US EV Sales Fell to 6.5% After the Tax Credit Was Cut. Rising Fuel Prices Are Pushing Buyers Back.

At the New York Auto Show, automakers unveiled new EVs into a market still finding its footing. EV sales hit 9.6% of all US vehicle sales in 2025, then dropped to 6.5% in the three months after the $7,500 federal tax credit expired on September 30, the lowest level since early 2022. Rising petrol prices are beginning to shift the picture. Kia's head of corporate communications called the slowdown a short-term blip; Cox Automotive's Aaron Keating noted more buyers are researching EVs, driven partly by people who were already considering hybrids. Kia's lower-priced EV3 and the Subaru Getaway are among the new models arriving later this year.