It’s been widely reported that electric vehicle (EV) sales growth has slowed this year, but new data from the third quarter shows continued growth in the sector, as backed by incentive programs and a wider variety of options available to consumers this year than the last few.
According to Kelley Blue Book estimates reported by Cox Automotive in a press release last week, EV sales in the U.S. grew 11 percent year over year in Q3—reaching record highs in both overall market share and total delivery volume.
Total EVs sold in the third quarter reached 346,309, marking a 5-percent jump from Q2. Meanwhile, total EV market share reached 8.9 percent in Q3, which is the highest level recorded yet and marks a jump from 7.8 percent in the same quarter last year.
“While year-over-year growth has slowed, EV sales in the U.S. continue to march higher,” said Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Cox Automotive’s Director of Industry Insights. “The growth is being fueled in part by Incentives and discounts, but as more affordable EVs enter the market and infrastructure improves, we can expect even greater adoption in the coming years.”
Tesla’s share of total EV sales vs. the rest of the industry
Credit: Cox Automotive
Q3 EV Share of Total Brand Sales
Credit: Cox Automotive
Cox says it expects increased growth in the coming months, and it says market share of 10 percent is “well within reach,” especially with increased charging infrastructure and EV options on the market, as well as great incentives and discounts.
EV incentives also reached a high in the third quarter, along with leasing programs that gave automakers access to even more generous government incentives. During Q3, incentives averaged over 12 percent of the Average Transaction Price (ATP) on sales, above that of the industry average of around 7 percent.
Cox reported in July that incentives had reached a three-year high at about 11.54 percent of the ATP on sales, before climbing even higher in August to 13.32 percent. It dropped off again slightly in September, landing at 12 percent of the ATP.
EV Lease penetration of retail sales vs. industry
Credit: Cox Automotive
Credit: Cox Automotive
Tesla has remained the clear EV market leader, though consumer options have continued to increase, along with the market share of other automakers attempting to ramp up their EV programs. In Q3, Tesla delivered 166,923 vehicles in the U.S., marking a 6.6 percent increase year over year.
The report also notes that Tesla returned to growth mode in Q3 with sales jumping 6.6 percent, as supported by the increasingly popular Cybertruck. Tesla sold 16,692 Cybertrucks in Q3, outselling every other EV with the exception of the Model 3 (58,423) and Model Y (86,801).
As for individual brands, Tesla was followed by Ford and Chevy in Q3, which sold 23,509 and 19,933 EVs, respectively.
Notably, General Motors (GM) EVs overall saw a 60-percent jump to 32,095 total units across brands, and surpassed Hyundai, which saw sales plateau year over year at 29,609 units.
You can see the full data from Cox Automotive here.
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Tesla executive moves on after 13 years: ‘It has been a privilege to serve’
“It is challenging to encapsulate 13 years in a single post. The journey at Tesla has been one of continuous evolution. From the technical intricacies of designing, building, and operating one of the world’s largest AI clusters to impactful contributions in IT, Security, Sales, and Service, it has been a privilege to serve,” Jegannathan said in the post.
Tesla executive Raj Jegannathan is moving on from the company after 13 years, he announced on LinkedIn on Monday.
“It is challenging to encapsulate 13 years in a single post. The journey at Tesla has been one of continuous evolution. From the technical intricacies of designing, building, and operating one of the world’s largest AI clusters to impactful contributions in IT, Security, Sales, and Service, it has been a privilege to serve,” Jegannathan said in the post.
After starting as a Senior Staff Engineer in Fremont back in November 2012, Jegannathan slowly worked his way through the ranks at Tesla. His most recent role was Vice President of IT/AI Infrastructure, Business Apps, and Infosec.
However, it was reported last year that Jegannathan had taken on a new role, which was running the North American sales team following the departure of Troy Jones, who had held the position previously.
While Jegannathan’s LinkedIn does not mention this position specifically, it seemed to be accurate, considering Tesla had not explicitly promoted any other person to the role.
It is a big loss for Tesla, but not a destructive departure. Jegannathan was one of the few company executives who answered customer and fan questions on X, a unique part of the Tesla ownership experience.
Tesla to offer Full Self-Driving gifting program: here’s how it will work
It currently remains unclear if Jegannathan was removed from the position or if he left under his own accord.
“As I move on, I do so with a full heart and excitement for what lies ahead. Thank you, Tesla, for this wonderful opportunity!” he concluded.
The departure marks a continuing trend of executives leaving the company, as the past 24 months have seen some significant turnover at the executive level.
