While Stellantis tallies, GM announces higher EV and retail sales, lower fleets

GM announced a small downturn in overall USA sales, selling 659,601 vehicles in the United States for the third quarter of 2024. That’s down 2% from the same quarter in 2023, but retail sales were up by 3%, meaning that the decline was entirely in fleet sales.

The company sold 32,195 battery-electrics during the quarter despite having dropped the Bolt and ramping up EV production more slowly than anticipated. The Equinox, their most affordable EV with the Bolt out of production, is responsive for nearly a third of their total EV sales. A more affordable Silverado electric will launch during the next quarter, along with two Cadillac EVs.

GM remains the top-selling automaker in the country, and has long been the top seller of full-sized pickups and full-sized SUVs. Their EV sales were up 60% year-over-year, helped by defectors from Tesla and by new product including the pictured Equinox. What’s more, the company claimed that half of their EV buyers were new to GM. EVs remain a very small share of the company’s sales—around 5%. At that, their share of the US EV market has risen to 9.5%. That is nowhere near their U.S. market share but it is better than it has been.

Both Chevrolet and Ram are introducing new 2025 full-sized 1500 pickups. Chevrolet still has a diesel version of their Silverado 1500, along with the biggest V8 in the segment (which does not match the Hurricane Six High Output in horsepower or torque); it also has Super Cruise and an optional Super Cruise driver assistance system which can handle trailers. The Ram likely has the best overall powertrains in the Hurricane.

Stellantis has slashed prices on many vehicles and has been offering lease rates of around 1% to retirees to clear old stock. Their third quarter sales report is still not expected to be strong, and may be released tomorrow rather than today.