Tesla Vehicles Made Up 80% of all EV Sales in the First Half of 2020  

author: Vineeth Joel Patel   

A lot of automakers are looking to take Tesla on. The American electric automaker has become the go-to option for consumers looking to make the switch from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric cars. Despite federal tax credits completely being phased out, new competitors, and changes in pricing, Tesla was still the dominant force in the market for electric vehicle purchases in the U.S. for the first half of 2020.


Tesla Reigns Supreme


According to data from Buy Shares, which is a company that focuses on providing financial education on the stock market, 87,398 electric cars were sold in the first half of 2020. Of those vehicles, 71,375 were from Tesla. That means the American automaker accounted for roughly 80 percent of all EVs sold in the country.


Breaking the figure down further reveals that the Model 3 is Tesla's most popular vehicle in the U.S. The compact sedan accounted for 38,314 units sold. That's not surprising, as the Model 3 is the brand's first truly affordable model and still comes with more range than its competitors. 

The Model Y accounted for 18,861 units sold, which is surprising, as the coronavirus pandemic and factory shutdown affected the automaker's output of its newest model.


The Model X and Model S weren't as popular, but they still did relatively well. Tesla sold 9,500 units of the Model X and 4,700 units of the Model S. The Model 3, Model Y, and Model X were the top three most popular EVs sold during the first six months of 2020.


Are Changes Coming?


Outside of Tesla, there was only one vehicle that actually put up a decent fight: the Chevrolet Bolt EV. Chevrolet sold 8,370 units of the Bolt EV, putting it just ahead of the Model S. If it weren't for Chevy's EV, Tesla would have the top four most popular EVs in the country. Beyond Tesla and Chevrolet, the only real EV is the Nissan Leaf, which accounted for 3,006 units sold during the first six months of 2020.


Quite a few things were going against Tesla this year, which makes its dominance even more impressive. The pandemic affected all brands, but it looks like Teslas were still incredibly popular. Then, there was the federal tax credit, which completely disappeared at the beginning of the year. 

Tesla's electric vehicles are some of the most expensive EVs on the market and one would've assumed that the brand's sales would have decreased once the tax credits phased out. That clearly didn't happen. 

Then, there was the introduction of new EVs on the market, like the Porsche Taycan, Audi e-tron, Hyundai Kona Electric, Jaguar I-Pace, Kia Niro EV, and Mini Cooper SE. These vehicles, though, didn't draw consumers away from Tesla.


While Tesla had a great 2020, we don't expect the automaker's dominance to continue. More and more automakers are entering the electric segment in the hopes of drawing some sales away from Tesla. The American automaker may have an edge when it comes to range and technology, but others are starting to catch up.

Vineeth Joel Patel

Joel Patel has been covering all aspects of the automotive industry for four years as an editor and freelance writer for various websites. When it comes to cars, he enjoys covering the merger between technology and cars. In his spare time, Joel likes to watch baseball, work on his car, and try new foods