Tesla has shown persistently elevated executive turnover over the past two years, as names like Drew Baglino, Rohan Patel, Rebecca Tinucci, Daniel Ho, Omead Afshar, Milan Kovac, and Siddhant Awasthi have all been notable names to exit the company in the past two years.
There are several things that could contribute to this. Many skeptics will point to Elon Musk’s politics, but that is not necessarily the case.
Tesla is a difficult, but rewarding place to work. It is a company that requires a lot of commitment, and those who are halfway in might not choose to stick around. Sacrificing things like time with family might not outweigh the demands of Tesla and Musk.
Additionally, many of these executives have made a considerable amount of money thanks to stock packages the company offers to employees. While many might be looking for new opportunities, some might be interested in an early retirement.
Tesla is also in the process of transitioning away from its most notable division, automotive. While it still plans to manufacture cars in the millions, it is turning more focus toward robotics and autonomy, and these plans might not align with what some executives might want for themselves. There are a wide variety of factors in the decision to leave a job, so it is important not to immediately jump to controversy.
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Lemonade launches Tesla FSD insurance program in Oregon
The program was announced by Lemonade co-founder Shai Wininger on social media platform X.
Tesla drivers in Oregon can now receive significant insurance discounts when using FSD, following the launch of Lemonade’s new Autonomous Car insurance program.
The program was announced by Lemonade co-founder Shai Wininger on social media platform X.
Lemonade launches FSD-based insurance in Oregon
In a post on X, Wininger confirmed that Lemondade’s Autonomous Car insurance product for Tesla is now live in Oregon. The program allows eligible Tesla owners to receive roughly 50% off insurance costs for every mile driven using Tesla’s FSD system.
“And… we’re ON. @Lemonade_Inc’s Autonomous Car for @Tesla FSD is now live in Oregon. Tesla drivers in Oregon can now get ~50% off their Tesla FSD-driven miles + the best car insurance experience in the US, bar none,” Wininger wrote in his post.
As per Lemonade on its official website, the program is built on Tesla’s safety data, which indicates that miles driven using FSD are approximately twice as safe as those driven manually. As a result, Lemonade prices those miles at a lower rate. The insurer noted that as FSD continues to improve, associated discounts could increase over time.
How Lemonade tracks FSD miles
Lemonade’s FSD discount works through a direct integration with Tesla vehicles, enabled only with a driver’s explicit permission. Once connected, the system distinguishes between miles driven manually and those driven using FSD, applying the discount automatically to qualifying miles.
There is no minimum FSD usage requirement. Drivers who use FSD occasionally still receive discounted rates for those miles, while non-FSD miles are billed at competitive standard rates. Lemonade also emphasized that coverage and claims handling remain unchanged regardless of whether a vehicle is operating under manual control or FSD at the time of an incident.
The program is currently available only to Teslas equipped with Hardware 4 or newer, running firmware version 2025.44.25.5 or later. Lemonade also allows policyholders to bundle Tesla insurance with renters, homeowners, pet, or life insurance policies for additional savings.
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Tesla exec: Preparations underway but no firm timeline yet for FSD rollout in China
The information was related by Tesla China Vice President Grace Tao in a comment to local media.
Tesla has not set a specific launch date for Full Self-Driving in China, despite the company’s ongoing preparations for a local FSD rollout.
The information was related by Tesla China Vice President Grace Tao in a comment to local media.
Tesla China prepares FSD infrastructure
Speaking in a recent media interview, the executive confirmed that Tesla has established a local training center in China to support the full adaptation of FSD to domestic driving conditions, as noted in a report from Sina News. However, she also noted that the company does not have a specific date when FSD will officially roll out in China.
“We have set up a local training center in China specifically to handle this adaptation,” Tao said. “Once officially released, it will demonstrate a level of performance that is no less than, and may even surpass, that of local drivers.”
Tao also emphasized the rapid accumulation of data by Tesla’s FSD system, with the executive highlighting that Full Self-Driving has now accumulated more than 7.5 billion miles of real-world driving data worldwide.
Possible 2026 rollout
The Tesla executive’s comments come amidst Elon Musk’s previous comments suggesting that regulatory approval in China could arrive sometime this 2026. During Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting in November 2025, Musk clarified that FSD had only received “partial approval” in China, though full authorization could potentially arrive around February or March 2026.
Musk reiterated that timeline at the World Economic Forum in Davos, when he stated that FSD approval in China could come as early as February.
Tesla’s latest FSD software, version 14, is already being tested in more advanced deployments in the United States. The company has also started the rollout of its fully unsupervised Robotaxis in Austin, Texas, which no longer feature safety monitors.
Tesla executive moves on after 13 years: ‘It has been a privilege to serve’
Lemonade launches Tesla FSD insurance program in Oregon
