Is Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) the Best Car Stock To Buy In 2025?

We recently compiled a list of the 13 Best Car Stocks To Buy In 2025. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) stands against the other car stocks.

Car stocks are the stock holdings of businesses engaged in the automotive market, such as those that produce automobiles, auto parts, or industry-related services.

According to Reuters, U.S. new car sales in 2024 grew significantly from their pandemic lows due to increased production, restocked inventory, and growing demand for hybrid cars. As per Wards Intelligence, new car sales in the United States hit 15.9 million in 2024, up 2.2% from 2023 and the highest since 2019.

In 2025, S&P Global forecasts that global sales of new light vehicles, or passenger cars and trucks, are projected to rise 1.7% to 89.6 million units. The overall reduction of 2025 automotive estimates reflects anticipated changes in US policy following the election. There will be significant impacts on the demand for vehicles as a result, particularly on interest rates, trade flows, sourcing, and the rates of BEV adoption.

Colin Couchman, executive director of global light vehicle forecasting for S&P Global Mobility, commented:

“2025 is shaping up to be ultra-challenging for the auto industry, as key regional demand factors limit demand potential and the new US administration adds fresh uncertainty from day one,” “A key concern is how ‘natural’ EV demand fares as governments rethink policy support, especially incentives and subsidies, industrial policy, tariffs, and fast evolving OEM target setting.”

Chris Hopson, principal analyst at S&P Global Mobility, recently stated that consumers who are considering buying a new car are hurrying to dealers before possible price implications become apparent. The sales spikes in March and April might open the way for future volatility. In the next three months, automakers will face new, tariffed inventory and production levels in addition to unstable economic conditions.

In response to industry criticism, President Trump recently introduced a two-year relief provision linked to domestic sales and manufacturing volume, which loosened the recently imposed 25% tariffs on cars and parts. Now, automakers with U.S. factories can deduct import taxes on parts, starting at 3.75% of the suggested retail price of a car in the first year, and then 2.5% in the second year. Vehicles with 85% U.S., Canadian, or Mexican parts are exempt from tariffs, which will rise to 90% by next year. Furthermore, the administration exempted these companies from overlapping taxes on Canadian and Mexican commodities, steel, and aluminum. After industry groups warned that the duties, which went into effect in March for automobiles and on May 3 for parts, would increase auto prices, lower sales, and negatively impact service costs, the move was made.

GM chief executive Mary Barra stated:

“We’re grateful to President Trump for his support of the US automotive industry and the millions of Americans who depend on us,”

Nonetheless, there will be plenty of fireworks as leading businesses compete for market share because the automotive industry is still evolving. According to Dentons, the automotive industry will need to be adaptable, creative, and flexible in 2025 as it manages changing consumer demands, regulatory changes, and economic challenges. In a market that is competitive and evolving quickly, Original Equipment Manufacturers can position themselves for success by taking advantage of developments in manufacturing technologies, software-defined vehicles, and electric vehicles.

Methodology:

For this article, we sifted through the online rankings to form an initial list of the 20 Car Stocks. From the resultant dataset, we chose 13 stocks with the highest number of hedge fund investors, using Insider Monkey’s database of 1,009 hedge funds in Q4 2024 to gauge hedge fund sentiment for stocks. We have used the stock’s YoY revenue growth as a tie-breaker in case two or more stocks have the same number of hedge funds invested.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).

Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 126

Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) continues to be the leading EV manufacturer in the world and the Best Auto Stock. The world’s most successful automaker, the pioneer of “premium electric vehicles,” now owns the vast majority of the US EV market. Investors clearly have high expectations for CEO Elon Musk and his team, which include full self-driving technology, robotaxis, and ongoing EV sales. The firm’s first-mover advantage in the electric vehicle market enabled it to deliver just under 1.8 million vehicles in 2024 and maintain its position as the leading brand in many areas.

After a challenging first quarter for Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), Elon Musk recently announced that he will resign from his position in the US government’s DOGE advisory group to give more time to the firm. Musk’s political activity has sparked protests and boycotts that might be harming the brand, as the business reported a 70% reduction in profits and a 20% decline in car sales in the March quarter. Musk stated that he will now spend more time guiding the firm through uncertain times, even though he will continue to be active with the government in a limited capacity.

Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed its Overweight rating on Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) on April 28 and established a target price of $355. The firm is still optimistic despite the stock’s 27% decline this year, pointing to the company’s solid financial standing and ambitious future ambitions, such as Robotaxis, a $30,000 model in 2025, and full self-driving expansion. The investment firm believes that its robotics, energy storage, and artificial intelligence will all increase in the long run, and it views the current decline as a chance for patient investors to buy.

Overall, TSLA ranks 1st on our list of the Best Car Stocks To Buy In 2025. While we acknowledge the potential of TSLA as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than TSLA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.