How Bad Are EV Sales? The Truth Behind the EV Sales Slowdown and Automaker Strategy

How Bad Are EV Sales? The Truth Behind the EV Sales Slowdown

EV sales slowdown is the term defining the current automotive market, as automakers recalibrate their ambitious plans to face new headwinds. The F-150 Lightning, once the crown jewel of Ford’s electric push, now symbolizes the harsh reality of America’s EV ambitions. Sales have stalled, losses are mounting, and insiders say executives are seriously considering pulling the plug. Ford has poured billions into electrification since 2023, but an estimated $13 billion in losses, fading federal incentives, and cooler-than-expected consumer demand have made the road ahead uncertain. This EV sales slowdown is not just a Ford problem; it’s an industry-wide reckoning.

Automakers Hit the Brakes on EV Plans

Across the industry, the early excitement over electric trucks and vans is colliding with reality.

• Ford: Faces an estimated $13 billion in EV losses since 2023.⁴ Sales of the F-150 Lightning have stalled.
• General Motors: Quietly ended its Chevrolet BrightDrop vans, blaming weak fleet adoption.
• Stellantis: Scrapped the all-electric Ram 1500, replacing it with the hybrid Ram 1500 REV, which pairs battery power with a gasoline generator to match what buyers actually want.
• Dodge: Slimming the Charger Daytona lineup to a single 670-hp Scat Pack, citing tariff concerns.
• Nissan: Halting U.S. sales of its 2026 Ariya electric crossover, citing market challenges, tariffs, and waning consumer demand.
• Kia: Putting the launch of the EV4 on “temporary” hold in the U.S.
• Acura & Genesis: Acura has discontinued its first all-electric model, the ZDX, after just a single model year, while Genesis has ceased selling the Electrified G80 in the United States after selling only 1,329 units.
• Mercedes-Benz: Has quietly pulled the plug on new orders for its EQE and EQS sedans and SUVs in the U.S., with insiders suggesting the models could stop production as soon as 2026.

Startups Are Hurting Too

The EV sales slowdown is not sparing the “new school” startups, which are facing a brutal correction.

• Tesla: Cybertruck deliveries plunged 63% in the third quarter, and year-to-date sales are down 38% (totaling 16,000 vehicles), a far cry from the 200,000 units CEO Elon Musk once predicted.
• Rivian: After a Q3 spike (from expiring tax credits), the company projects a 30% drop in fourth-quarter deliveries and is cutting 15,000 jobs.

New EVs Still Slated for 2026: The Affordability Pivot

Despite the turbulence, automakers aren’t giving up; they’re recalibrating. The EV sales slowdown has forced a pivot to what consumers have been asking for: affordability.

Final Thoughts

The industry’s electric ambitions are far from dead, but the boom has hit a wall. The EV sales slowdown is forcing automakers to grapple with high costs, waning subsidies, and shifting consumer priorities. For manufacturers, the coming year will be a critical test of whether any existing or new model growth can be sustained in an increasingly uncertain market.

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