Analysts believe that Tesla is on track to double its global deliveries by the end of the decade. That’s a huge bet, and it relies on more factories, cheaper models, and a broader global footprint that can push annual volume into the millions. That said, there’s a bit of a disconnect. If that’s indeed what the future looks like, the same analysts’ Q1 2026 predictions aren’t exactly screaming momentum.

The automaker just compiled estimated reports from 23 big-time analyst firms, including UBS, Barclays, Wells Fargo, and more. Wall Street expects Tesla to deliver roughly 420,000 vehicles in Q1 2026. For a company evidently on the verge of explosive growth, that figure leaves some room for head-scratching because it’s nearly flat compared to 2025 levels.

More: This Might Be The Tesla Roadster’s Biggest Update Since 2017

That said, the professionals betting on the future clearly see a path ahead. Their consensus is that Tesla will deliver 1,689,691 cars this year. That’s actually just above the 1,636,129 figure it managed in 2025, with a a modest 3.3% increase year over year.

Starting in 2027, their estimates just go up, up, and away, though. Notably, 2027 is the latest year in which all 23 firms provided an estimate, in this case, of 1,880,496 deliveries.

Twenty of the firms predicted (on average) that Tesla will deliver 2,128,187 cars in 2028. Just 13 firms went as far as to provide a consensus for 2029 and 2030. Those figures hit 2,613,623 deliveries for 2029 and then 3,032,000 the following year.

As is the case now, analysts believe the vast majority of the cars that Tesla does sell will be the Model 3 and Model Y by a factor of around eight to one overall. Notably, that mix diminishes to as low as four to one by 2030 in the consensus.

That’s important because it suggests that Tesla will need to continue to heavily invest in the growth and proliferation of both the Model Y and Model 3. Those two will largely bolster the car side of Tesla’s business if this consensus is correct.

What it doesn’t clarify is what falls under those “other models.” With the Tesla Model S and Tesla Model X out of the picture, the lineup narrows quickly. That leaves the Tesla Cybertruck as the only other vehicle currently in play, alongside plans for the Tesla Cybercab and, if Elon Musk is to be taken at his word, something he has teased as “way cooler than a minivan.”

The decision to publish this consensus ahead of its Q1 report is also significant and Tesla has done this in the past. It could be that it’s hoping to anchor expectations if results end up lower than some hoped for.

Every time a drone buzzes over Tesla’s Texas Gigafactory, the internet immediately goes into detective mode. Usually, the result is a grainy shot of construction equipment and a few wild guesses. This time, though, the mystery object might actually be something real. Fans of the brand have torn these shots apart like they’ll reveal whether or not alien life exists.

Drone pilot Joe Tegtmeyer recently captured footage of a large vehicle shell sitting inside a wooden crate outside Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas. The structure was wrapped in blue plastic and surrounded by construction materials. That didn’t stop folks from trying to suss out exactly what we’re looking at. Most think it’s Tesla’s Model Y L.

Read: Tesla’s Budget Model Y Gets Grip And Grit For $2K More, But Don’t Call It Standard

That’s the long-wheelbase take on Tesla’s compact crossover, first rolled out in China last year. It matters more than it might seem at first glance. This is effectively Tesla’s only proper three-row crossover heading into the near future. Yes, you can spec tiny rear seats in the standard Model Y, though calling them usable depends on how much you like the people riding back there.

The Model X is about to go away with the death of its flagship stablemate, the Model S. That leaves Tesla with a big gap in the market. A lengthened Model Y would help plug that third-row-sized hole.

Well this is interesting at Giga Texas today … what do YOU think this is? 🤔😎 pic.twitter.com/U9pLvqbf7L

— Joe Tegtmeyer 🚀 🤠🛸😎 (@JoeTegtmeyer) March 23, 2026

The vehicle in the drone footage appears to be little more than a body shell. These unfinished body structures allow automakers to continue development or manufacturing testing without building a full car to do so. It’s a normal part of production and something we’d expect from Tesla if it were setting up to sell the Model Y L in the U.S. market.

As Teslarati pointed out, observers have done just about everything they can to sort this out. Some used AI to create renders. Others compared how the dimensions came together compared to the standard Model Y. Some went as far as to superimpose the Model Y L’s window shapes over the shell.

More: Tesla’s Model Y L Gets Bigger And Pricier With New Six-Seat Layout

The Chinese market Tesla Model Y L.

All signs, at least for now, point toward this being the Model Y L, or something very close to it. One user even shared a rare overhead shot of what appears to be the production SUV, and the resemblance lines up almost too neatly to ignore. The proportions, the silhouette, the overall footprint, it all matches.

That said, there’s no word on when or even if the vehicle could come to the U.S. market in any official capacity. Musk once seemed to indicate that it might not ever end up in the States. These images seem to indicate otherwise, though with Tesla, certainty has never really been part of the package.

It looks the same as my Model Y L. pic.twitter.com/uVf98xpvTE

— @BananaMemeClub (@BananaMemeClub) March 23, 2026

Lead image Joe Tegtmeyer @ X

General Motors’ joint venture in China is attempting to turn things around before the partnership with China’s SAIC expires. The aim of the game is electrification. Go green, be quick, and build trust again before it is too late.

At a dealer meeting in early March, SAIC-GM President Lu Xiao announced a three-year plan, which is based around new Buick and Cadillac EVs, improved in-car technology, and increased exports.

But the plans are still leaving some in the industry skeptical. Despite Xiao’s assurances that the joint venture is focused on the future, there’s no clear sign yet that a renewal is actually in motion, even with the agreement set to expire in June 2027.

Contrast that with the venture between Volkswagen and SAIC, which was extended six years early, and you can see why some GM-SAIC dealers may be concerned, reports AutoNews.

