The automotive industry is an exciting one to cover as a journalist because, more than perhaps any other consumer product, cars touch every aspect of our lives.
When you write about cars, you aren't writing about cars—you're writing about materials science, energy, manufacturing policy, global economics, personal finance, the climate, geopolitics, and so much more. And in the last few years, this industry has moved at a pace that can feel impossible to keep up with. Especially in 2025. Looking back, I could've used a few more slow news days around here.
Luckily for me, the InsideEVs team was more than up for this job. So as we bid farewell to 2025, I wanted to take a moment to salute our best stories of the year in all the forms they took, from news articles to investigative reporting to podcast episodes and videos.
What's in store for next year? I hate making predictions, but I have a few things on my radar. More EV models may get canceled, while newer, more promising options with better range and charging will be in play. Affordability concerns will dominate the conversation. Charging networks will continue to grow. Autonomous vehicles are pretty clearly here to stay. The industry will keep pushing toward a software-defined future, whether it's what drivers want or not. With any luck, automakers will be done with tariff chaos—maybe. And we'll soon see a major shakeout in China's fast-growing EV space.
I know we'll have plenty to keep us busy next year. Until then, enjoy our best work from this one, and thanks for your continued support of all we do here.
Podcast: GM President Mark Reuss On 2027 Chevy Bolt, Cheaper Future EVs & China
Our team re-launched the InsideEVs podcast in 2024, but I feel like this past year is when we really hit our stride. My co-host and I, Senior Editor Tim Levin, emphasized high-profile industry guests, and we got a big one for this episode: General Motors' President, Mark Reuss. In this episode, the longtime executive, racer and gearhead explains what's coming next on the EV front—and why he thinks battery-powered cars will be a part of America's automotive landscape from now on, despite any headwinds.
Why Everyone Is Struggling To Create 'Software Defined Vehicles'
The main theme behind everything we cover at InsideEVs is this: the future of the auto industry is, more than likely, battery-powered, increasingly automated and connected through advanced software—but getting there ain't easy. In this story, Deputy Editor Mack Hogan dives into why nearly every automaker, whether it's a newcomer startup or a legacy veteran, has had software headaches. We certainly saw plenty of that in 2025, and I'm not sure 2026 will be any smoother. So when does the industry figure this stuff out?
Solid-State Batteries Are In ‘Trailblazer’ Mode. What's Holding Them Up?
Reporter Suvrat Kothari is on the battery beat. It's never boring, between the constant breakthroughs and also the promises that never quite seem to materialize. Solid-state batteries fit into the latter camp. They've been hailed as the Holy Grail of battery tech for decades, promising faster charging speeds, fewer fire risks, less weight and countless other benefits. So, when will they really hit series production? A few Chinese automakers may get there next year, but in this story, Suvrat looks at what a major, wide-scale breakthrough would really take.
Video: Rivian's Also E-Bike Is The Coolest E-Bike I've Ever Seen
Rivian's Also spinoff is one of the more interesting experiments in "e-mobility" that I've ever seen. In large part, that's because it's actually happening—it's not just some concept vehicle or a white-labeled e-bike, but a real product you can buy soon. In this video tour, Tim explains why it could be a game-changer for the space.
2025 Was Big For Hybrids And PHEVs. 2026 Will Be Even Bigger
Writer Iulian Dnistran has been in the EV game a long time, and he's very clear-eyed about the things that modern EVs get right—and where they can still fall short for many drivers. A Volvo PHEV owner himself, he explains in this story why the gas engine has to evolve, and why hybrid power is about to show more promise than ever for many folks.
How This EV Charging Company Is Quietly Winning Over America
I love to highlight the work of interesting companies in this space. You may not have heard of Alpitronic, but its technology is spreading at warp speed behind the scenes. Suvrat dives into why it's growing so quickly and what's in store for it next.
Video: We Visited China—Its EVs Are Taking Over The World
I've been extremely proud of InsideEVs' China coverage over the past few years. China's automakers have a commanding lead on technology compared to the rest of the world, and we have worked to emphasize what that actually means for drivers everywhere. In this video, our China expert Kevin Williams takes you behind the wheel of some of that country's finest offerings. How the rest of the world contends with them will be a major story for 2026 and beyond.
Video: BYD's 5-Minute EV Fast Charging: We Tried It. It's A Game-Changer
Speaking of China, I am extremely proud of this story and video package (which I shot myself, despite not being a videographer in any way, shape or form). Getting to Beijing during the Shanghai Auto Show and talking my way into this BYD event took a lot of doing, but in the end, we were the first Western outlet to experience the automaker's five-minute EV charging technology.
EV Trucks Can't Replace Gas Trucks Yet
Long before the F-150 Lightning met its unceremonious end, Mack—who's a big truck guy—has been vocal about the strengths and shortcomings of fully electric trucks. Sure, many of them are great, but getting them to do everything a gas truck can do is going to be a long-term technical challenge that we're excited to cover. Here's why that's the case, and why hybrid power shows such promise for big trucks.
