Chart: Tesla is still trouncing competitors on EV sales in the US

Canary Media’s chart of the week translates crucial data about the clean energy transition into a visual format.

Tesla has sold more than 10 times as many electric cars in the U.S. this year as its nearest competitor. According to Experian data, 72% of all new passenger EVs registered in the country during the first four months of 2022 were Teslas. Ford is a distant No. 2 with 6% of the U.S. EV market, closely followed by Kia and Hyundai.

Just over 193,000 passenger EVs were registered in the U.S. from January through April this year. More than 139,000 of them were Teslas — primarily the Model Y SUV and Model 3 sedan, at 64,173 and 56,525, respectively.

But other automakers are starting to catch up, unveiling new electric models and announcing plans to ramp up production of EVs. Ford’s EV sales so far this year came mostly from its Mustang Mach-E model. The electric Ford F-150 Lightning truck has gotten a lot of publicity, but it was not widely available until recently, so only 103 of them were registered in the first four months of 2022.

EVs made up 4.4% of the light-vehicle market in the U.S. from January through April of this year, up from just 2.3% during the same period last year, according to Automotive News.

But EV sales figures are expected to grow quickly from here. Many major car manufacturers have pledged to go all-electric in the coming years. Automakers are projected to spend nearly $200 billion just on EVs over the next five years, NPR reports. And according to a new Consumer Reports survey, more Americans than ever are interested in buying an EV.