A quick glance at US electric vehicle sales might give the impression EVs are a niche product, unable to shake Americans love affair with gas-powered trucks and SUVs.
The recent spike in gas prices did little to lift sales, and the elimination of some tax incentives last year cut into demand. Major auto brands have pulled back on American EV plans. US sales of new EVs fell 20% in the second quarter from a year ago, according to Cox Automotive.
But look under the hood, and the picture is nowhere near as grim.
A rush to buy EVs last year inflated sales, distorting the subsequent drop. A booming international market means automakers cant afford to give up on EVs entirely. And US EV sales are improving from earlier this year.
While (US) demand has softened following the expiration of federal incentives, automakers cannot simply walk away from electrification, said Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights for Cox Automotive.
Cause for concern?
There is a lot working against American EVs.
The Trump administration halted many financial incentives that supported the industry, including a $7,500 tax credit for EV buyers last October. It also eliminated financial penalties for automakers who violated emission rules, which had pushed automakers toward building more electric vehicles.
Interested buyers rushed in before the tax incentive disappeared last October, causing sales at the end of the year and start of this one to dry up.
Legacy automakers have taken tens of billions of dollars in charges against their earnings over the last year to downgrade EV production plans. Even Tesla, the lone automaker that made a profit selling EVs to Americans, now seems more interested in creating humanoid robots than cars.
But second-quarter sales rose 15% compared to the first quarter. And US sales of used EVs hit a record, according to Cox.
Thats because the previous incentives and regulations created a false level of EV demand, said Ivan Drury, director of insights for car selling site Edmunds. But with most US tax incentives gone, we do know there is some level of natural EV demand in the market, he said.
While it might not be as good for the consumer, since they might not get as good of a deal, for the industry, theres far more clarity as to how fast to act and what kind of vehicles to build, he said.
And all the legacy automakers say they do intend to offer new EV models in the future as they see demand growing for reasons like concerns about the environment and high gas prices.
Eric Straka, a physician living in Ann Arbor, Michigan, paid about $32,000 for a Chevrolet Equinox in May.
The city had its own financial incentive program for EV buyers, depending on buyer income levels and whether the vehicle was new or used. Ann Arbor only had a $500,000 budget for rebates, and it ran out of funds in just days.
Straka is still waiting to get his rebate C but the car was worth it even if he doesnt, he told CNN.
Its like smooth and quiet, and by far the best pickup acceleration Ive ever had in a car he said.
EV sales surging overseas
Sales continue to rise in the rest of the world, most prominently in China but also in Europe.
Most other countries still have EV incentives, and drivers there pay higher prices for gasoline or diesel.
The International Energy Agency estimates that pure battery electric vehicle sales rose to about 14 million last year from 11 million in 2024 and should rise further in 2026.
Much of the growth comes from China, long the worlds largest market for auto sales. Chinese automaker BYD surpassed Tesla as the worlds largest EV maker last year, and the gap is still widening.
According to the IEA, 55% of Chinese auto sales last year were some form of EV C either fully electric, plug-in hybrids or extended-range EVs with gasoline-powered generators to charge the battery.
Chinese EVs are also big business outside of the country. Exports are soaring globally, in Africa, Asia and South America as well as Europe, according to the IEA.
Competition from Chinese EVs
Chinese EVs have a major advantage over American or European autos C they are much less expensive.
More than 200 Chinese EV models sell for less than $25,000, according to Reuters , with some as cheap as $10,000. Compare that to the latest average price of new US EV at $56,377, according to Edmunds.
The Commerce Department recently ruled that Chinese cars cant be legally sold in the US, even those built domestically , but experts think that will change someday .
US companies are still combatting growing competition from Chinese rivals in Europe and elsewhere.
In December, Ford announced a partnership with European automaker Renault to develop a small, cheap EV to be sold in Europe but not, as of yet, the United States.
We know were in a fight for our lives in our industry, Ford CEO Jim Farley told reporters.
