GM says it has become the No. 2 seller of EVs in the US

GM is claiming the number two spot in EV sales in the US for the third quarter of this year, selling 32,000 electric vehicles. The automaker produces EVs across multiple brands running on the same platform, like Chevy’s Silverado, Blazer, and Equinox EVs, as well as the GMC Hummer EV and the Cadillac Lyriq.

GM says it has sold a total of 370,000 EVs in North America since 2016, including 300,000 in the US specifically. Tesla is still the undisputed leader, with more than 5 million vehicles sold since 2008.

In an email with The Verge, GM’s executive director of finance and sales communications James Cain wrote that sales have accelerated since the company built a dedicated EV platform (formerly known as Ultium) and began producing battery cells through its joint ventures with LG and Samsung SDI. GM’s third-quarter EV sales beat out rival Ford by about 8,600 units, according to Kelley Blue Book, as reported by The New York Times.

Meanwhile, Ford spokesperson Dan Barbossa claims the Blue Oval remains “America’s No. 2 best-selling EV brand behind Tesla.” In an email with The Verge, Barbossa wrote:

We remain the No. 2 brand. GM is adding every brand EV (Chevy, GMC, Cadillac, etc) they sell and making a different claim.

Still, GM has a ways to go before it achieves the goal of producing 1 million EVs, which it previously projected it would accomplish by 2025. The company later distanced itself from that target when it became clear that production troubles, charging difficulties, and high interest rates would slow down the rate of growth in EV sales in the US.

GM expects to start turning a profit on EVs by the end of the year. Sales for all EVs in the US continue to grow, but consumer demand has cooled since early adopters are already in, making manufacturers adjust their EV rollout plans.

Ford had a strong early start with solid sales of its all-electric Mustang Mach-E, launched in 2019, and the F-150 Lightning electric truck in 2022. During that timeframe, GM only had the Chevy Bolt, built on an older battery platform. The Hummer EV truck launched in 2020, but overall EV sales were slow amid production troubles.

Ford also hit some snags along the way, including parts shortages. The company has lost billions of dollars in its Model e division, where revenues have not kept up with spending. Ford recently canceled a planned three-row SUV and has paused production of the F-150 Lightning until next year. Ford is placing a lot of its hopes on its skunkworks team in Silicon Valley, developing its next-gen platform for cheaper EVs.