The threat by President-elect Donald Trump to end tax credits for electric vehicles helped lift sales in the fourth quarter, giving U.S. automakers a much-needed boost after a disappointing year.

At General Motors, EV sales more than doubled to almost 44,000 in the quarter. Ford Motor Co. saw a 16% jump in the category to about 30,000 vehicles. Overall EV sales gained 12%, pushing the full-year total to a record 1.3 million, according to forecasts from researcher Cox Automotive.

The strength in EVs helped push total car sales up from the year prior. The annualized rate for 2024 rose to 15.9 million cars, based on the average forecast of four researchers, up from 15.5 million a year ago.

This EV emergence isn’t expected to last into 2025. The results of the U.S. presidential election encouraged buyers holding out for deals to make purchases before potential policy changes championed by Trump make electric options more expensive.

Only a quarter of new-car shoppers are considering an EV for their next purchase, down 2 percentage points from a year ago, according to JD Power.

“Threats and worries” contributed to a “sense of urgency to buying,” Jonathan Smoke, Cox’s chief economist, said on a December call with reporters. “That’s true in overall purchase activity, and it’s also very much true to the EV story.”

Trump made repealing federal policies meant to boost U.S. EV sales a key part of his campaign, railing against what he called President Joe Biden’s “insane electric vehicle mandate.” Advisers to his transition team have recommended cutting the $7,500 tax credit on plug-in vehicles, which would make the already expensive vehicles even further out of reach for U.S. consumers. The president-elect has also threatened tariffs on Canada and Mexico — both tightly integrated into the U.S. auto supply chain — which could also drive up the price of cars.

Electric vehicle startup Rivian Automotive in Irvine said it produced 12,727 vehicles and delivered 14,183 vehicles during the quarter, down from production of 17,541 vehicles and sales of 13,972 vehicles during the same period in 2023. Rivian’s full-year sales of 51,579 rose slightly from 50,122 in the prior year.

Sales of Ford’s electric Mustang Mach-E jumped 36% in the final three months of the year, helping to offset a 10% decline in deliveries of the F-150 Lightning plug-in pickup. Ford halted production of the Lighting at the end of last year to reduce inventory and losses. Total F-Series pickup sales, including gas-fueled models, rose 21% in the quarter.

Tesla is still the sales leader in EVs by far, but experienced its first annual sales drop in more than a decline last year despite reporting record fourth-quarter deliveries.

Meanwhile, electric compact and mid-size SUVs from GM, Honda, Hyundai and Kia attracted more shoppers in December, according to JD Power.

On average, EV buyers got a $5,600 rebate per car with the current tax credit, JD Power figures show. Without that kind of incentive, demand could plunge as much as 27%, according to economists.