Tesla delivered 486,532 vehicles in the third quarter of 2026, ahead of the roughly 461,100 expected by analysts tracked by StreetAccount. The total was about 2% below the 497,099 vehicles it delivered in the third quarter of 2025.
The result was higher than Tesla’s 480,126 deliveries in Q2 2026. Its Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV made up 478,237 deliveries, or about 98% of the quarterly total.
The figures show Tesla continuing to move new cars despite troubles in the U.S. market. They do not, however, provide a regional breakdown or establish how much the loss of a federal incentive may have affected demand.
The U.S. federal EV tax credit expired after 30 September 2025, after President Donald Trump’s spending legislation shortened the programme. The Inflation Reduction Act, signed in 2022, had kept the credit in place until 2032.
Tesla shares rose about 2% after the delivery figures were released.
Rivian, meanwhile, delivered 19,248 vehicles in the third quarter of 2026, roughly 45% more than in the same period a year earlier.
Its R2 SUV launched in June, making the third quarter of 2026 its first full sales quarter. The model currently starts at just under $60,000.
Rivian said the R2 would be one of the fastest-selling EVs in U.S. history, second only to Tesla’s Model Y.
UK sales offered another measure of demand. Total car sales reached 350,508 in September 2026, described as the strongest September result for almost a decade.
Electric vehicles recorded 99,199 sales, a record for September 2026, and took a 28.3% market share. The Tesla Model 3 logged 9,929 sales and ranked second in the UK new-car chart, while the Model Y sold 5,946 and placed fifth.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: 'September's record EV performance is a major achievement. Drivers are increasingly embracing the growing choice of models made available and high fuel prices are also undoubtedly giving more consumers reason to consider going electric.'
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