General Motors reported a weaker third quarter in the US market, with total deliveries falling 5.5% year on year to 670,974 vehicles. The much steeper decline was in electric vehicles, where several Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac models recorded substantial drops compared with the unusually strong third quarter of 2025.
Equinox EV and Blazer EV post the steepest declines
The Chevrolet Equinox EV saw the largest fall among GM’s major electric models. According to GM’s Q3 sales data, deliveries dropped to 1,905 units in the third quarter of 2026, compared with 25,085 units a year earlier—a 92.4% decline.
Equinox EV volume for the first nine months of 2026 stood at 18,154 units, down 65.6% from 52,834 vehicles over the same period in 2025. The result contrasts sharply with the combustion-engined Chevrolet Equinox, which sold 67,203 units in the third quarter.
That gap does not by itself prove that buyers are choosing petrol-powered vehicles over EVs. Pricing, incentives, inventory availability, fleet deliveries and the positioning of each model can all affect quarterly results. However, the figures underline the difficult sales environment facing one of GM’s more accessible electric SUVs.
The Chevrolet Blazer EV also declined sharply. Q3 sales fell 84.4% to 1,261 units, from 8,089 units in Q3 2025. Its year-to-date total was 4,427 units, a 78.7% decrease from 20,825 units in the prior-year period.
Electric pickups trail GM’s conventional truck business
GM’s electric pickups were also under pressure. Chevrolet Silverado EV sales fell 58.0% year on year to 1,655 units in the third quarter, while deliveries for the first nine months declined 43.2% to 5,327 units.
By comparison, overall Chevrolet Silverado nameplate sales increased 2.7% in Q3 to 146,639 vehicles. The contrast indicates that GM’s core truck business remained comparatively resilient, even as electric pickup demand weakened.
At GMC, Hummer EV sales fell 72.9% to 1,423 units, while the Sierra EV dropped 50.8% to 1,661 units. GMC’s overall US volume declined 4.7% to 157,103 vehicles, although conventional Sierra LD sales rose 2.9% and Yukon deliveries increased 8%.
Cadillac EV results were mixed
Cadillac’s electric range did not move in a single direction. Lyriq sales fell 50.5% to 3,617 vehicles in the quarter, while Escalade IQ/IQL deliveries declined 29.2% to 1,604 units. The Vistiq recorded 2,587 sales, down 34.1% year on year.
The Cadillac Optiq was the exception. Its Q3 volume of 4,550 units was only 6.9% below the previous year, and its first-nine-month sales were up 18.4%. That performance suggests GM’s EV slowdown was significant but not uniform across every brand and price segment.
Tax-credit comparison complicates the picture
The year-on-year comparisons are affected by the timing of the federal New Clean Vehicle Credit. The IRS states that the credit was not available for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025. As a result, Q3 2025 included buyers seeking to complete purchases before the federal incentive expired.
Reuters reported that GM’s EV sales were down by roughly 62% in Q3 2026, while the company’s total US sales declined 5.5%. The news agency also noted that the previous-year EV market benefited from purchases accelerated by the expiry of the $7,500 federal credit.
Other factors cited as affecting the wider US market include vehicle prices, financing costs, fuel prices, model availability and shifting consumer preferences. GM’s conventional portfolio continued to provide support: Chevrolet Trax sales rose 51.1% to 57,917 units, while Corvette volume increased 28.5%.
GM said the launch of its next-generation full-size pickups remains on schedule and that it is focused on its US manufacturing footprint and new vehicle investments. The immediate challenge for the automaker will be determining whether demand for models including the Equinox EV, Blazer EV and Silverado EV stabilises at current levels without the former federal purchase incentive.
