Tesla’s Cheap Model Y and Model 3 Aren’t Slowing Down Its Sliding Sales: Report

New electric vehicle sales have been slowing in the U.S. in recent months. Following the end of the federal tax credit and some new models on hold or canceled altogether, most automakers are expected to report serious slumps in EV sales in the last months of 2025. Tesla has mostly managed to avoid that in recent history, but this year might be different.

Tesla could report its lowest U.S. sales in four years next month, according to Cox Automotive data and Reuters. Fewer than 40,000 new Teslas were sold in November 2025, or about 23% fewer than the same month last year. The Cybertruck, already established as falling well short of sales projections made by Elon Musk, reported about 1,200 sales in November, the lowest so far in 2025.

Ahead of the federal tax credit’s end on Sept. 30, Tesla introduced the Model 3 Standard and Model Y Standard versions that were immediately derided by critics and even fans of the cars because of the slower charging speeds, conspicuous cost-cutting, and still-out-of-reach pricing. Cox reported that sales haven’t been as strong as predicted, prompting Tesla to offer 0% financing and aggressive lease deals on in-stock examples.

Worse, analysts say the Standard models that do sell are taking away sales from more expensive and more profitable versions of the Model 3 and Model Y.

In another Cox Automotive report released on December 9, all U.S. new EV sales were down 40% last month compared to November 2024, although slightly up from October. The Model 3 was a significant contributor to that, falling 42% compared to the same month a year earlier. But even Honda moved fewer than 1,000 Prologue SUVs in November compared to more than 6,800 in the same month last year, and Hyundai reported a more than 20% decline in EV sales last month despite a third Ioniq model now available.

Full-year sales for all automakers will start being reported during the first full week of January and financial reports the following month, both of which should paint the complete picture of the health of the EV market in 2025 and the effect of the current White House administration and Congress’s emphasis on gas-powered vehicles instead of battery electrics. 

Tesla, suffering immensely from declining home-market sales, a collapse in European sales, and aggressive competition from China’s EVs elsewhere, could put pressure on the company to lean more heavily on its network of Superchargers, a troubled Robotaxi division, and other business ventures to lift revenue. Cox thinks Tesla needs a new model and redesigned (rather than mildly revised) cars to sell. So far, the automaker’s leaders haven’t found that to be necessary in a more challenging EV market.