EV Prices Climb 2.4% in September as Discounts Shrink — SkimNews
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- Average EV transaction price rose to $55,879 in September, up 2.4% from August's revised $54,574, according to Kelley Blue Book
- Year-over-year EV prices sat 3% below September 2025, helped by a stronger mix of more affordable models reaching the market
- The EV-vs-ICE price premium held at 11% in September—steady across 2026 but sharply compressed from roughly 18% in 2025
- Automaker EV discounts shrank to 11% of ATP in September, their lowest level this year and down from 14.2% a year earlier, equating to roughly $6,147 in incentives per vehicle
- Tesla posted a 3.3% month-over-month ATP increase to $54,345, with the Model 3 averaging $53,804 and the Model Y averaging $53,052—and the two nameplates accounting for nearly 97% of Tesla's sales
- Cybertruck moved nearly 1,500 units in September at an average transaction price of $98,109
- Polestar is running a rebate of up to $25,000 off the Polestar 4's $56,400–$57,800 MSRP through November 2, illustrating how aggressive individual EV deals still run beneath the industry mean
Why it matters: September hit EV buyers twice: prices climbed 2.4% while automakers trimmed average incentives to 11% of ATP, down from 14.2% a year earlier when the $7,500 federal tax credit was still available. Despite that monthly setback, the EV-vs-ICE premium has compressed to 11% from roughly 18% in 2025, putting price parity closer than it's been in years.
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