Tesla Tops EV Sales in First Half of Year

 

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Tesla takes four spots on the list of the top five electric vehicles (EVs).

The automaker’s new vehicle registrations grew 61% in the first half of the year to take the top spot among luxury automakers.

All major luxury brands, except Tesla and Genesis, posted lower first-half registrations, according to Experian. However, new registrations of EVs rose sharply among non-Tesla brands.

Tesla new vehicle registrations rose to 228,989 from 142,543 from January to June year over year. In contrast, registrations for BMW fell by 13% to 157,838 vehicles, Lexus new vehicle registrations fell 19% to 133,616, and Mercedes dropped 14% to 133,520, according to Experian.

Tesla dominated the EV market among all brands, whether luxury or mainstream, capturing 68% market share, similar to 2022. In the first half of the year, EVs comprised about 5% of U.S. light-vehicle registrations, up from 2.5% in 2021.

Experian showed EV registrations ticking up among non-Tesla brands. Legacy auto companies and startups posted 58% EV growth in the first half of the year, with 109,620 registrations among 21 brands for a combined 32% market share.

This growth suggests new EV models from other automakers could put a dent in Tesla’s market share later this year. Several brands now sell EVs but didn’t post any sales in the first half of the year. This includes Mercedes, Toyota, Genesis and Cadillac, Experian reported.

Ford is ramping up output of its F-150 Lightning pickup after a spring launch. Experian data showed 1,288 Lightning registrations in the first half of the year, but Ford reported sales of 2,173 in July alone.

Volkswagen producing the ID4 crossover in the U.S. in late July, targeting 7,000 a month by the fourth quarter.  

EV startups, Rivian and Lucid, beefed up production in the second quarter for their EVs after struggling with parts shortages in the first quarter.

Tesla has a new factory in Texas that is ramping up after a slow start and the automaker record output at is Fremont, California, plant in the second quarter.

According to Experian data, the non-Tesla EV leaders include:

  • Ford, which doubled 2021 numbers to 21,820.
  • Kia, with a six-fold increase to 18,967.
  • Hyundai, with a 150% increase to 14,994.
  • Audi, with a 16% increase to 8,183.
  • Polestar, with an eight-fold increase to 4,873.

Hyundai Motor Group nabbed the most registrations after Tesla, with 34,138, to secure a 10% EV market share. Ford Motor Co. captured a 6% share, while Volkswagen Group secured 5%.