Are EV Registrations Up?

Electric vehicle sales plummeted following the repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act and the $7,500 federal tax credit. This ultimately caused all EVs to be more expensive to purchase and lease, which obviously impacts sales numbers.

EV registrations saw substantial declines to begin 2026. But, according to S&P Global Mobility data shared by Automotive News, the market may finally be starting to normalize.

A total of 89,147 new EVs were registered in the United States during April 2026, a 9.8-percent decrease compared to the same month in 2025. That is the smallest year-over-year decline so far in 2026 by a wide margin. By comparison, EV registrations in January, February, and March 2026 were 41 percent, 37 percent, and 25 percent lower than their respective months in 2025. This shows that EV sales are rebounding.

“We’re seeing gradual inching up, and I think we’ll continue to see that,” explained Tom Libby, an S&P Global Mobility automotive analyst.

The EV Rebound

You may continue to see headlines that EV registrations fell in April, and although that is technically true, it’s a bit misleading. A nearly 10-percent drop from a year ago is not ideal, but considering that nearly every new EV effectively costs $7,500 more to purchase or lease, it’s a tough hurdle to overcome.

Using registration data has pros and cons for measuring the health of the EV market. Unlike sales, registrations are specific to the US, which is important because Tesla (the largest EV manufacturer in North America) does not break down its deliveries by region. It also helps cut through automakers that don’t report monthly sales and instead release quarterly reports.

There is a lag for this data, however, which is why we are only now seeing results for April in June.

Photo by: Tesla

From the S&P data, we can see some clear winners and losers in April with regard to EV registrations. Tesla, unsurprisingly, sits at the top with 45,800 registrations, a 13 percent increase from April 2025, likely driven by new Model Y sales. Chevrolet is a distant second with 5,890 registrations, but that is a 36 percent drop from 2025.

Some other notable standouts on the list include Toyota, which saw a 225 percent increase to 3,524 registrations thanks to the arrival of new electric models: the C-HR, bZ Woodland, and facelifted bZ. Subaru also saw a 99 percent increase to 1,959 registrations thanks to shared platform EVs with Toyota: the Trailseeker, Uncharted, and facelifted Solterra.

As new models continue to roll out over the next few months, those numbers should continue to climb.

Motor1’s Take: Higher gas prices are likely driving buyers to consider EVs, even without the tax credit there to entice them. Brands with new EVs are seeing sales spikes, albeit relatively small ones, especially if those models are priced close to equivalent gas-powered vehicles.