In automotive, there is no bigger task ahead than the shift to electrification. While there are still concerns about costs and charging infrastructure, sales show that more people are adopting EVs. In the first quarter of 2025, EV sales increased by 11.4% compared to last year. Interestingly, this growth is coming from brands other than Tesla. While Tesla’s sales declined, new models from Acura, Audi, Chevrolet, Honda and Porsche helped boost overall EV sales.
At Cox Automotive, we remain optimistic about the future. Despite some ups and downs, and starts and stops in regulations, we see a strong interest in EVs among consumers. Our data shows that an average of 4.4 million households have shown interest in electric vehicles over the past 90 days.
Additionally, research and shopping for EVs on Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book have remained stable, with a 9% increase in New Car Visits year-over-year. Similarly, we’ve seen Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid shopping increase by 11% year-over-year. While interest varies across different regions in the U.S., we’ve seen an increase in EV and Hybrid shopping across all Census Regions, even with lower gas prices.
Download our latest EV and Hybrid shopper data and explore advertising opportunities with Cox Automotive to reach this highly engaged audience.
In the meantime, continue preparing for the rise in EV adoption, and read our blog on increasing consumer adoption of EVs. Here’s a snapshot of a few insights and the actions you can take to focus on EV sales:
Insight: Shoppers are skeptical about making the EV switch.
Action: Incorporate more EV related material in your content. EV buyers actively seek information online, consuming more content than their (ICE) counterparts. Since the concept of EVs is still new to some shoppers, they rely heavily on content, especially videos, when researching online
Insight: EV Shopper demographics are becoming more mainstream.
Action: Use data to your advantage and work with your digital marketing partner to ensure your EV advertising is getting in front of more consumers that are interested in EVs. Additionally, provide more education around EVs about what manufacturers sell EVs, and the different models and varying price ranges can help with awareness.
Insight: Dealers need to feel confident to sell EVs.
Action: As a dealer, ensure you are reaching out to your OEMs to help educate consumers on their line-up, on the key differences and benefits of EV vs. ICE, as well as provide information on EVs listed for sale.
The road to electrification certainly has not been a linear progression, but there’s a lot to be optimistic about with exciting new products and a robust and growing consumer base.
