Where the US EV market stands a year after Trump ended tax credits

At this time last year, electric vehicle buyers in the United States were rushing to take advantage of the final weeks of the federal government's popular $7,500 tax credit for plug-in models that was set to expire at the end of September 2025.

That tax credit, which was first adopted during former President George W. Bush's administration in 2008 to help spur EV adoption, was eliminated on Sept. 30, 2025, by a law that was passed by Republicans in Congress and signed by President Donald Trump.

EV sales have been closely watched since then, as both supporters and detractors sought to understand how much demand for plug-in cars there would be without any government support. In recent months, in a bid to replace some of the lost federal support, state leaders in California stepped in to offer $3,750 in instant EV rebates to first time buyers in their state, which accounts for about a quarter of the nation's EV market.

According to Cox Automotive, U.S. EV sales were down nearly 24% in the first half of 2026, which is the most recent data available, compared to the first half of 2025, when the $7,500 federal tax credit was still available.

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/money/