Buick And Cadillac Spearhead The Plan

The backdrop is tough. While sales last year were promising, they’re still down since a high of 2 million cars in 2017 to only 562,000 in 2025, a 75 percent decrease. The joint venture has just come back to the black, as GM recorded restructuring costs amounting to $2.7 billion in order to reduce capacity and rebrand operations.

Read: GM’s Comeback Story Isn’t Happening In America

SAIC-GM will use over 10 billion yuan (about $1.4 billion at current rates) to revise existing Buick models and come up with the new generation of its products. The strength that Buick has in the multipurpose vehicle market is a home run, and the company desires to maintain what it has and advance further in the direction of electrification.

Momentum is already gaining speed. The Buick Electra L7, an all-electric and range-extender crossover, is arriving in the next few months. An all-electric version of the Encasa MPV was recently introduced and a plug-in hybrid version will be introduced later this year with a quicker charger and an increased engine size.

Cadillac is trending along at the same speed. The completely electric Cadillac Vistiq SUV, which will feature lidar and an advanced driver-assistance system co-developed with Momenta, will debut in late April. At the same time, models such as the Buick LaCrosse, the Envision, and the Cadillac XT5, which were traditionally ICE nameplates, will be getting electrification.

Cars That Charge Faster, Smarter Software, Sharper Focus

One of the reasons why GM’s, and other foreign carmakers’, products have been falling out of favor with Chinese consumers is the lack of up-to date tech that is often commonplace in domestic offerings. GM and SAIC’s action plan hopes to address that on a number of fronts.

The Xiaoyao platform will be able to support next-generation battery systems with 1,000V fast charging, driving ranges of up to 1,000 kilometers, and power outputs up to 850 kilowatts. The future holds advances in active suspension, steer-by-wire, and rear-wheel steering, all controlled under GM-SAIC’s proprietary software.

Inside the cabin, change is just as important. All Buick Electra models and the Cadillac XT5 will adopt new smart cockpit systems this year, boosting smartphone connectivity as well as improving digital interfaces.

A further upgrade in the future will take technology from ByteDance (the name behind TikTok) and refine the user experience. On the driver’s assistance front, such Level 2 systems hit the road this year, with Level 3 slated for 2027.

Exports are another lever, albeit a complicated one. SAIC-GM has exported vehicles overseas since 2001 as well as to the US and Mexico. But new tariffs have wreaked havoc on that business. Exports plunged 40 percent in 2025 to about 50,500 vehicles, most of them because of higher U.S. duties, and Mexico has also increased its tariffs on China-built light vehicles.

The dream of a Sony-branded electric car has officially run out of road, ending a project that once promised to blend consumer tech with automotive engineering. Sony Honda Mobility has confirmed it is pulling the plug on the development and launch of its entire EV lineup, including the Afeela 1 sedan set to arrive later this year, along with a follow-up SUV previously penciled in for 2028.

The decision effectively collapses the joint venture formed in 2022, which aimed to combine Sony’s software and entertainment ecosystem with Honda’s manufacturing backbone. What once looked like a credible attempt to rethink the in-car experience has instead unraveled before a single production model reached customers.

More: EV Bets Already Cost Four Legacy Carmakers $70B, And The Tab Keeps Climbing

The project’s demise traces directly back to Honda’s sweeping strategy reset announced earlier this month. The automaker pulled the plug on several key EV programs, including the Honda 0 Saloon, the 0 SUV, and the Acura RSX crossover, all of which had been planned for North America.

As Honda pivots away from its previous electrification targets to stem a projected 2.5 trillion yen ($15.7 billion) loss, it has withdrawn the technical assets and dedicated platforms that Afeela was supposed to use. Without the automaker’s hardware support, the joint venture admitted it does not have a viable path forward to bring the models to market as originally planned.

More: Honda’s Prologue Might Soon Become An EV Epilogue

The news comes shortly after Sony Honda Mobility of America announced the grand opening of the Afeela Studio and Delivery Hub in Torrance, California, on March 16. Instead of taking delivery of the Afeela 1, those who placed reservations for the electric sedan will receive full refunds.

Is It Game Over For Sony?

Sony’s push into the automotive space began with the Vision-S 01 and Vision-S 02 prototypes, unveiled at CES in 2020 and 2022, with the intention of evolving into production models. In 2022, Sony partnered with Honda to form the joint venture that would bring that ambition closer to reality.

The Afeela brand name was introduced at CES 2023 alongside an early prototype. By CES 2025, the production version of the electric sedan debuted as the Afeela 1, with reservations opening via a refundable $200 deposit and a target price of $89,900.

More: After Honda Kills Three EVs, Afeela Tries Something Shiny While It Still Can

The last chapter was written at CES 2026 with the unveiling of the Afeela Prototype 2026, which was intended to evolve into a production SUV by 2028. In March 2026, the company also revealed two art cars based on the Afeela 1 in collaboration with Matt Copson and Hajime Sorayama, though by then the project was already on borrowed time.

In its announcement, the company stated that Sony Honda Mobility will continue discussions with Sony and Honda regarding its future business plans. Whether it can repurpose its technology and resources, or whether this venture will stand as a costly experiment, remains unclear.

A report has seemingly confirmed that two of China’s biggest electric car manufacturers are swiftly building the foundation for a Canadian push. The news comes from a consultant tasked with laying the groundwork. The companies are in talks to set up branded dealerships throughout the country, a serious move into a massive market that has so far eluded Chinese car makers.

Read: Three Chinese Carmakers Are Rushing To Enter Canada In 2026, And It’s Only The Start

It’s understood that both BYD and Chery have plans centered around establishing independent dealerships, but cautioned that the low volume of cars allowed by the quota may not be enough to sustain many Canadian dealerships.

The initial strategy involves launching out of the Greater Toronto Area, then expanding west and east to cities such as Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary. Those involved in the talks say that BYD’s goal is to build about 20 dealership locations in the first year of operation. That would give China’s biggest carmaker a visible presence in Canada’s biggest urban markets, where there is a continuing rise in the demand for electric vehicles as consumers look for cheaper alternatives.

