Q1 EV Sales: EVs Still Aren't Selling Well Enough For A Revolution

Lawrence Hodge

June 1, 2023 at 6:30 AM·8 min read

If you’ve been paying attention to headlines, you might be confused as to how electric cars are really doing. Some outlets report they’re gaining popularity, or that EV sales are experiencing a “surge,” even in spite of shortages. Others (even Jalopnik) have been reporting that more and more Americans don’t want EVs. Their concerns aren’t unwarranted, citing things like charging infrastructure and rising purchase costs. So what’s the real story?

Today, we’re taking a look at the Q1 sales numbers for every EV manufacturer. That means we’re seeing how many cars sold for each EV model in January, February, and March of 2023. It’s worth noting that not every manufacturer releases clear sales figures, but for the sake of clarity and consistency, all the information in this story is pulled directly from a manufacturer and regards U.S.-specific sales, unless I note otherwise.

This list also only includes sales numbers of BEVs (battery electric vehicles), not plug in hybrids or hybrid vehicles.

And, finally, it should also be noted that Mini is missing from this list. While the brand sells the two-door hardtop Mini Electric, its sales are grouped in with the gas-powered Mini two-door hardtop. Therefore, we can’t accurately say how many Mini EVs have sold.

Audi

The German luxury brand is diving headfirst into the EV game. Audi currently has six EV “models” for sale (since Audi counts different trims as a unique model): e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT, Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron, Q8 e-tron and Q8 Sportback e-tron. More EVs are coming with the plan to have 30 percent of its U.S. lineup be made up of EV models by ‘25. The brand sold 4,438 EVs in Q1 of 2023.

Q4 e-tron: 1,674
e-tron (now known as the Q8 e-tron): 1,053
e-tron GT: 726
Q4 Sportback e-tron: 503
e-tron Sportback: 482

BMW

BMW has accelerated its rollout of electric models under the i brand. While the i3 was discontinued in mid 2021, BMW has expanded the i brand since then with the introduction of the i4, iX, i7 and the all new i5. With EVs, BMW is rather slick. The brand says that 17 percent of its U.S. sales in Q1 of 2023 were electrified, but that percentage comes from grouping plug-in hybrids and hybrids with EVs. Digging into their sales data shows that just eight percent of their U.S. sales in Q1 were battery electric vehicles. That comes out to 6,588 sales.

Complicating things is the fact that every i model, aside from the iX, is based on a gas powered model. This allows BMW to group the sales numbers of the EVs in with the gas models. So we can’t pin down exactly how many of the i4 and i7 the brand sold. The brand did manage to move 2,351 iXs.

Ford

Ford has been good at detailing just how well its EVs have been doing. The company reported that its EV sales were up 41 percent in Q1 2023. With three EV models, Ford says it sold 10,866 EVs during that time. The company hopes to get production up to 150,000 F-150 Lightnings and 210,000 Mustang Mach-Es annually by the end of the year.

Mustang Mach-E: 5,407
F-150 Lightning: 4,291
E-Transit: 1,168

General Motors

GM is another automaker that talks its EV sales numbers up without actually sharing a detailed breakdown of its numbers. The company says that it’s currently on track to build 50,000 EVs in North America through June. GM also says over 20,000 EVs have been delivered to customers. But you won’t find sales numbers that say exactly how many Chevy Bolts or GMC Hummer EVs have been sold. The only EV thats mentioned with sales figures is the Cadillac Lyriq which GM says sold “over 900" units in Q1 2023.

Genesis

With three EVs to choose from and a recent expansion to sell those EVs in more states, Genesis has gotten off to a decent, albeit slow, start. The luxury brand sold 937 EVs the first three months of 2023.

GV60: 512
GV80 EV: 380
GV70 EV: 45

Hyundai

With only two EV models to choose from, Hyundai sold nearly 6,000 (5,958) EVs in Q1 2023. There was a bit of a dip though with the Ioniq 5; sales are were down 22 percent month to date but were only off eight percent Q1 2023 compared to Q1 2022.

