EVs In The News - OCTOBER 2025

Igor Orlovich and Ravi Mehta follow the news about Electric Vehicles and have curated items for fans and those thinking about going electric for their next car, SUV, or truck.

Impact of the End of the Federal EV Tax Credit:

A recent total cost of ownership comparison of a gas Equinox and an EV Equinox shows that the EV still wins out over 10 years - even without the $7,500 federal tax credit.

Ford and GM are rolling out programs to dealers across the US that will extend the $7,500 tax credit for EV buyers beyond the Sept 30 deadline.

Ford and GM’s financing units will provide down payments to dealers which will enable a leased vehicle to become eligible for the tax credit for at least another few months.

With the Sept. 30 end date in mind, buyers rushed to claim the credit in its final days, helping automakers sell a record 410,000 EVs in Q3, which accounted for 11% of overall sales. Now EVs will have to sell without the credit. However, a small number of U.S. states will continue to offer their own regional tax credits, rebates, and incentives, allowing their residents to continue offsetting the high cost of EVs. This includes NY, which offers $2,000 off new EVs and $1,000 off new Plug-in Hybrid EVs.

On the Plugged-In Podcast last month, hosts Tim Levin and Patrick George discussed the impacts of the federal EV tax credits ending. They anticipated a slowdown in EV sales here in the US, but not the rapid-fire retreat from this space that we're now seeing from some automakers. In just the past couple of weeks, we've heard of EV cancellations, slowdowns and delays from Porsche, Nissan, Volkswagen, and Acura. Here's how they think about this current moment.

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From the Automakers:

The Chevy Bolt is back and better than ever! After all of the battery recalls the Bolt was retired in 2023. The 2026 will look identical but that's where the similarities end - it charges at 150kW (3x as fast as the original), has the same motor that the EV Equinox has, can go 255 mi on a charge.

Hyundai slashed the 2026 IONIQ 5 prices by nearly $10,000 to $35,000! It will also have more than 300 mi of range. This is definitely a top selling EV: through September, Hyundai has sold 41,091 IONIQ 5 models in the US, a 35% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

While the Volvo EX90 is impressive, its buggy software resulted in lawsuits from angry owners and a scathing review from Consumer Reports.

Now, for model year 2026, Volvo has a sweeping upgrade for the EX90: new hardware, improved software, and a stack of features that should make the SUV live up to its initial hype.

As buyers poured into Cadillac dealerships in the last days of the Federal tax credit, GM’s luxury arm was ready with stylish EVs like the Optiq, Vistiq, Escalade IQ*, and Lyriq. The result wasn’t just Cadillac’s best Q3 in more than a decade – Cadillac (GM) is having one of its best sales year, period.

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Reflections from Owners:

An EV enthusiast described his perfect day driving through the CA mountains in his 2026 Nissan Leaf. This Leaf is a huge improvement over the early models: up to 288 mi on a charge, peak charging of 150 kW, and access to 20,000 Tesla Superchargers.

Mack Hogan shares why he loves his Chevy Blazer EV and EVs generally. He shares the details of his weekend trip camping in the mountains and how well the car handled the speed, the elevation changes, and the dirt roads.

For the author, EVs are a reminder that we, as a species, can solve big problems.

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Charging News:

There is a fast charging corridor in Ohio that now has "battery-buffered fast charging" or "battery-integrated EV charging." The charger holds a battery reservoir, gradually filled over time, which can then release that stored energy quickly. This technology will help with grid resiliency.

Forth, a nonprofit advocating for equitable access to clean transportation, set up a program called Charge at Home, which is meant to connect renters, apartment building owners, or other decisionmakers with resources to help install chargers at multifamily properties, assisting with design, finding electricians, informing you about right to charge laws or available incentives, and providing case studies, among others.

California awarded a grant to the EV charging company, "it’s electric," to develop what would be the world’s first curbside vehicle-to-grid (V2G) EV charger. They plan be ready for market by 2028. The V2G charger can both pull electricity from the grid to charge a car AND it will also be able to push energy back into the grid from the EV, if needed. This can help grid operators meet peak demand on very hot days - or in the future - cold winter nights, improving reliability of the electric grid.

Charging EVs is easy in most single family homes. Charging at apartment complexes is more complicated, but there is a company that was able to install Level 2 chargers for every parking spot for a 90 unit complex at a reasonable price - about the same as a single month's HOA fees. The company is now installing an upgraded version of the charger that allows for tap-to-pay charging and can dynamically manage building loads, understanding just how much electricity is available to push to the chargers. It can then set charging speeds based on how much electricity is available, better ensuring that everyone gets the electrons they need when they need them.

Blink Charging Company, a leading owner, operator, and provider of EV charging equipment and services today announced a strategic collaboration agreement with Hubject, the global leader in eMobility interoperable charging solutions. This collaboration will significantly expanding charging options for customers across the US, Canada, and Mexico.

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In Other EV News...

The Sindh government in Pakistan has launched a new initiative aimed at transforming mobility for women: a fleet of free pink electric scooters for female students and working women. The program is designed to offer women across the province a safe and cost-effective way to get to school or work. Like many countries in the region, Pakistan is patriarchal, meaning that despite women having equal standing under the law, they often face challenges accessing safe and reliable transportation, let alone gaining higher education or entering the workforce.

EValuateNY has created a new tool to visualize weekly updated data about the electric vehicle market. You can play with the tool yourself here.

Swedish trucking startup Einride AB has been making a name for itself in the US, Europe, and the UAE by delivering zero-emission freight solutions that work. Following the company’s latest $100 million funding round, it’s delivering something else, too: a billion dollar valuation.

The Vigoz by Cixi is an interesting mash-up between eBike and EV, with a top speed of 75 mph. Riders can lean back while working the bicycle pedals. The pedals aren’t a direct drive setup, but rather seem to run through a series hybrid generator – something that has become more common on larger cargo e-bikes in the last few years.