EV sales in the U.S. are running well below last year's pace. For fleet buyers, the slowdown arrives with some openings, including a larger used market and a narrower price gap with gas vehicles, while the model lineup shifts underneath them. The procurement question is which vehicles can handle the routes at a total cost the team can defend.
GM's Third-Quarter Deliveries Show the Scale of the Drop
General Motors (GM) delivered 670,974 vehicles in the U.S. in the third quarter of 2026, down 5.5% from a year earlier, according to the company's quarterly deliveries table. Its electric models fell much harder. Equinox EV deliveries dropped 92.4% to 1,905 and the Blazer EV fell 84.4%. GM's BrightDrop vans, the electric models built for commercial delivery fleets, declined 43.6% to 1,344.
The year-ago quarter is a tough comparison. In its own October 2025 sales release, GM reported a record 66,501 EV deliveries for that quarter and said industry sales had surged as buyers moved to use the $7,500 federal tax credit. That sets a high bar, though it does not explain every model's decline.
Federal Credits Have Left the Budget Math
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) confirms that neither the new clean vehicle credit nor the commercial clean vehicle credit applies to vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025. The commercial credit had been worth up to $7,500 for vehicles under 14,000 pounds and up to $40,000 for heavier ones, subject to qualifying rules. Budgets still carrying that credit need rework, and new orders should be priced on current manufacturer incentives plus any state or utility programs confirmed for the specific vehicle and location.
Used EVs Gain Ground as New Prices Ease
Cox Automotive's August EV Market Monitor estimated new EV sales at 78,895, down 46.9% from a year earlier but up 2.5% from July. EVs took 5.7% of new-vehicle sales. Used EVs moved in the opposite direction, with sales climbing 14.7% year over year to 44,350 as more off-lease vehicles came back to market.
The average new EV sold for $54,754 in August, a $4,847 premium over the conventional vehicles in Cox's comparison group, and incentives averaged about $6,594 per vehicle. Used EVs listed at an average of $37,441. That figure is an asking price, so fleets should treat it as an opening point for negotiation. Operating costs can shift the comparison further, especially for vehicles that log heavy annual mileage.
Lineup Changes Call for a Fresh Shortlist
While several GM electric models shrank, the returning Chevrolet Bolt added 3,866 deliveries in the quarter. GM's April launch announcement lists the 2027 Bolt at a starting price of $28,995 including destination, with an EPA-estimated range of 262 miles.
Procurement teams can confirm order availability, warranty terms and service support for each shortlisted model, then widen the list with used units where routes allow. For used vehicles, battery health and charging compatibility deserve as much attention as price. Charging equipment and electricity rates belong in the same comparison, just as new pricing is reshaping replacement plans for conventional trucks.
Fourth-quarter results will offer the first year-over-year comparison without a credit rush in the base period. Buyers will also learn whether off-lease supply keeps lifting the used market.
