Hybrid electric vehicles reached 16 percent of United States light-duty vehicle sales in the third quarter of 2026 and continued to gain share, while battery electric vehicles fell to 6 percent from 10 percent in the third quarter of 2025 and plug-in hybrids fell to 0.7 percent from 1.8 percent, the Energy Information Administration said on Monday, citing Omdia estimates. Combined, the three types took 23 percent of sales, down slightly from 24 percent a year earlier. The two federal credits for buying or leasing new electric vehicles expired on September 30, 2025, and battery electric vehicles had reached a record 12 percent of sales in September 2025, immediately before the expiry.
Hybrids gain share as battery electric sales stay lower
Hybrid electric vehicles reached 16 percent of United States light-duty vehicle sales in the third quarter of 2026, while battery electric vehicles fell to 6 percent from 10 percent a year earlier, the Energy Information Administration said on Monday.
Why it matters: The shift in the sales mix changes the demand read-through, because hybrids burn liquid fuel and do not draw on the grid, a year after the federal clean vehicle credits that hybrids never qualified for expired.
Data as of EIA Today in Energy analysis, October 19, 2026, read in full. Figures are Omdia estimates reported by the EIA. Single primary source, hence grade B. Developing item.
Sources
- Hybrid sales rise while battery electric sales remain lower after tax credit expiration · U.S. Energy Information Administration · 2026-10-19