Electric vehicles had a bumpy road in 2025 — and one pleasant surprise

[Biker16]

This year.2025 was a roller coaster year for EVs https://www.npr.org/2025/12/29/nx-s1-5638592/electric-vehicles-2025

 

Quote

The electric vehicle industry has taken a pummeling this year. The Trump administration, as expected, reversed a whole suite of federal policies that promoted or encouraged EVs.

 

California's ability to require the sale of EVs: gone. Federal rules about emissions and fuel economy — being rewritten. Federal penalties for car companies that sell too many gas guzzlers: zeroed out. The $7,500 federal tax credit? Kaput.

Meanwhile, automakers delayed or canceled a host of unprofitable EV plans.

 

The all-electric Ram 1500 REV was canceled before a single one was built. The all-electric Ford Lightning was discontinued despite some glowing reviews. (Both pickups will be replaced with extended-range electric vehicles, which come with both a big battery and a backup gas tank.)

 

The buzzy Volkswagen Buzz is still available in other countries, but no longer in the U.S. The GM Brightdrop van is no more. The list goes on.

Sales spiked in August and September, during the last weeks that the federal tax credit was available, as buyers rushed to take advantage of the expiring opportunity. Cox estimated EVs hit an all-time high of 11.6% of the new vehicle market in September. Then sales crashed by 50% in October.

 

But here's a twist.

 

"Among U.S. shoppers who are in [the] market for new vehicles, the interest in electric vehicles actually ticked up a bit after the tax credit went away," says Brent Gruber, who runs the EV practice at consumer insights company J.D. Power.

 

It's the EV story you might not have heard this year: Despite the political and product planning whiplash, consumer appetite for EVs has been on a very smooth ride.

 

Overall, about 25% of new car shoppers are very interested in buying an EV, according to J.D. Power surveys. And with minor fluctuations, "it's held pretty consistent," Gruber says, despite what he calls the "turbulence" of this year.

 

Edited December 29, 2025 by Biker16

[morgan20]

Yea, here's some more data from the big shots at J.D. Power:

 

 

 

[morgan20]

On 12/29/2025 at 12:01 PM, Biker16 said:

Overall, about 25% of new car shoppers are very interested in buying an EV

 

According to the Stay Connected: EV Monthly Recharge report for December 2025, EVs accounted for 9.5 percent of U.S. new vehicle sales through November 2025. Since about a quarter of new car shoppers are very interested in buying an EV, there's a lot of unfulfilled demand. 

 

And a great opportunity for automakers, especially those not named Tesla, to take advantage of that demand (the report said Year-to-date, market leader Tesla sold roughly 30,000 fewer vehicles than at this point last year and has ceded about 2.3 percentage points of EV market share, equivalent to a roughly 6 percent decline in share.)

[twintornados]

I believe that CE1 will hit the "sweet spot" of EV sales in North America....not some teeny-tiny electrobox on wheels nor will it be a 8-9K lbs behemoth that is a monster to drive and park. right in the middle with an attractive "post tax break" price and a "good on electrons" miles to empty quotient that will satisfy the 80% in the middle shoppers of new vehicles. 

[Biker16]

4 hours ago, twintornados said:

I believe that CE1 will hit the "sweet spot" of EV sales in North America....not some teeny-tiny electrobox on wheels nor will it be a 8-9K lbs behemoth that is a monster to drive and park. right in the middle with an attractive "post tax break" price and a "good on electrons" miles to empty quotient that will satisfy the 80% in the middle shoppers of new vehicles. 

 

My concern is what the dealers will do with this product. Lower price, lower margin, and lower reoccurring service revenue. 

[akirby]

13 minutes ago, Biker16 said:

 

My concern is what the dealers will do with this product. Lower price, lower margin, and lower reoccurring service revenue. 

Sell them just like they sold original Maverick, fiesta, focus and ecosport.

 

 

[morgan20]

1 hour ago, Biker16 said:

My concern is what the dealers will do with this product. Lower price, lower margin, and lower reoccurring service revenue. 

 

1 hour ago, akirby said:

Sell them just like they sold original Maverick, fiesta, focus and ecosport.

 

Yea, the big shots at Ford and at Ford dealers will not only push their sales staff to sell the CE1 products in high volume with rapid turnover, but also get those customers to buy high profit add-on accessories, subscription services, extended warranties, and all that jazz.

 

Maybe if Ford's new battery storage business has a consumer segment by then, dealers will be encouraged to pitch Ford's energy storage/management products to CE1 vehicle customers too, like what salespeople at Tesla automotive stores do now with their Powerwall and Solar products.

Edited January 1 by morgan20

[Motorpsychology]

2 hours ago, Biker16 said:

 

My concern is what the dealers will do with this product. Lower price, lower margin, and lower reoccurring service revenue. 

I think the retail model we have in the US will need to evolve into something less capital intensive than what we currently have. Think about the acres of real estate needed to run a profitable dealership. Then all of the financed (in most cases) new inventory sitting on that taxed and probably mortgaged real estate, collecting interest and guano over time. And of course the year end blowout sale to clear the lot for the next year's model, and the old maids that carry forward into the following year, all sold at little or no profit, maybe a loss. 

 

We hear about how much faster-better-cheaper the new CE-1's will be to build, so streamline the order process so that the customer can order a car in person or online, and pick it up within 2-3 weeks, and have a few, maybe couple dozen vehicles on hand for spot delivery, at a premium price over an order out. The remaining acreage can become expanded used car sales or boat & RV storage.

[danglin]

6 hours ago, Biker16 said:

 

My concern is what the dealers will do with this product. Lower price, lower margin, and lower reoccurring service revenue. 

 

That would be my concern too, lower margins basically the same as Edge, Escape, Fusion etc., while selling at lower volume most likely!

So what was the point of dropping all of these other vehicles?

 

Hope I am wrong about all of this though!

[akirby]

1 hour ago, danglin said:

 

That would be my concern too, lower margins basically the same as Edge, Escape, Fusion etc., while selling at lower volume most likely!

So what was the point of dropping all of these other vehicles?

 

Hope I am wrong about all of this though!

No reason to think margins will be lower.  There won't be a lot of direct competition so no price pressure and costs should;d be considerably lower.  

[balthisar]

I took a version of that poll. I have both an EV and and ICE. I buy them in turns, EV now, then ICE, then EV. My next purchase will be ICE. Too bad the poll emphasises "next" purchase rather than "purchases in the next n years."