford Mustang Mach-E: 40,771 Units
5. Volkswagen ID.4 37,789 Units
6. Hyundai Ioniq 5: 33,819 Units
7. Rivian R1S: 24,783 Units
8. Ford F-150 Lightning: 24,165 Units
9. Tesla Model X: 23,015 Units
10. BMW i4: 22,583 Units
11. Kia EV6: 18,897 Units
12. Rivian R1T: 17,727 Units
13. BMW iX: 17,301 Units
14. Tesla Model S: 16,466 Units
15. Mercedes-Benz EQS: 15,510 Units
16. Mercedes-Benz EQE: 14,895 Units
17. Nissan Aryia: 13,464 Units
18. Hyundai Ioniq 6: 12,999 Units
19. Polestar 2: 12,215 Units
20. Audi Q4 e-tron: 10,750 Units
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