乍看美国电动汽车的销量，可能会让人误以为电动汽车只是小众产品，难以撼动美国人对燃油卡车和SUV的钟爱。
近期油价飙升对销量提振作用甚微，而去年部分税收优惠政策的取消更是抑制了需求。各大汽车品牌已缩减了在美国的电动汽车计划。考克斯汽车公司数据显示，美国第二季度新能源汽车销量同比下降20%。
但若深入观察，实际情况远非如此严峻。
去年电动汽车抢购潮推高了销量，导致随后的下滑数据失真。蓬勃发展的国际市场意味着汽车制造商无法完全放弃电动汽车。而美国电动汽车销量较今年早些时候已有所回升。
考克斯汽车公司行业洞察总监斯蒂芬妮·瓦尔德斯·斯特里提表示：“尽管联邦激励政策到期后（美国市场）需求有所减弱，但汽车制造商绝不能就此放弃电气化转型。”
值得担忧吗？
美国电动汽车面临着诸多不利因素。
特朗普政府取消了多项支持该行业的财政激励措施，包括去年10月针对电动汽车购买者提供的7500美元税收抵免。此外，政府还取消了对违反排放规定的汽车制造商的罚款，这些罚款原本旨在推动车企生产更多电动汽车。
由于税收优惠政策于去年10月终止，有意向的买家纷纷抢在此之前完成交易，导致去年年底和今年年初的销量大幅下滑。
过去一年间，传统汽车制造商已累计计提数百亿美元费用以削减电动汽车生产计划。即便是唯一通过向美国市场销售电动汽车实现盈利的特斯拉，如今似乎也对研发人形机器人而非汽车更感兴趣。
但第二季度销售额较第一季度增长了15%。据考克斯公司数据显示，美国二手电动汽车销量创下历史新高。
汽车销售网站Edmunds的市场洞察总监伊万·德鲁里（Ivan Drury）表示，这是因为先前的激励政策和法规人为抬高了电动汽车的需求水平。但随着美国大部分税收优惠政策的取消，他说道："我们确实知道市场上存在一定程度的自然电动汽车需求。"
他表示："虽然这对消费者可能不太有利，因为他们可能无法获得更优惠的交易条件，但对行业而言，关于行动速度和车型选择的决策方向却变得清晰得多。"
所有传统汽车制造商均表示，鉴于环保担忧和油价高涨等因素推动电动汽车需求增长，他们确实计划在未来推出新的电动车型。
密歇根州安娜堡市的医生埃里克·斯特拉卡（Eric Straka）于5月以约3.2万美元的价格购买了一辆雪佛兰Equinox。
该市为电动汽车购买者制定了财政激励计划，具体补贴金额取决于购买者的收入水平以及车辆是新车还是二手车。安娜堡市仅拨款50万美元用于返利，结果短短数日内资金便告罄。
斯特拉卡向CNN表示，他仍在等待退税，但即便最终未能获得退款，这辆车也物有所值。
“这辆车加速平顺安静，是我迄今为止体验过最棒的。”他说道。
海外电动汽车销量激增
全球其他地区的销售额持续增长，其中以中国最为显著，欧洲市场也呈现上升趋势。
大多数其他国家仍保留对电动车的激励政策，且当地车主需支付更高的汽油或柴油价格。
国际能源署估计，纯电动汽车销量从2024年的1100万辆增至去年的约1400万辆，并将在2026年进一步增长。
这一增长主要来自中国——这个长期占据全球最大汽车销售市场的国家。中国汽车制造商比亚迪去年超越特斯拉成为全球最大的电动汽车生产商，且两者间的差距仍在持续扩大。
国际能源署（IEA）数据显示，去年中国汽车销量的55%为新能源车型，包括纯电动汽车、插电式混合动力汽车以及配备汽油发电机为电池充电的增程式电动汽车。
中国电动汽车在海外市场同样表现强劲。据国际能源署（IEA）数据显示，其出口量在全球范围内激增，覆盖非洲、亚洲、南美洲及欧洲市场。
中国电动汽车带来的竞争
中国电动汽车相比欧美汽车具有显著优势——价格低廉得多。
据路透社报道，中国有超过200款电动汽车售价低于2.5万美元，部分车型甚至低至1万美元。而埃德蒙兹数据显示，美国新款电动汽车的最新平均售价高达5万6377美元。
美国商务部近日裁定，中国汽车（包括本土生产的车型）不得在美国合法销售，但专家认为这一政策未来或将有所改变。
美国企业仍在欧洲及其他地区应对来自中国竞争对手日益激烈的竞争。
去年12月，福特汽车宣布与欧洲汽车制造商雷诺达成合作，将共同开发一款面向欧洲市场的小型廉价电动汽车，目前暂未计划在美国销售。
福特汽车公司首席执行官吉姆·法利向记者表示：“我们深知，当前在汽车行业中，我们正为生存而战。”
