The automotive business is an thrilling one to cowl as a journalist as a result of, greater than maybe every other client product, automobiles contact each facet of our lives.
Whenever you write about automobiles, you are not writing about automobiles—you are writing about supplies science, vitality, manufacturing coverage, world economics, private finance, the local weather, geopolitics, and a lot extra. And in the previous couple of years, this business has moved at a tempo that may really feel unimaginable to maintain up with. Particularly in 2025. Trying again, I might’ve used just a few extra gradual information days round right here.
Fortunately for me, the InsideEVs staff was greater than up for this job. In order we bid farewell to 2025, I wished to take a second to salute our greatest tales of the yr in all of the types they took, from information articles to investigative reporting to podcast episodes and movies.
What’s in retailer for subsequent yr? I hate making predictions, however I’ve just a few issues on my radar. Extra EV fashions could get canceled, whereas newer, extra promising choices with higher vary and charging can be in play. Affordability issues will dominate the dialog. Charging networks will proceed to develop. Autonomous automobiles are fairly clearly right here to remain. The business will hold pushing towards a software-defined future, whether or not it is what drivers need or not. With a bit of luck, automakers can be completed with tariff chaos—possibly. And we’ll quickly see a serious shakeout in China’s fast-growing EV house.
I do know we’ll have lots to maintain us busy subsequent yr. Till then, get pleasure from our greatest work from this one, and thanks on your continued assist of all we do right here.
Our staff re-launched the InsideEVs podcast in 2024, however I really feel like this previous yr is after we actually hit our stride. My co-host and I, Senior Editor Tim Levin, emphasised high-profile business company, and we obtained a giant one for this episode: Common Motors’ President, Mark Reuss. On this episode, the longtime govt, racer and gearhead explains what’s coming subsequent on the EV entrance—and why he thinks battery-powered automobiles can be part of America’s automotive panorama any more, regardless of any headwinds.
Photograph by: Ralph Hermens
The primary theme behind all the things we cowl at InsideEVs is that this: the way forward for the auto business is, greater than probably, battery-powered, more and more automated and related by superior software program—however getting there ain’t straightforward. On this story, Deputy Editor Mack Hogan dives into why almost each automaker, whether or not it is a newcomer startup or a legacy veteran, has had software program complications. We definitely noticed loads of that in 2025, and I am undecided 2026 can be any smoother. So when does the business determine these things out?
Photograph by: Ralph Hermens
Reporter Suvrat Kothari is on the battery beat. It is by no means boring, between the fixed breakthroughs and in addition the guarantees that by no means fairly appear to materialize. Stable-state batteries match into the latter camp. They have been hailed because the Holy Grail of battery tech for many years, promising sooner charging speeds, fewer hearth dangers, much less weight and numerous different advantages. So, when will they actually hit sequence manufacturing? Just a few Chinese language automakers could get there subsequent yr, however on this story, Suvrat seems to be at what a serious, wide-scale breakthrough would actually take.
Video: Rivian’s Additionally E-Bike Is The Coolest E-Bike I’ve Ever Seen
Rivian’s Additionally spinoff is likely one of the extra fascinating experiments in “e-mobility” that I’ve ever seen. Largely, that is as a result of it is really taking place—it isn’t just a few idea car or a white-labeled e-bike, however an actual product you should buy quickly. On this video tour, Tim explains why it could possibly be a game-changer for the house.
Photograph by: InsideEVs
Author Iulian Dnistran has been within the EV recreation a very long time, and he is very clear-eyed concerning the issues that trendy EVs get proper—and the place they’ll nonetheless fall quick for a lot of drivers. A Volvo PHEV proprietor himself, he explains on this story why the fuel engine has to evolve, and why hybrid energy is about to point out extra promise than ever for a lot of people.
Photograph by: Illustration by Sam Woolley
I like to spotlight the work of fascinating firms on this house. Chances are you’ll not have heard of Alpitronic, however its expertise is spreading at warp velocity behind the scenes. Suvrat dives into why it is rising so shortly and what’s in retailer for it subsequent.
Video: We Visited China—Its EVs Are Taking Over The World
I have been extraordinarily happy with InsideEVs’ China protection over the previous few years. China’s automakers have a commanding lead on expertise in comparison with the remainder of the world, and we’ve labored to emphasise what that really means for drivers in every single place. On this video, our China professional Kevin Williams takes you behind the wheel of a few of that nation’s best choices. How the remainder of the world contends with them can be a serious story for 2026 and past.
Talking of China, I’m extraordinarily happy with this story and video bundle (which I shot myself, regardless of not being a videographer in any means, form or kind). Attending to Beijing in the course of the Shanghai Auto Present and speaking my means into this BYD occasion took a whole lot of doing, however ultimately, we have been the primary Western outlet to expertise the automaker’s five-minute EV charging expertise.
Photograph by: Ralph Hermens
Lengthy earlier than the F-150 Lightning met its unceremonious finish, Mack—who’s a giant truck man—has been vocal concerning the strengths and shortcomings of absolutely electrical vans. Positive, lots of them are nice, however getting them to do all the things a fuel truck can do goes to be a long-term technical problem that we’re excited to cowl. This is why that is the case, and why hybrid energy reveals such promise for large vans.