Ioniq 5: 5,736
Ioniq 6: 222

Jaguar

Jaguar’s sales numbers are an outlier. The company doesn’t release reports for a single region, opting to release its reports with a summary total of all its global sales. Because of that, we can’t pin down exactly how many of the brands sole EV, the I-Pace, have been sold in the U.S. But even based on worldwide sales numbers, it’s clear that no one buys this thing. Only 1,059 units were sold globally in Q1 2023, down 28 percent from the same time in 2022.

Kia

The hotness of the Kia EV6 seems to have cooled off. The EV6 sold 4,633 units in Q1 2023, a 26 percent drop from Q1 2022.

Exact sales numbers for the Niro EV can’t be had, as Kia lumps all the Niro variants together for one figure. Kia moved 12,826 Niros in Q1 2023.

Lexus

Hybrid-heavy Lexus finally has an EV for sale in the RZ. With it just arriving to dealers, its sales are understandably light. Just 185 RZs have been sold so far in 2023.

Mazda

Yes, the Mazda MX-30 is still a thing. Just 32 people showed that they want the unique combination of electric bike range with the comfort of a car. Those 32 MX-30s sold are down 77 percent from Q1 of 2022.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes is another brand going full steam ahead with its transition to electrification. The luxury brand currently has five EVs in its lineup, with more coming to market in the next few years. Mercedes reports explosive growth in the U.S. with its EQ EVs. According to Mercedes, EQ sales are up 251 percent compared to Q1 2022. The brand sold a total of 7,341 EQ EVs.

EQS SUV: 2,413
EQS Sedan: 2,083
EQB: 1,537
EQE Sedan: 1,308

Nissan

With two entries in the EV segment, Nissan is trying to gain ground before it introduces more EV models in the coming years. The recently introduced Ariya sold 2,860 in Q1 2023. The Leaf still sells decently — which may have something to do with the fact it’s one of the cheapest EVs on the market. But sales took a slight hit. Nissan moved 2,354 of the Leaf in Q1 2023, but that figure is down just over 46 percent from the year prior.

Polestar

Volvo’s EV offshoot Polestar is another brand that doesn’t have specific U.S. sales data. Instead the company releases data for the entire globe. With only one EV to sell right now, Polestar managed to move 12,076 of its Polestar 2s. The Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 can’t come soon enough.

Porsche

The Taycan and its variants continue to be a hit for Porsche. While the company admitted there are still lingering issues like component availability that have been affecting sales, the Taycan still managed to sell more than the Panamera. Porsche sold 1,527 Taycans in Q1 of 2023.

Subaru

Despite a stop sale hiccup at the end of 2022, Subaru’s sole EV the Solterra is still finding buyers. Subaru sold 1,962 Solterras in Q1 2023.

Tesla

You already know Tesla was number one. While the company didn’t give specifics as to whether or not these figures were globally or just for the U.S., the company says a total 440,808 Tesla’s were produced, with 422,875 of those delivered.

Model S/X: 1943 produced, 10,695 delivered
Model 3/Y: 421,371 produced, 412,180 delivered

Toyota

Toyota isn’t in a rush to transition to EVs. The brand still invests heavily in hybrid and plug-in hybrid options for its customers. And while the brand likes to tout that there are 22 “electrified” options for customers, that’s counting those aforementioned hybrids and PHEVs. In reality Toyota has just one EV offering so far in the BZ4X. After a stop sale late last year, the EV is again available to customers. Toyota sold 1,698 in Q1 2023.

Volkswagen

VW’s only EV offering in the U.S. has been selling decently well. A starting price just under $40,000 helps things. In Q1 of this year the ID.4 actually saw a nice jump in sales. With 9,758 sold, it’s up over 254 percent over Q1 2022.

Volvo

Volvo currently has two EVs for sale, the XC40 Recharge and its “coupe” variant, the C40 Recharge. A third model, the EX30, is set to debut soon. Until then, the two EVs are carrying the company’s electric torch. The C40 saw a slight increase in demand over Q1 2022. Volvo moved 2,096 the first three months of the year, an increase of 80.5 percent over Q1 2022.

Sales figures for the XC40 Recharge can’t be pinned down, though. While the C40 Recharge is very clearly a variant of the XC40 Recharge, its sales are listed as a separate model. However the XC40 Recharge’s sales numbers are grouped in with the gas powered XC40, so its not known exactly how many XC40 EVs were sold.