Xpeng Is Running Tesla’s Playbook For World Domination. It May Just Work
Kevin went back to China this fall to check out Xpeng, which truly came out of stealth mode in 2025 with aggressive plans for autonomous vehicles, humanoid robots, energy storage... sound familiar? Here's a good look at what's next for a brand that could be a bigger part of the conversation next year.
2026 Is When The Real EV War Begins. Here's Why
European correspondent Andrei Nedelea has a good description for what's next in the EV space: what he calls Gen3 cars. If the first generation was stuff like the original Nissan Leaf, BMW i3 or even the Tesla Model S, and the second generation was everything from the Tesla Model Y to the Hyundai Ioniq 5, then imagine what lessons the next crop will incorporate. Amid a tough year, this list is a great reason to be optimistic about the future.
Jeep, Dodge, Fiat And Ram Are Going Back To Gas. Are They Ready For What Comes After?
But many automakers are still using this moment to retreat from that future, especially if they weren't really ahead on forward-facing technologies to begin with. In this story, contributor Brett Berk dives into the reasons behind the EV retreat at Stellantis and what the long-term ramifications of that decision might be.
A Big, Beautiful Disaster For America
We can't get through an end-of-year roundup list without discussing the tremendous headwinds facing the EV space, especially here in America. I wrote this piece right as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act became law and put an end to EV tax credits, green energy incentives and, potentially, America's battery boom. Sadly, many of my predictions have come to pass—so how does this country really keep up with the rest of the world long-term? Can it even do that anymore?
The Facts Are In: You Shouldn't Worry About EV Battery Replacements
But 2025 also saw a lot of outdated EV myths and misconceptions get put to bed for good. One trend we saw this year was especially fascinating: EV battery replacements are actually extremely rare, and they run for many more miles with minimal degradation than people might think. The auto industry would do well to publicize this more in the future.
Europe Just Took Away The Final Excuse for Not Buying An EV
Meanwhile, Europe is racing ahead—not just with affordable new models but with a charging infrastructure that's become surprisingly robust. On this multi-country EV road trip across Europe, even Andrei is surprised by how easy charging has become. There are a lot of lessons for the rest of the industry in this piece.
You Should Be Afraid Of The $8,000 BYD Seagull
As I mentioned above, affordability will be a major concern for the entire industry in 2026; who's really excited about the average new car price hitting $50,000? But China's automakers don't have that problem. Even in markets like Europe and Latin America, they're making inroads fast, including with EVs made locally. The compact BYD Seagull, a top-seller everywhere it goes, shows why competing automakers may need to rethink their value propositions entirely.
How Ford And GM Are Plotting A Battery Breakup With China
Thankfully, at least some automakers in the West aren't taking the threat posed by China Inc. lying down. In this deep dive, Suvrat explains the promise of next-generation lithium manganese-rich (LMR) batteries that could have tremendous potential for Ford and General Motors—especially when it comes to breaking up with China's supply chains.
Video: Slate's Cheap $25K EV Truck Can Transform Into An SUV
Maybe the U.S. market isn't entirely without hope. After all, the $25,000-ish Slate Truck is coming soon, packing EV power in a spartan body from a new startup backed by Amazon co-founder Jeff Bezos. In this video tour, Tim explains why Slate Auto could deliver the next big thing—for the right buyer, anyway.
Tesla's Full Self-Driving Blew Me Away. I Still Wouldn't Buy It
I expect autonomous driving to be an even bigger part of the "what's next in cars" conversation in 2026 than EVs were. Yes, really. And no automaker has made bigger inroads into self-driving than Tesla—but it's also fallen well short of its ambitious promises many times. In this recent story, Mack tests out the latest iteration of Full Self-Driving (Supervised), and offers a good rundown about how it's gotten better and where it needs to improve.
Podcast: Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe On Why The R2 Launch 'Must Go Well'
The other big get on our podcast this year was Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe. He graciously met us in New York in a combination barbershop and podcast studio (greatest city in the world, baby) this past summer for a wide-ranging discussion about the Rivian R2, the company's plans for autonomous driving, how the EV space has evolved over time, Rivian's partnership with the Volkswagen Group, and much, much more. If you haven't caught the full chat, now's a great time.
2026 Breakthrough Awards: We've Tested Hundreds Of EVs. These Are The Best
We're a small crew here at InsideEVs. That's why I'm always proud of our year-end Breakthrough Awards, a months-long team effort to test the best new or substantially updated EVs for sale in the U.S. And I'm amazed at how much this year's field of cars improved over 2024's pack—we are truly getting to an era when modern EVs are cohesive, dialed-in, mature products that can meet so many people's needs. I'm very excited for this same test next year.
Over 20 New EVs Are Coming In 2026. These Are The Seven I'm Most Excited About
And that's because of what's coming next. I will leave you on an optimistic note from Mack: "Those celebrating the death or decline of the EV industry are as misguided as those who expected limitless, uninterrupted growth. That's because 2026 is set to be the best year for new EVs yet."
Here's to what's next.
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