The news comes from Farid Ahmad, the CEO of Dealer Solutions Mergers & Acquisitions, a consultancy which has already had discussions with three possible BYD locations. “They’ve asked us to help them find as many of the 20 that they possibly can, but they’re out there doing that themselves, as well,” said Ahmad speaking to The Globe And Mail. Ahmad went on to say that a number of Chinese manufacturers were interested in setting up shop in Canada, including Chery.

Canada Is Opening The Door To New Competition

Canada recently restructured its tariff regime relating to Chinese-built electric vehicles by implementing a quota that permits 24,500 Chinese-made EV to come into Canada at a significantly reduced duty rate of just 6.1 percent. That change in policy means a change in math for companies such as BYD and Chery that previously have struggled with steep barriers that made it difficult for them to expand.

With the advent of lower import costs now possible under the quota, the move into the Canadian market is becoming more realistic. Still, there are a number of steps before any cars are in showrooms. Regulatory approvals, dealer agreements, financing structures, and service networks all have to be put in place.

Launch Timing Remains Unclear

Sources caution that although discussions are ongoing, there hasn’t been an official date initiated for the launch by BYD. The company has not publicly outlined its timeline, nor the specific models it prioritizes for Canada.

By coming into the Canadian EV market, Industry analysts believe BYD and Chery will transform pricing and competition in the industry. The market has been dominated by established North American, European, and Korean brands for an extended period. A new player that is well-known globally for high-volume electric vehicles production could expand consumer choice and put a squeeze on rivals.

Geely has begun taking the necessary steps to launch its vehicles in Canada and could start sales as early as this year. The move places it in direct competition with BYD, as both aim to become among the first Chinese EV-focused brands to enter the Canadian market following a recent trade deal between the two countries.

They are both locked in a race against Tesla, which appears positioned to secure, if not all, then most of the first batch of 24,500 Chinese-made EV permits available at a reduced tariff rate.

Geely Group chief executive Andy An says the company expects to secure the required certifications from Canadian officials soon, clearing the way for local sales. The automaker has been steadily climbing the ranks among the world’s largest car manufacturers and is now setting its sights on expansion across several key markets.

Read: Canada Could Give China’s Biggest Carmaker A Backdoor Into The US Market

“We’re not only considering the Canadian market, but also Brazil, South America, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia,” An told Bloomberg. “Geely’s globalization is mostly through exports right now, but we will look to localize production.”

Geely ranks just behind BYD as China’s second-largest car manufacturer, and it already has a foothold in both Canada and the United States through Polestar and Volvo. Even so, steep 100 percent tariffs have long made exporting additional China-built models to Canada a tough business case.

Things are changing. Earlier this year, Canada and China agreed to a pivotal new trade deal, announcing that up to 49,000 Chinese-built EVs will be eligible for importation into the country at a reduced tariff rate of just 6.1 percent. That ceiling is expected to climb over time, reaching roughly 70,000 vehicles annually.

With those barriers easing, Geely, along with rivals like BYD and Chery, is lining up a Canadian market entry. The simplest route is to ship existing EVs from China, but local production, either through partnerships or independent operations, is very much on the table. Chery, for its part, is already recruiting in Canada as it prepares for its own arrival.

Due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, oil prices have surged to a four-year high and are fast approaching $100 per barrel. Regardless of where you live, this means that if you’re driving an ICE-powered car, you’ll be paying more to fill it up. It’s perhaps the perfect time to own an EV instead.

A recent study indicates that last year’s increased adoption rate of EVs reduced oil consumption by 2.3 million barrels per day, and these fuel savings will continue to grow as more EVs are sold. By 2030, EVs could help to reduce global oil consumption by 5.25 million barrels per day.

Read: The $8 Gallon Is Here, If You’re Dumb Enough To Pay For It

As noted by BloombergNEF, a key contributor to the reduced oil demand is two- and three-wheeled EVs, which have surged in popularity, particularly across Asia. A separate, more conservative study that factors in how often plug-in hybrid vehicles run on fossil fuels pegged last year’s daily oil savings at 1.7 million barrels.

At this rate, and with average prices of $80 per barrel, the analysis says that China would save more than $28 billion a year in oil imports thanks to its massive EV industry. Similarly, Europe would save $8 billion, and India could save $600 million per year.

Is This The Break EVs Need?

The war in Iran has made regular fill-ups for ICE drivers far more expensive. Just this week, Bloomberg expects US drivers to pay an additional $1.65 billion at the pump. With gas prices showing no signs of stopping, it should come as no surprise that interest in EVs has jumped this month.

CarEdge reports that search traffic for electric vehicles jumped 20 percent in the week following the attack on Iran. Search traffic also nearly doubled for many of the market’s most popular EVs, including the Chevrolet Equinox EV and Tesla Model Y.

Of course, surging oil prices will likely also lead to increased electricity costs, meaning charging an EV could become more expensive. However, electricity rates won’t rise by as much, as only roughly a quarter of a typical US power bill is directly tied to fuel costs.

Rolls-Royce once promised a whisper-quiet electric future. Turns out, its customers still prefer a different kind of whisper. The kind that comes from a silky V12 under a mile-long hood.

The British luxury marque has quietly backed away from its plan to go fully electric by 2030. Instead, it’ll keep building petrol-powered cars well into the next decade, because that’s what its ultra-wealthy clients are still asking for. And when your customers are dropping $400,000 or more on a car, you tend to listen.

More: Six Figure Rolls-Royce Spectre Discounts Raise The Question Why Are Rich Buyers Avoiding EVs

According to CEO Chris Brownridge, demand for EVs just isn’t universal among Rolls buyers.

“For every client that loves an electric vehicle there is one who does not,” said Brownridge, according to The Times. “We recognise some clients would rather have a V12 engine. The V12 is part of our history.”

