Volvo hasn't exactly had a great run of EVs lately. The rollout of its flagship EX90 was stymied out of the gate by a bevy of software glitches. The EX30, meanwhile, was too expensive when it launched — the promised $35,000 model was incompatible with the currently chaotic global tariff situation.

Now, it's time for a new generation of EV from Volvo, one that's radically different at its core with a gigacast frame, a much higher-density battery and enough digital and literal horsepower to impress the most jaded of automotive enthusiasts. Mix in high-performance chipsets from both NVIDIA and Qualcomm, plus Google's Gemini AI onboard, and on paper, it has a lot to offer. After getting an early look at the thing at its unveiling in Sweden, I feel like this EV is ready and able to face off against BMW's new iX3 and Mercedes-Benz's upcoming GLC.

Let's start with the basics: The EX60 slots in the Volvo product lineup right alongside the existing XC60, Volvo's most popular model in the U.S. It's a two-row, mid-size SUV that seats five, the sort of thing perfect for those with small families or big dogs. It'll be available in three different basic configurations, starting with the single-motor, rear-drive, 369-horsepower, 310-mile EX60 P6. Next up is the AWD dual-motor, 503-hp, 320-mile P10, and finally the top-shelf, 670-hp, 400-mile P12.

670 horsepower in an SUV of this size seems frankly excessive to me, but then it does have a lot of weight to move around — 5,137 pounds to be exact. That’s thanks in large part to the P12's 112-kilowatt-hour net battery pack which is about 50 percent bigger than the one inside a Tesla Model Y. The P6 is a relatively svelte 4,663 pounds thanks to its smaller 80-kWh net battery pack, while the P10 has 91 kWh.

Volvo

Beyond the powertrain divisions, the Volvo EX60 will also be available in a variety of different trims with varying amounts of equipment, including the Volvo Cross Country edition with air suspension and a 20mm boost of ride height. Prices are said to start "around $60k" for an EX60 P10 Plus with a 21-speaker Bose system, but a 28-speaker Bowers & Wilkins system with Dolby Atmos will be available for those who really need all the channels.

Of course, Atmos support is no good without a good source, and to that end, the EX60 will be the first Volvo with Apple Music built in. That'll be part of the company's Android Automotive-based infotainment system, running on a curved 15-inch OLED screen and powered by a Qualcomm 8255 chipset. It’s paired with a low, wide gauge cluster set far back on the dashboard behind the steering wheel.

This will also be Volvo's first car with integrated Gemini, and indeed one of the first cars on the road with Google's smart agent. You can, of course, do typical Gemini things like ask about the weather or the nuances of René Descartes's concepts on dualism. Beyond that, Volvo CTO Anders Bell said that it will eventually gain access to the car's outward-looking cameras, meaning you'll be able to ask for more details on whatever it is you can see looming on the horizon.

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Volvo calls the car's software-defined architecture and the hardware that powers it HuginCore, named for Huginn, the raven of Norse mythology and represents Odin's mind and senses. Qualcomm powers the infotainment side of the avian experience, but when it comes to active safety, the EX60 relies on an NVIDIA Drive AGX Orin chipset. Unlike the EX90, the EX60 will not use a LiDAR sensor.

Volvo CTO Bell downplayed the absence of the sensor. "We realized we can now achieve many more meaningful and safe automated functions without LiDAR than we could have years ago," he said. Per Bell, LiDAR was never really in the plan for the EX60 anyway, a decision looking all the brighter given the recent bankruptcy of Volvo's former LiDAR partner Luminar.

The car's cameras and radar sensors all tuck nicely into the new exterior of the EX60, which certainly doesn't look miles off from the EX90 or indeed the current, gas-powered XC60. But the pronounced flares on the front fenders are a nice touch of personality on an otherwise understated SUV.

At the core of the EX60 is a new platform Volvo calls SPA3, with a chassis made using gigacasting. This refers to the force required to inject molten aluminum into massive castings, allowing more of the car to be made from fewer components. Volvo says the carbon footprint of the EX60 is lower even than that of the much smaller EX30.

The battery packs use the on-trend cell-to-pack construction method, which means all the cells are lumped together into a single unit. Typically, this boosts density at the cost of repairability, a tradeoff most manufacturers seem willing to make in pursuit of higher range and lower costs. However, Bell said that the company has actually made pack maintenance easier by optimizing the layout of the ancillary equipment.

Volvo

"The absolute vast majority, 90 percent of anything that ever needs to be repaired on a battery pack is electronics," he said. In the EX60, Volvo positioned the battery electronics beneath the rear seat to make them even easier to access. "We save a lot of weight, save a lot of cost."

