Despite selling fewer electric vehicles in the fourth quarter, General Motors (GM) managed to outpace Ford and retain its position as the second-largest EV seller in the United States, trailing only Tesla.
As widely anticipated, GM reported a significant drop in EV sales in the final three months of 2025 following the expiration of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit at the end of September. The Detroit-based automaker delivered 25,219 electric vehicles in Q4 2025, down 43% year over year from nearly 44,000 units sold in Q4 2024.
GM attributed the decline largely to pulled-forward demand, as buyers accelerated purchases ahead of the incentive’s expiration—a dynamic seen across much of the US EV market late in the year.
Full-Year Performance Remains Strong
Despite the steep quarterly drop, GM’s full-year performance tells a different story. The company sold nearly 170,000 electric vehicles in 2025, representing a 48% increase year over year. That growth was enough to keep GM ahead of Ford in total EV volume, despite intensifying competition and shifting incentive dynamics.
GM credits the gains to its increasingly broad EV portfolio spanning Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac.
Cadillac Leads Luxury EV Growth
GM said Cadillac emerged as the best-selling luxury EV brand in 2025 after sales rose 69% year over year—a claim that excludes Tesla, which is typically categorized separately.
Cadillac now offers a full lineup of electric SUVs, including:
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Optiq
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Lyriq
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Vistiq
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Escalade IQ
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Escalade IQL
The brand also recorded its best retail sales performance since 2007, underscoring the role electrification is playing in Cadillac’s broader revival.
Chevrolet Anchors Volume Growth
On the mainstream side, Chevrolet posted its fourth consecutive year of retail sales growth, a distinction GM says no other mass-market brand matched in 2025. EVs were again a major driver.
The Chevy Equinox EV was among the standout performers, with 57,945 units sold in 2025. While full industry rankings are still being finalized, the Equinox EV is likely to finish among the top five best-selling EVs in the US, ahead of rivals such as the Hyundai IONIQ 5 (47,039 units) and the Honda Prologue (39,194 units).
Other Chevrolet EVs also contributed:
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Blazer EV: 22,637 units
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Silverado EV: 11,275 units
What Comes Next
Looking ahead, Chevy plans to launch the new Bolt EV in Q1 with a starting price of $29,990, positioning it as one of the most affordable EVs in the US. The model will once again face off against its long-time rival, the Nissan LEAF, which has been significantly updated for the 2026 model year with increased range, a crossover-style redesign, and a built-in NACS charging port.
Perspective
From a neutral analytical standpoint, GM’s 2025 EV performance highlights a growing divide between short-term volatility and long-term momentum. The Q4 drop underscores how sensitive EV demand remains to policy incentives, but the full-year results suggest GM’s multi-brand, multi-segment strategy is gaining traction. While Tesla continues to dominate the market, GM’s expanding lineup—particularly in the mainstream and luxury SUV segments—positions it as the most credible large-scale challenger in the US EV landscape heading into 2026.