It’s also part of the experience. Rolls-Royce buyers aren’t chasing lap times or charging speeds. They want effortlessness, presence, and that unmistakable waftability a big combustion engine delivers.

Though we can’t help thinking it’s maybe more about knowing there’s a V12 up front rather than experiencing it. A smooth, silent, effortlessly responsive electric motor setup like the one in the Spectre (seen below) that Rolls launched in 2022 seems like a logical fit for a uber-luxury sedan or coupe in the way it’s not for a $1 million hypercar that’s all about noise, drama and emotion.

Regulations Are Also Shifting

The shift isn’t just about customer taste, anyway. Changing regulations have played their part. Softer government EV targets in key markets have given Rolls-Royce more breathing room, and since it operates as a low-volume manufacturer, it isn’t bound by all of the same rules as mass-market brands.

That flexibility matters. Rolls builds cars to order, meaning it can adapt to what clients actually want rather than chasing arbitrary production targets. Right now, that means a mix of electric and petrol, not an abrupt switch to one or the other.

Rolls-Royce isn’t alone in hitting the brakes. Bentley, Aston Martin, and Lamborghini have all softened their EV timelines as reality catches up with ambition.

Just a few months after Ford announced that one of its battery plants, originally destined for EV batteries, would instead start making batteries for energy storage systems, General Motors has done the same.

The car manufacturer, in partnership with LG Energy Solution, operates the Ultium Cells LLC joint venture and runs a large factory in Tennessee. This site opened in 2024, making cells for the Cadillac Lyriq and Vistiq, and the Acura ZDX. Late last year, more than 700 employees were laid off from the plant as GM, like its competitors, pulled back its EV investments.

Read: GM’s EV Plant Will Now Build The Gas Models People Actually Want

Now, Ultium’s vice president of operations, Tom Gallagher, said that these workers will be rehired and return to work by the end of April, as the site is switching to lithium-iron phosphate cells for grid and data center customers.

An Expensive Pivot

Bloomberg reports that retooling the plant has cost the joint venture tens of millions of dollars, but will help prevent hemorrhaging even more money from its EV pivot. It will also help LG, which is also retooling four other EV battery plants in North America, including two in Michigan, one in Canada formed through a joint venture with Stellantis, and an Ohio plant established with Honda. All of these sites will now begin manufacturing LFP cells for storage systems.

“Having these facilities that are able to be converted in less than a year means that we can react and we can actually get up to capacity,” chief product officer from LG’s systems integration unit, Vertech, Tristan Doherty said. “We’re going to be supplying the majority of the US market with domestic cells.”

GM says staff at the joint venture battery plant will be retrained as part of the shift. But the car manufacturer is remaining silent about its longer-term plans for the site, having previously stated that it’d start producing lithium manganese-rich batteries in Tennessee by 2028.

Just a few months after Ford announced that one of its battery plants, originally destined for EV batteries, would instead start making batteries for energy storage systems, General Motors has done the same.

The car manufacturer, in partnership with LG Energy Solution, operates the Ultium Cells LLC joint venture and runs a large factory in Tennessee. This site opened in 2024, making cells for the Cadillac Lyriq and Vistiq, and the Acura ZDX. Late last year, more than 700 employees were laid off from the plant as GM, like its competitors, pulled back its EV investments.

Read: GM’s EV Plant Will Now Build The Gas Models People Actually Want

Now, Ultium’s vice president of operations, Tom Gallagher, said that these workers will be rehired and return to work by the end of April, as the site is switching to lithium-iron phosphate cells for grid and data center customers.

An Expensive Pivot

Bloomberg reports that retooling the plant has cost the joint venture tens of millions of dollars, but will help prevent hemorrhaging even more money from its EV pivot. It will also help LG, which is also retooling four other EV battery plants in North America, including two in Michigan, one in Canada formed through a joint venture with Stellantis, and an Ohio plant established with Honda. All of these sites will now begin manufacturing LFP cells for storage systems.

“Having these facilities that are able to be converted in less than a year means that we can react and we can actually get up to capacity,” chief product officer from LG’s systems integration unit, Vertech, Tristan Doherty said. “We’re going to be supplying the majority of the US market with domestic cells.”

GM says staff at the joint venture battery plant will be retrained as part of the shift. But the car manufacturer is remaining silent about its longer-term plans for the site, having previously stated that it’d start producing lithium manganese-rich batteries in Tennessee by 2028.

The American EV market may be faltering, but that hasn’t quelled the ambitions of Vietnamese car manufacturer VinFast. In fact, it’s been revealed that work will resume at its planned North Carolina production facility later this year, after being suspended more than 18 months ago.

VinFast first announced its plans for a US production site in March 2022 and said it could start production as early as mid-2024. Before long, that date was pushed back to 2025, and then VinFast decided to pause work on the plant entirely. It seemed almost inevitable that the firm would pull out of the US entirely, having registered fewer than 1,500 cars locally last year.

Read: VinFast Hits Brakes On US Production, Now Slated To Begin In 2028

Evidently, VinFast isn’t giving up just yet. Its most recent financial earnings report reveals that construction at the North Carolina site will resume later this year and that it still plans to start production in 2028. VinFast is also planning to open factories in India and Indonesia.

Although the company’s presence in America is tiny, it has been growing elsewhere. In the fourth quarter of 2025, VinFast sold 86,557 cars, a 127 percent quarterly jump and a 63 percent increase year-over-year, Bloomberg reports. The company ended last year having sold 196,919 vehicles, more than double its 2024 figure.

Revenues Rise But Problems Remain

Thanks to the surge in sales, revenue rose 138.9 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter to 39.4 trillion dong ($1.5 billion), although it reported a Q4 net loss of 35.2 trillion dong ($1.3 billion), a 15 percent increase.

