Toyota’s new electric SUVs are catching on, with nearly 5,000 sold in August

This one is about cars, not home energy upgrades, but here's what happened. Toyota's electric SUVs had a strong August, with the bZ model leading the growth. Toyota sold nearly 5,000 electric vehicles last month, up 35% from July, while total US electric vehicle sales rose 2.5% from July to about 78,895 units. That's still down nearly 47% from a year earlier, when buyers were rushing to claim a federal $7,500 EV tax credit that has since ended.

The bigger trend worth noting is price. The average price for a new electric vehicle fell to $54,754 in August, narrowing the gap with gas-powered cars to under $5,000, or about 9.7%. Cheaper models like the Toyota bZ, Chevrolet Bolt, and Toyota C-HR helped pull that average down. The redesigned 2027 Toyota bZ now starts at $34,980 with up to 236 miles of range, or $37,980 for a version with up to 314 miles. Toyota also sells the smaller C-HR starting at $37,080 and the bZ Woodland starting at $45,380.

If you're weighing an electric vehicle purchase alongside home upgrades like a heat pump or insulation, this suggests EV prices are inching closer to gas-car territory, which could matter if you're also planning to add home charging or pair an EV with solar or other electrification projects.