Automotive
Ford’s eye-popping $19.5 billion EV write-down isn’t only a headline-grabber, it’s a reminder that automakers construct on long timelines while Washington can flip the script in a single election cycle. When rules and incentives swing hard in opposite directions, product plans that made sense on a spreadsheet two years ago can suddenly seem like expensive wishful considering on the dealer lot.
An enormous piece of the whiplash for shoppers is that the federal EV tax credits that helped soften the blow on purchase prices are gone. The $7,500 new-EV credit and $4,000 used-EV credit ended after September 30, 2025, and the market response was immediate. Without that quick discount, more buyers are hesitating, leasing, or pivoting to hybrids, especially as the common new-vehicle transaction price has been hovering across the $50,000 mark.
That reality is pushing Detroit right into a more cautious, profit-protecting posture. Ford has openly shifted away from chasing massive EV volume within the near term, and GM has also slowed EV output and delayed some factory ramp-ups as demand proved softer than the industry expected. The buyer-friendly takeaway is easy: you need to expect fewer “we’re going all-EV next week” guarantees, and more flexible lineups where gas, hybrid, plug-in, and full EVs all live side by side.
The largest near-term winner looks just like the hybrid, not the pure EV. Hybrids have been rising quickly in registrations and sales, and Toyota has benefited from leaning into electrified options early and sometimes. For shoppers, meaning more hybrid trims on familiar nameplates, more inventory, and fewer compromises, especially in the event you are usually not able to construct your routine around charging.
Then there’s the wildcard that might define 2026 showroom conversations: extended-range electric vehicles, or EREVs. Ford is already talking a few next-gen F-150 Lightning approach with an estimated 700+ miles of total range using an onboard generator, principally an EV-first truck that carries its own safety net for road trips and towing days. If this strategy spreads, it could give buyers the quiet torque and around-town electric driving they like, without the long-distance anxiety that also scares off loads of mainstream truck owners.
Charging must also feel less fragmented by 2026, even when EV sales growth stays choppy. The industry’s move toward Tesla’s North American Charging Standard is steadily improving cross-brand compatibility, and more automakers are lining up to supply Supercharger access. For consumers, that matters since it reduces the “which plug do I want” stress and might make EV ownership feel more normal, whilst incentives come and go.
Where this gets especially interesting is pricing pressure from the broader world. China is already constructing EVs cheaply enough to challenge gas vehicles on price in lots of cases, while U.S. EVs still are likely to carry a noticeable premium. Even when trade barriers slow the flood of imports, global competition still pushes automakers to seek out cost-down solutions, which is why you’ll keep hearing about smaller batteries, cheaper platforms, and simpler feature packaging through 2026.
So what do you have to expect in your next purchase over the following 12 months or two? More hybrids in every size class, more plug-ins and EREVs positioned because the “better of each worlds,” and a slower, more selective rollout of full EVs from the standard truck-and-SUV heavyweights. Meanwhile, EV deals is not going to disappear, they are going to just be driven more by manufacturer incentives, leases, and dealer-level pricing than by a predictable federal check. Should you can charge at home and you propose to maintain a vehicle long enough to profit from lower operating costs, an EV can still pencil out, but 2026 is shaping as much as be the 12 months the industry meets most buyers where they really are, not where the policy winds said they might be.
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Darryl Taylor Dowe is a seasoned automotive skilled with a proven track record of leading successful ventures and providing strategic consultation across the automotive industry. With years of hands-on experience in each business operations and market development, Darryl has played a key role in helping automotive brands grow and adapt in a rapidly evolving landscape. His insight and leadership have earned him recognition as a trusted expert, and his contributions to Automotive Addicts reflect his deep knowledge and keenness for the business side of the automobile world.
This Article First Appeared At www.automotiveaddicts.com