VinFast says it “continues to evaluate opportunities to expand into additional countries and regions across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa,” adding its “expansion strategy is aligned with Vingroup’s broader global development approach, leveraging the Vingroup ecosystem, partnerships and capital resources to support VinFast’s international growth.”

If the company wants to be successful in the US, it’ll need to start building some more compelling cars. The VF 8 and VF 9, available locally, have been criticized since launching. Late last year, VF 8 owners sued VinFast, alleging that DC charging speeds top out at under 2 kW, despite them being promoted as supporting charge rates of 6.6 kW or higher, meaning it can take more than 24 hours for the battery to be fully charged.

The automotive industry is undergoing a gigantic shift, and Bentley is changing too. The British luxury brand had big plans to go all electric, but consider that plan delayed big time. Now, it’ll launch just one EV before 2030, and the rest of the lineup will use gas or hybrid powertrains.

This all comes as Bentley reports its seventh straight year of profitability despite a 42 percent drop in that figure year over year, and layoffs hit the company.

The company had previously outlined an ambitious strategy that would see five fully electric Bentleys arrive by 2035. Now, only the first one, an SUV-like EV due in 2027, is still locked in, while the rest of the program has effectively been put on ice.

More: Bentley’s New SUV Will Hit 100 Miles In Seven Minutes

That first EV is expected to be revealed before the end of this year and will ride on Volkswagen Group’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture, which also underpins several other upcoming luxury EVs. The four additional EVs were originally being developed on the Porsche-led platform that has since been canceled, effectively ending those projects.

Future Lineup Prioritizes Hybrids

Instead of rapidly expanding its EV lineup, the brand will lean heavily on plug-in hybrids and gas engines. It might even keep traditional combustion models around longer than expected. That’s big news all by itself and provides an extra layer of exclusivity for future buyers.

Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser said the company has had to rethink its entire product plan as the market shifts. Some of that comes directly from customer demands. Recent plug-in hybrid versions of the Continental GT and Flying Spur were well received, and the company says these electrified V8 models can meet future emissions rules without giving up the performance buyers expect.

According to Car&Driver, he also noted that future models will continue adopting plug-in hybrid systems, and confirmed that retrofitting EVs with combustion or hybrid powertrains is not part of the company’s strategy due to feasibility constraints.

That said, it seems clear why Bentley is being cautious. The company reported its seventh straight year of profitability, but deliveries fell five percent, with weaker demand in China cited as a major factor. Bentley says it remains financially solid, but the changing market means it has to be selective about where it invests next. A 42 percent drop in profit is nothing to ignore, and Bentley is making moves to improve its position.

See: What Bentley’s Smaller SUV Could Look Like Is Already Stirring Debate

Bentley is also cutting some 140 jobs in the UK. That’s only a portion of total layoffs, which Walliser says will likely amount to 275 employees, mostly in office jobs. Some of the changes are due to forces outside of Bentley itself.

The Volkswagen group is no longer going to build the Porsche-led Scalable Systems Platform that was going to underpin multiple Bentley products. Without it, the brand had basically no choice but to abandon its plans. Despite that, it’ll still likely go EV-only at some point… just not anytime soon.

BYD is taking on the world, and thanks to a new trade deal between Canada and China, it could start building vehicles in the Great White North. The company’s executive vice president has even admitted an openness to acquire an existing car manufacturer as it looks to further broaden its reach.

Earlier this year, Canada announced it would slash tariffs on Chinese EVs from 100 percent to 6.1 percent, but only for the first 49,000 vehicles per year. This quota will grow to around 70,000 vehicles annually over five years, reopening the door for BYD to enter the Canadian market.

Read: Jim Farley Tests Chinese Pickups, And He Has Something To Say

The Chinese juggernaut was eager to enter Canada a couple of years ago, but shelved its plans in late 2024 when the 100 percent tariffs were announced by then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Now, BYD executive vice president Stella Li said at an event in Brazil that a Canadian launch is back on the cards and that the firm is even considering a manufacturing facility there.

Exactly how BYD would establish itself locally remains undecided. Ottawa has been pushing Chinese automakers toward joint ventures with domestic partners, but Li was blunt on that point, saying she does not believe “a JV will work” for the company.

Can Anything Stop BYD’s Growth?

Canada could provide BYD with a foothold in North America, meaning building models for the local market and having the option of exporting them. Fellow Chinese brands Geely and Chery are also reportedly making moves to enter Canada, although they’ve yet to commit to building cars in the country.

BYD’s growth strategy could involve acquiring an existing automaker. Speaking with Bloomberg, Li suggested the company is interested in taking over a legacy car brand, noting that “We’re open to every opportunity we have,” and that BYD is currently evaluating potential assets.

Acquiring an established automaker could also give BYD an indirect route into the United States. It is a well-worn strategy, and one that has worked before. Geely took control of Volvo and used it to expand its global footprint, while SAIC revived MG into a thriving EV-focused brand. BYD could be looking at a similar playbook.

While the world continues to grapple with virtually universal rises in pump prices, could we be in for an EV renaissance? As automakers wrestle with long-term electrification strategies, another trend is gaining attention, the growing acceptance of used electric vehicles in the USA.

Yes, EVs are no longer just for first adopters. In the States, the falling resale value and a rising number of used cars in inventory are introducing normal consumers to the used EV marketplace much faster than expected. What may previously have felt like an experiment now looks like a practical solution to stubbornly high new car prices.

Read: These Used EVs Are Selling Faster Than Gas Cars In Today’s Market

Used EV demand is climbing at a noticeable pace. In January alone, sales were 21 percent higher than a year earlier. Figures cited by Reuters show the trend stretching across the entire year, with used EV sales in 2025 ending up 35 percent higher than in 2024.

EV Depreciation Is Real

Price movement is a major reason. Data from Cox Automotive, gathered across major automotive marketplaces, indicates that the decline in prices for used EVs has been much sharper in the past year, narrowing the gap between them and comparable gas-powered vehicles.

