Motor Intelligence data cited by the WSJ put Tesla at 52% of U.S. EV sales through August 2026, up from 43% a year earlier. Tesla's sales fell 16% to 325,351 vehicles as the broader market shrank about 30%.
Model Y sales declined just 2% through August and accounted for roughly one-third of U.S. EVs sold this year; Tesla also added a six-seat Model Y L. Model 3 sales fell 34%, while Tesla sold 9,769 Cybertrucks. The company ended Model S and Model X production and plans to use that factory capacity for Optimus robots.
Ford, GM, Honda and Volkswagen have cut production, canceled programs or discontinued EV models amid weak demand and changing federal policy. Bank of America analyst John Murphy told the WSJ that mainstream automakers may not return aggressively without major battery improvements or a significant regulatory shift.
