Tesla Model Y Emerges As Best-Selling EV In US For 2025 Despite 15% Drop In Q4 Sales - Ford F150 Lightning Edges Out Cybertruck

Tesla Inc.'s (NASDAQ:TSLA) Model Y Crossover SUV emerged as the best-selling EV in the U.S. for 2025, despite a drop in domestic sales for the Elon Musk-led EV giant.

Tesla Sales Dipped 15%

New data released by Cox Automotive on Tuesday revealed that the Model Y sold over 92,460 units during the fourth quarter, with YTD sales standing at 357,528, making it the best-selling EV in the U.S. market. However, despite this, sales of the Model Y declined 4% compared to the same period in 2024.

The Model 3 sedan, another popular offering from the EV maker, sold 37,260 units in Q4, a 35.7% decline from Q4 24's 57,928 units Tesla sold. The Model 3's YTD sales stood at 192,440, which was 1.3% higher than last year's total of 189,903 units.

Tesla's EV market share in Q4 also jumped to 58.9%, with total sales reaching 589,000 units, partly due to legacy automakers scaling back their EV efforts. Total EV sales in 2025 were 1,275,714 units, a 2% decline from 2024's 1,301,441 units sold despite major policy shifts from President Donald Trump. 

Interestingly, General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM) was another strong player in the EV segment with the Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC brands. The company sold over 150,000 EVs in 2025, showcasing a 48% YoY surge in sales. The figure has helped GM account for 13% of total EV sales in the U.S.

Cybertruck, F-150 Lightning Compete

Meanwhile, Tesla's Cybertruck sold over 4,140 units in Q4, a 68.1% YoY decline from last year's 12,991 units. YTD, Tesla sold over 20,237 units of the pickup truck, which was 48.1% lower than 2024's total of 38,965 units.

On the other hand, Ford Motor Co.'s (NYSE:F) all-electric F-150 Lightning Pickup Truck, which was recently scrapped in favor of an Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) version, edged the Cybertruck's sales.

Ford sold 4,273 units of the pickup in the fourth quarter, down 60.1% compared to 10,703 units in Q4 2024. YTD, Ford sold 27,307 units of the F-150 Lightning, down 18.5% from last year's 33,510 units. Despite this, it was the best-selling EV Pickup truck in 2025.

How Did Rivian And Lucid Fare?

The other two domestic EV makers, Rivian Automotive Inc. (NASDAQ:RIVN) and Lucid Group Inc. (NASDAQ:LCID), reported a mixed bag in sales, with the RJ Scaringe-led automaker reporting 9,745 units sold in the fourth quarter, down 31.3% from Q4 2024’s 14,183 units. Rivian’s YTD sales stood at 42,098 units, an 18.2% decline from 51,442 vehicles sold last year.

Lucid, on the other hand, showcased growth in sales as the automaker sold 4,330 vehicles, up 55.2% YoY from the 2,790 units it sold last year. Lucid’s YTD sales stood at 12,614 units, demonstrating a 36.6% surge from last year’s 9,236 units it sold. Both automakers’ market share grew, with Rivian now holding 4.2% of the market while Lucid comprising 1.8% of the EV sector.

Tesla's 7-Seater Model Y

The news comes as Tesla recently unveiled the 7-seater version of the Model Y SUV, available only in the Premium, all-wheel drive guise for an extra $2,500. Tesla is also offering a new headliner with the vehicle.

Interestingly, the Model Y also has a 6-seater layout version, offered exclusively in China as the Model Y L, which has proven to be a successful model for the company. However, the automaker may be eyeing an expansion of the model into Europe sometime in the near future.

Tesla scores well on the Momentum metric, while offering satisfactory Quality, but poor Value. It also has a favorable price trend in the Short, Medium, and Long term. For more such insights, sign up for Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings today!

Price Action: TSLA slipped 0.39% at Market close on Tuesday to $447.20, declining 0.08% further to $446.85 during After-hours trading, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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