The premium for used EVs over comparable gasoline vehicles narrowed to $1,376 in January from $2,591 in December. Analysts attribute that change to a glut of lease returns, deep discounts on new electric models, and federal tax credits that are evolving how shoppers crunch the numbers.

Best-Selling Used EVs In The U.S. In 2025

Source: Cox Automotive (Tesla totals exclude vehicles the company sold directly)

It was not only Tesla showrooms that were impacted when Tesla reduced the prices of three new models in 2023 and 2024. These reductions lowered resale in the entire electric market. When the new cars had gone cheaper, used cars were forced to be drop their prices too.

Add to that ‌car rental firm Hertz’s large-scale sale of Teslas, and you suddenly have many more second-hand options in the used EV market.

Confidence in EV Ownership Is Improving

Affordability helps, but confidence is just as important. Data on battery performance still continues to show that modern packs are built to last well past 100,000 miles. Most manufacturers offer long battery warranties, which gives peace of mind to shoppers who fear costly repairs.

Charging access has also improved. Public fast charging stations are being added along highways and in urban areas with the help of both private companies and federal funding. With increased visibility and reliability of infrastructure, the fear of being stranded with a low battery for many drivers is a thing of the past.

The new year hasn’t been kind to traditional automakers, many of which now find themselves confronting an EV reality in the U.S. that looks very different from what they had been planning in boardrooms not long ago. A mix of policy changes and cooling demand is forcing several manufacturers to rethink electrification plans that, until recently, sat at the center of their long-term strategies.

Read: Honda Cancels 0 Sedan, 0 SUV, And Acura RSX EVs

Honda is the latest to change course. The company confirmed this week that it will scrap all three electric vehicles it had planned to build in America, citing weakening demand, especially in the US market. The move places it alongside Ford, GM, and Stellantis, all of which have recently scaled back their own EV programs.

Taken together, the retreat is proving expensive. Those four automakers alone have absorbed close to $70 billion in losses tied to their EV investments, reports Auto News. And that figure doesn’t even include other manufacturers, such as Porsche, which have also begun dialing back their electrification plans.

The drop in EV demand in the US can be largely traced to decisions made by the Trump administration. New government policies not only encourage manufacturers to prioritize combustion-powered models, but the removal of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit has also further weakened demand at a time when adoption was already slowing.

In fact, EV registrations fell 48 percent in December compared to last year, dropping to just 75,427 vehicles. As a result, EV market share slipped from 9.9 percent to 5.3 percent.

The EV Graveyard

Ford has already revealed that its retreat from EVs has cost roughly $21 billion. The company scrapped plans for a three-row electric SUV and ended production of the F-150 Lightning last year after it failed to meet sales expectations.

Stellantis recently said its EV pullback will cost about $26 billion, following the cancellation of several electric models. GM has also stepped back, halting production of the Chevrolet BrightDrop electric van in Canada and repurposing a Michigan plant for gas trucks after originally planning to build EVs there.

As noted by Auto News, Honda is booking 2.5 trillion yen or $15.7 billion in expenses and losses due to its EV U-turn. In addition to killing off the 0 Saloon and the 0 SUV, the car manufacturer has killed off the all-electric Acura RSX. That sleek coupe SUV was unveiled as a pre-production prototype last year and would have been the first to use Honda’s in-house global EV platform.

Honda is booking 2.5 trillion yen or $15.7 billion in expenses and losses tied to its EV U-turn. Alongside the cancellation of the 0 Saloon and the 0 SUV, the automaker has also killed the all-electric Acura RSX. The stylish coupe SUV debuted as a pre-production prototype last year and was set to become the first model built on Honda’s in-house global EV platform.

We all know that new car prices have surged over the past six years, but they’re not alone. The used market has followed the same trajectory. Prices have risen sharply, and vehicles are now lingering on dealer lots longer than before, partly because many owners are not shopping for cars and are holding on to their current ones. Even so, one automaker seems largely unaffected by the slowdown

Fresh data from iSeeCars sheds some light on the trend. It examined more than 960,000 transactions involving used vehicles between one and five years old during February. Across that sample, the typical used car sat on the market for 53 days before finding a buyer. A year earlier the average was just 37.7 days in the US, which means selling times have stretched by roughly 40 percent in only twelve months.

Read: Tesla’s Sales Collapsed By Nearly 90% In The Land Of EVs

Used electric models, interestingly, are moving a bit faster than their gasoline counterparts. In February, the typical used EV took 47.4 days to sell. That figure has increased from last year’s 41.8-day average, but the 13.4 percent rise is modest compared with the broader used market.

Tesla Bucks The Trend

However, there’s a little more to these figures than may first meet the eye. Because Teslas still account for the vast majority of EV sales, their typically quick resale times drag down the overall market average. Remove Tesla from the equation and the picture changes. Without those models included, the typical used EV took 57.3 days to sell in February, a 15.1 percent increase from the 49.8-day average recorded at the same time last year.

So which models disappear from listings the fastest? Comfortably leading the pack is the Tesla Model X, needing an average of just 22.6 days to sell. Surprisingly, it was followed by the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, at an average of 26.9 days, and then the Tesla Cybertruck, at 27.4 days.

Fastest-Selling Used Cars In February 2026

Other strong performers uncovered by the iSeeCars study included the Mazda MX-5 Miata RF at 29.3 days, the Toyota GR Supra at 30 days, the Genesis G90 at 30.4 days, the Rivian R1S at 30.8 days, and the Toyota GR Corolla at 31.1 days. Several of these cars lean toward the enthusiast end of the spectrum, which likely helps keep demand strong.