Photograph by: Illustration by Sam Woolley
Kevin went again to China this fall to take a look at Xpeng, which really got here out of stealth mode in 2025 with aggressive plans for autonomous automobiles, humanoid robots, vitality storage… sound acquainted? This is an excellent have a look at what’s subsequent for a model that could possibly be an even bigger a part of the dialog subsequent yr.
2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA First Drive
Photograph by: Andrei Nedelea
European correspondent Andrei Nedelea has an excellent description for what’s subsequent within the EV house: what he calls Gen3 automobiles. If the primary era was stuff like the unique Nissan Leaf, BMW i3 and even the Tesla Mannequin S, and the second era was all the things from the Tesla Mannequin Y to the Hyundai Ioniq 5, then think about what classes the following crop will incorporate. Amid a tricky yr, this checklist is a superb cause to be optimistic concerning the future.
Photograph by: Illustration by Sam Woolley
However many automakers are nonetheless utilizing this second to retreat from that future, particularly in the event that they weren’t actually forward on forward-facing applied sciences to start with. On this story, contributor Brett Berk dives into the explanations behind the EV retreat at Stellantis and what the long-term ramifications of that call is perhaps.
Photograph by: InsideEVs
We won’t get by an end-of-year roundup checklist with out discussing the super headwinds dealing with the EV house, particularly right here in America. I wrote this piece proper because the One Large Lovely Invoice Act grew to become regulation and put an finish to EV tax credit, inexperienced vitality incentives and, doubtlessly, America’s battery increase. Sadly, lots of my predictions have come to go—so how does this nation actually sustain with the remainder of the world long-term? Can it even do this anymore?
Photograph by: Ralph Hermens
However 2025 additionally noticed a whole lot of outdated EV myths and misconceptions get put to mattress for good. One pattern we noticed this yr was particularly fascinating: EV battery replacements are literally extraordinarily uncommon, they usually run for a lot of extra miles with minimal degradation than individuals would possibly assume. The auto business would do properly to publicize this extra sooner or later.
Photograph by: Autocritica
In the meantime, Europe is racing forward—not simply with reasonably priced new fashions however with a charging infrastructure that is turn out to be surprisingly sturdy. On this multi-country EV highway journey throughout Europe, even Andrei is shocked by how straightforward charging has turn out to be. There are a whole lot of classes for the remainder of the business on this piece.
Photograph by: Ralph Hermens
As I discussed above, affordability can be a serious concern for the whole business in 2026; who’s actually excited concerning the common new automobile worth hitting $50,000? However China’s automakers haven’t got that downside. Even in markets like Europe and Latin America, they’re making inroads quick, together with with EVs made regionally. The compact BYD Seagull, a top-seller in every single place it goes, reveals why competing automakers could must rethink their worth propositions totally.
Photograph by: Ralph Hermens
Fortunately, at the very least some automakers within the West aren’t taking the menace posed by China Inc. mendacity down. On this deep dive, Suvrat explains the promise of next-generation lithium manganese-rich (LMR) batteries that might have super potential for Ford and Common Motors—particularly in terms of breaking apart with China’s provide chains.
Video: Slate’s Low-cost $25K EV Truck Can Remodel Into An SUV
Perhaps the U.S. market is not totally with out hope. In any case, the $25,000-ish Slate Truck is coming quickly, packing EV energy in a spartan physique from a brand new startup backed by Amazon co-founder Jeff Bezos. On this video tour, Tim explains why Slate Auto might ship the following large factor—for the correct purchaser, anyway.
Photograph by: Mack Hogan/InsideEVs
I count on autonomous driving to be an excellent larger a part of the “what’s subsequent in automobiles” dialog in 2026 than EVs have been. Sure, actually. And no automaker has made larger inroads into self-driving than Tesla—however it’s additionally fallen properly wanting its bold guarantees many occasions. On this current story, Mack checks out the newest iteration of Full Self-Driving (Supervised), and presents an excellent rundown about the way it’s gotten higher and the place it wants to enhance.
The opposite large get on our podcast this yr was Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe. He graciously met us in New York in a mix barbershop and podcast studio (best metropolis on the planet, child) this previous summer season for a wide-ranging dialogue concerning the Rivian R2, the corporate’s plans for autonomous driving, how the EV house has advanced over time, Rivian’s partnership with the Volkswagen Group, and far, far more. If you have not caught the complete chat, now’s a good time.
2026 Breakthrough Awards: Nissan Leaf
Photograph by: Ralph Hermens
We’re a small crew right here at InsideEVs. That is why I am at all times happy with our year-end Breakthrough Awards, a months-long staff effort to check the perfect new or considerably up to date EVs on the market within the U.S. And I am amazed at how a lot this yr’s discipline of automobiles improved over 2024’s pack—we’re really attending to an period when trendy EVs are cohesive, dialed-in, mature merchandise that may meet so many individuals’s wants. I am very excited for this similar check subsequent yr.
Photograph by: Rivian
And that is due to what’s coming subsequent. I’ll depart you on an optimistic notice from Mack: “These celebrating the loss of life or decline of the EV business are as misguided as those that anticipated limitless, uninterrupted development. That is as a result of 2026 is about to be the perfect yr for brand new EVs but.”
This is to what’s subsequent.
Contact the creator: patrick.george@insideevs.com
