Macro pressures, tariff woes, intense competition, and the elimination of the $7,500 tax credit are expected to weigh on electric vehicle sales over the near term. However, certain EV makers are thriving despite the ongoing challenges. Using TipRanks’ Stock Comparison Tool, we placed Rivian Automotive (RIVN), Tesla (TSLA), and XPeng (XPEV) against each other to find the best EV stock, according to analysts.
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Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) Stock
Rivian Automotive stock has declined about 11% year-to-date, as the American EV maker continues to disappoint investors with weak deliveries. While the company surpassed analysts’ Q1 revenue expectations and reported a narrower-than-projected loss in May, it lowered its full-year deliveries guidance to 40,000 to 46,000 units from the previous range of 46,000 to 51,000 units, citing tariff pressures and macro challenges.
Earlier this week, Rivian reported a 23% year-over-year decline in its Q2 deliveries to 10,661 units. However, the company maintained its full-year delivery outlook, which it had revised in May. Looking ahead, Rivian bulls expect the company’s upcoming launch of affordable models to improve its fortunes.
Is Rivian Stock a Buy or Sell?
Recently, Canaccord Genuity analyst George Gianarikas reiterated a Buy rating on Rivian stock with a price target of $23. The analyst thinks that the second-quarter delivery announcement was a non-event in a “good way,” with a reaffirmation of the full-year delivery guidance. He noted that Rivian received another scheduled cash infusion of $1 billion from Volkswagen (VWAGY) as part of their joint venture. Gianarikas believes that the joint venture has helped address capital concerns to quite an extent.
“The R2 wait — impatiently — continues,” stated Gianarikas. Management’s recent commentary suggests that the R2 roll-out remains on track in the first half of 2026, with an expected starting price of about $45,000. The analyst continues to believe that the future of Rivian depends on the success of R2, which could be “a company and industry game changer.”
With 13 Holds, eight Buys, and three Sell recommendations, Wall Street has a Hold consensus rating on Rivian stock. The average RIVN stock price target of $14.78 implies 13% upside potential.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) Stock
Tesla stock is down 22% so far this year, as the Elon Musk-led EV company continues to disappoint investors with its weak performance amid intense competition. While the much-awaited launch of Tesla’s robotaxis in Austin has been encouraging, the decline in EV demand continues to be a drag.
Specifically, Tesla reported a 13.5% year-over-year decline in Q2 deliveries to 384,122 units, marking the second consecutive quarter of lower deliveries. Some analysts felt that TSLA’s Q2 deliveries were better than feared. However, many analysts remain cautious on Tesla stock, as they patiently await a rebound in the company’s performance and further rollout of robotaxis.
Is Tesla a Buy, Sell, or Hold?
Following the Q2 deliveries report, Oppenheimer analyst Colin Rusch reaffirmed a Hold rating on Tesla stock. The 5-star analyst stated that Q2 deliveries from U.S. factories likely totaled about 165,000, indicating relatively strong sell-through supported by the refreshed Model Y. Rusch believes that investors will quickly shift focus to progress on full self-driving (FSD) performance and the company’s ability to maintain both margin and free cash flow.
The analyst expects higher Model 3/Y sell-through to support margins, helping offset dismal Model S/X/Cybertruck sales. He expects Tesla bulls to highlight improving China sales as a leading indicator of progress on global demand, while bears will point to headwinds like relative market share losses and question TSLA’s technology dominance. Rusch expects TSLA stock to rally and hold gains into the second-quarter results.
Overall, Wall Street has a Hold consensus rating on Tesla stock based on 14 Buys, 12 Holds, and nine Sell recommendations. The average TSLA stock price target of $293.09 indicates a possible downside of 7.1%.
XPeng (NYSE:XPEV) Stock
XPeng stock has rallied 59% year-to-date and more than 126% over the past year, as investors are impressed with the Chinese EV maker’s strong performance despite intense competition in the domestic market. The company reported a 141.5% jump in its Q1 2025 revenue, enhanced gross margin, and reduced losses.
Most recently, XPeng reported a 224% year-over-year jump in its June deliveries to 34,611 vehicles. This marked the eighth consecutive month in which the company’s monthly deliveries surpassed 30,000 units. It is worth noting that XPeng delivered 197,189 vehicles in the first half of 2025, exceeding its total deliveries of 190,068 units in the entire year of 2024.
Is XPEV a Good Stock to Buy?
Recently, Goldman Sachs analyst Tina Hou upgraded XPeng stock to Buy from Hold and raised the price target to $24 from $18.60, noting improved vehicle competitiveness, stepped-up model launches, and significant cost reductions through component redesign and sensor suite optimization.
Hou noted that XPeng’s organizational and supply chain restructuring initiatives are beginning to yield results, supporting the company’s aim to deliver more sustainable volume growth and higher profit margins. The analyst also highlighted that XPeng’s recent models, including the Mona M03 and P7+, have ranked among the top-selling cars in their segments. Hou added that the company is accelerating its product rollout and plans to launch around 10 new or refreshed models annually compared to one to two launches in previous years.
Overall, Wall Street has a Moderate Buy consensus rating on XPeng stock, based on six Buys, two Holds, and one Sell recommendation. The average XPEV stock price target of $24.78 indicates 31.5% upside potential.
Conclusion
Wall Street is sidelined on Tesla and Rivian stocks, but bullish on XPeng stock. Even after a solid year-to-date rally, analysts see higher upside potential in XPEV stock than in the other two EV stocks. Despite intense competition in the Chinese EV market and macro challenges, XPeng continues to impress investors with its robust performance and strong execution.