Tesla’s higher-volume models appear a little further down the rankings. The Model 3 lands in 13th place with an average of 33.1 days on the market, while the Model Y sits in 16th at 34.9 days. However, it’s worth noting that far more Model 3s and Model Ys are sold monthly than the likes of the GR Supra, G90, R1S, and MX-5 Miata, so they help to sway the overall market.

The opposite end of the list looks very different. Some vehicles sit for months before finding a buyer. The Volvo XC60 is the slowest mover in the study, lingering for an average of 170.2 days. The BMW i5 is not far behind at 153 days, followed by the Dodge Hornet at 123.7 days and the Lincoln Nautilus Hybrid at 118 days.

Slowest-Selling Used Cars In February 2026

Slate Auto is becoming an example of what a small startup can do with vast amounts of cash. It’s navigated several trials and tribulations and market shifts that other, less well-funded EV startups simply couldn’t survive. Now, it’s handling another as it appoints a new CEO just months before launching its first product, a heavily promoted $25,000-$30,000 electric truck.

The company announced that Peter Faricy, a former Amazon executive, has taken over as Chief Executive Officer, Newsweek reported. He replaces longtime Chrysler veteran Chris Barman, who will remain at the company as President of Vehicles with a focus on engineering, manufacturing, and product development. Keep in mind that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is an investor in Slate Auto.

Read: Slate Teases EV Truck Price As $20K Dream Collapses

The leadership shift comes as Slate prepares to switch from development mode to real-world sales. The startup says customers will soon be able to configure and order their vehicles, with reservations expected to convert into orders by the end of the year.

The Slate Auto pickup is stripped down and simplified to what some would call an extreme degree. For example, it doesn’t have an infotainment screen, it features crank windows, and customers are offered several options to add after initial purchase. The company said it has around 160,000 reservations and believes it can build 150,000 trucks annually at its Indiana manufacturing plant.

The CEO Shift

Slate is going to sell cars direct-to-consumer the same way Rivian, Tesla, and Lucid do. To that end, the shift to Faricy begins to make more sense. He previously worked at Ford before moving through roles at Borders and eventually Amazon, where he spent more than a decade helping build the company’s Marketplace platform into a global ecosystem for third-party sellers.

He later served as CEO of solar company SunPower from 2021 to 2024 and most recently worked with venture capital firm Bessemer Venture Partners.

According to Newsweek, Faricy will oversee the company’s commercial operations, digital strategy, finance, HR, legal, and IT divisions, while Barman focuses on building and delivering the vehicles. One thing is certain: an undertaking of this magnitude can only benefit from more hands on deck.

Porsche has outlined a recovery plan after a bruising year, aiming to streamline operations and cut costs as it works to regain its financial footing. Under new CEO Michael Leiters, the former McLaren and Ferrari executive, the company hopes to restore its reputation as a profit powerhouse while reshaping itself into what Leiters calls a “leaner, faster, and even more desirable” brand. He took over at the start of the year, replacing Oliver Blume.

A Year Of Tough Numbers

The reset follows a difficult set of results. Porsche’s operating profit plunged 92.7% from €5.64 billion ($6.55 billion) in 2024 to just €413 million ($479 million) in 2025. Revenue also slipped, falling 9.5% to €36.27 billion ($42.10 billion). Operating return on sales shrank to a narrow 1.1%, while global deliveries dropped to 279,449 units, down 10.1%.

More: Porsche Posts Its Biggest Drop In Sixteen Years

Several factors combined to produce that outcome. Porsche booked €3.1 billion ($3.6 billion) in one-time restructuring charges, absorbed €700 million ($813 million) related to US tariffs, and faced a steep 26% drop in sales in China.

Porsche CFO Dr. Jochen Breckner said: “The global challenges and the company’s realignment impacted earnings in 2025. In 2026, our recalibrations measures will continue to have one-off effects on earnings in the high three-digit million euros range. In order to secure adequate margins by Porsche standards in the medium term and strengthen our resilience in the long term, we accept these burdens.”

The Solution

During Porsche’s annual press conference in Stuttgart, Leiters acknowledged that the turnaround plan is still taking shape. With the new leadership only just past its first 100 days, he admitted the company does not yet have “an answer to every question or a solution for every problem.” Even so, he used the event to outline the direction Porsche intends to take.

“We will streamline our management structure, reduce hierarchies and cut back on bureaucracy. We have also already begun to focus more strongly on our core business. We are using the current challenges as an opportunity to act even more decisively. We will comprehensively reposition Porsche, make the company leaner, faster and the products even more desirable.”

More: Porsche’s US Sales Rose Thanks To Cars It’s About To Kill

Porsche is also planning significant changes in China, where the company intends to shrink its dealer network from 150 outlets to just 80 by the end of 2026 in an effort to protect pricing power.

Expanding The Lineup

To stop the bleeding, Leiters is looking upmarket. One of the first moves will be to simplify Porsche’s product portfolio by cutting complexity and reducing the number of variants. According to the CEO, the changes will focus on models with weaker demand, which likely points to the Taycan. Even so, Porsche says it plans to introduce “emotive new derivatives” of certain models later this year, though it has not revealed exactly which ones.

More: Porsche’s Mega SUV Drops EV Plan For V8 Power And An Audi Link

At the same time, Porsche’s boss confirmed the company is developing new models aimed squarely at higher-margin segments. “We stand for uncompromisingly good sports cars that you want to drive yourself, that are fun, that convey performance and passion. And all this regardless of the type of powertrain,” said Leiters.

“We are considering the expansion of our product portfolio in order to grow in higher-margin segments. In doing so, we are looking at models and derivatives both above our current two-door sports cars and above the Cayenne,” he added

Porsche’s Next Halo Car?

The reference to two-door sports cars clearly points to the 911. What might sit above it is less clear. Leiters did not elaborate, but the possibilities range from a modern interpretation of the 928 to something far more exotic, such as a supercar or even a flagship hypercar.

Read: Porsche 928 Conceptualized As A Modern Electric Coupe For 2030

Porsche has been exploring that territory for years, with potential successors to the 918 Spyder. The Mission X concept hinted at one possible direction before enthusiasm for electric hypercars cooled.

The other confirmed project is a long-rumored three-row SUV flagship positioned above the Cayenne. Codenamed K1, it is expected to target markets such as the United States and the Middle East and could offer V6 or V8 powertrains.

The new offerings will benefit from the expansion of “high-margin customization programs” that will “further strengthen the exclusivity of the brand” helping it move into a new territory closer to the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini.

ICE Life Support And EV Reality Check

Leiters acknowledged that Porsche needs to rethink what he called “the right drive technology.” Early momentum behind the fully electric Taycan has run into a tougher reality as regulations, demand patterns, and customer expectations have shifted in recent years. Slower-than-expected demand has forced the company to “adjust the ramp-up and portfolio of fully electric vehicles while extending the life of combustion and hybrid offerings.”

More: Porsche’s Next Sedan Could Replace Both The Panamera And Taycan

The ultimate goal is to reduce upfront and direct costs by “fundamentally rethinking the development of our sports cars.” In the process, Leiters effectively confirmed earlier reports that the next generation of the 718 series will follow a multi-energy path. Porsche also plans to “leverage further synergies between our models,” using platforms and industry solutions more flexibly.

Renault has decided the best way to prepare for the future is to literally name its strategy after it. The company’s new futuREady plan promises dozens of new models, cheaper EVs, and dramatically faster development cycles as the French automaker tries to China-proof its business and become Europe’s “benchmark” carmaker.

The strategy builds on the Renaulution turnaround plan launched in 2021, which helped stabilize the company after several turbulent years. Now Renault wants to turn that recovery into long term growth with a roadmap that stretches through the end of the decade.

Related: Renault’s Making A Jimny, But Even The French Can’t Have It

The headline figure is simple enough. Renault Group plans to launch 36 new models in the next five years, including 22 in Europe and 14 for international markets. Electrification will be a lynchpin, with 16 of those European launches set to be fully electric.

Hybrids will still have a role, though. Renault says hybrid technology will remain in its European lineup beyond 2030 while continuing to expand globally where charging infrastructure isn’t yet ready for a full EV takeover.

Dacia Expansion

Each brand has its own role in the plan. Renault aims to strengthen its European position while expanding internationally, targeting more than 2 million annual sales by 2030 with half delivered outside Europe, including a production version of the chunky Bridger combustion SUV set to do battle with the Suzuki Jimny in India (see gallery below).

Dacia will stick with its familiar value formula but add more electrification. By the end of the decade, about two thirds of its sales are expected to be electrified and the brand will expand further into the larger C segment.

Alpine will carry the performance torch and a new generation of the A110, this time as an EV, is coming alongside newer models like the electric A290 and A390. And the brand’s boss Philippe Krief confirmed that the electric A110’s platform will also be able to handle combustion power. But if you were hoping to buy one in the United States, Renault’s latest strategy rules out a North American adventure for any of its brands.

Compact Upgrade

One of the most important pieces of the plan is Renault’s upcoming RGEV medium 2.0 electric platform destined for its next generation of compact, C-segment vehicles. This architecture brings 800 volt charging technology to the company for the first time and promises some impressive numbers, including a 40 percent reduction in build costs. Renault teased its possibilities, and also the look of the next Espace, with the the R-Space Lab, a slippery EV concept (shown below).

Renault says EVs built on the platform could deliver up to 466 miles (750 km) of range, while a range extender version could stretch that figure to around 879 miles (1400 km). Power won’t be lacking either. The next-generation electric motor is expected to deliver up to 271 hp (275 PS).

Keeping Up With China

Software is another big piece of the puzzle. Future Renault models will move toward software defined vehicle architecture that allows most functions to be updated over the air and eventually managed by artificial intelligence systems. The company also wants to speed things up dramatically. Renault aims to reduce development cycles for new vehicles to just two years, something that will be crucial to keeping pace with Chinese automakers.

Renault’s platform strategy

Volkswagen has just handed over its 2 millionth fully electric vehicle, and the pace is what really grabs you. It took 12 years to reach the first million. The 2 millionth car showed up just 10 months later.

The anniversary car is an ID. 3 hatch, built in Zwickau, Germany, and delivered to a customer at the Transparent Factory in Dresden. The ID. 3 kicked off VW’s large-scale MEB era back in 2020, though the modern electric journey really began with the e-up in 2013 and the company experimented with a small number of electric Golfs as far back as the 1980s.

More: VW’s ID. Polo Interior Brings Back Something You Thought Was Gone For Good

Volkswagen only celebrated its 1 millionth EV, an ID.3 GTX, last April. That means the brand effectively doubled its lifetime electric output in less time than it takes some automakers to add a new paint color to mark a model-year changeover.

ID. 4 Led The Charge

The heavy lifter in that sales charge is the ID. 4 SUV, which together with its ID. 5 fastback brother clocked up roughly 901,000 deliveries worldwide, proving SUVs still rule even in the electric age. The ID. 3, whose sales potential is restricted by the fact that it’s not available in North America, follows with around 628,000 units, while the larger and more premium ID. 7 has added another 132,000 to the tally.

Europe is the engine behind much of that growth. Roughly one in five cars sold there is now electric, and Volkswagen has carved out a leading role in the region. The US market has definitely cooled, but globally, the trajectory is still pointing upward.

More EVs On The Way

And VW isn’t slowing down. A refreshed ID. 4 badged as the ID. Tiguan is on the way this year, and the new ID. Polo (seen below) and first ever electric GTI, the ID. Polo GTI, will take the fight into the affordable small car segment.

An ID. Cross SUV spinoff follows soon after and an electric ID. Golf is also looming on the horizon. At this pace, don’t be surprised if we’re talking about 3 million before your summer tan has faded.

VW