The EX60 will be Volvo's first car to use the Tesla-style NACS charging standard, and the largest two packs will support charging speeds up to 370 kW. That drops to 320 kW on the 80-kWh net P6.

In practical terms, though, they're all roughly the same. Each model charges from 10 to 80 percent in less than 20 minutes, adding between 160 and 173 miles of range in 10 minutes. That's not quite the 200 miles BMW's iX3 can manage in the same time, but it is close.

The iX3 will probably be the EX60's fiercest competition when Volvo opens up orders later this spring. The EX60's $60,000 price for a midrange P10 Plus puts it right in line with the $60,000 that BMW says to expect for its iX3. Mercedes hasn't set American pricing for its GLC yet, but that, too, will be on a lot of shoppers' lists to compare.

I've already been impressed by how both the iX3 and the GLC drive. Sadly, Volvo wouldn't let me behind the wheel of its EX60 just yet, but hopefully I can report back with impressions soon to start to see how all these stack up on the road. 

As an unabashed fan of electric vehicles, even I have to admit that most of them are pretty boring. Their smooth, quiet and calm demeanors don't offer much in the way of intrinsic personality, which has led to many brands slapping on outré designs and fake engine sounds to try and dial up the excitement.

To that end, a pair of offerings coming soon from UK-based EV startup Longbow Motors looks to deliver exactly that. The Speedster and Roadster are high-performance electric machines built using advanced in-wheel motors from Donut Labs. Those motors and a bespoke design enable an astonishing curb weight of just 2,200 pounds. 

For comparison's sake, that's over 100 pounds less than a Mazda Miata, the current king of lightweight roadsters. Longbow brought just the Speedster to CES 2026, displaying it on the show floor at the Donut Lab booth. Donut is a spinoff of Verge Motorcycles, which was the debut platform for the company's hub-less electric motor, creating a unique, Tron-style aesthetic.

But the technology is about a lot more than creating physics-defying motorcycles. Donut Lab is expanding its motors to all sorts of platforms, from scooters to heavy-duty trucks, creating a platform for easy adoption by electrified startups.

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Of all those platforms, though, Longbow's implementation is the most compelling I've seen. The appeal starts with the style. Co-founders Daniel Davey and Mark Tapscott (who, with Jenny Keisu, founded Longbow after stints at Tesla and Lucid) told me they wanted to offer a classic but also modern and compelling look. The roofless Speedster has an edge over its glass-topped Roadster in terms of visual simplicity, but a complete lack of any protection from the elements — even a token windscreen — will make it viable only for the most committed of open-air enthusiasts.

Exposed or protected, you'll find yourself situated in an extremely spartan interior. Things like the gauge cluster and primary controls were covered, set to be revealed later, so I can't say for sure exactly what the Longbow looks like on the inside. But it was designed to be basic and minimal to an extreme, an abject rejection of the rest of the touchscreen-laden machines on the road today.

There is one seemingly unnecessary piece of equipment in the interior, though, and that's a shift knob. EVs, of course, rarely have transmissions, so there's no outright need to shift. The purpose of that lever is also a mystery for now, as neither Davey nor Tapscott would confirm its function, but it seems safe to expect some sort of simulated gearshift action, a la the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

The Longbow machines don't just lack a transmission, they lack a traditional drivetrain layout at all. The direct-drive Donut Lab motors are situated right inside the wheel, freeing up space inside the vehicle's chassis and helping it to maintain its pert dimensions. 

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They also provide a distinctive look, filling up the wheels as they do. There is a downside to this arrangement, that being the heft of these motors hanging on the outer edges of the vehicle. The suspension, then, has to work a bit harder. But co-founder Mark Tapscott told me that the positives outweigh the negatives, and that the handling benefits of having multiple motors alone are worth it.

To keep the rest of the Longbow's weight centralized, the car uses a battery pack that runs largely along the center of the machine, stacked vertically rather than spread throughout the floor. This keeps the mass centralized in the vehicle while also enabling the kind of ultra-low seating you want in a machine like this.

It looks like it'll be quite a fun package to drive, and while exact power output from those Donut Lab motors hasn't been confirmed yet, the Speedster is said to sprint to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds. That's supercar-like performance, but unfortunately, that performance won't come cheap. 

The Speedster starts at ₤84,995, or just under $100,000 by current conversion rates. The Roadster is a fair bit more attainable at ₤64,995, or about $75,000. However, given the wonderfully chaotic state of international tariffs right now, expect the actual pricing here to be somewhat higher when they go into production later this year. Reservations are open now on the company's site.

That's a little too rich for my blood, sadly, but if you've got the budget, a left-hand drive version will be available. And yes, it'll be fully road-legal in the U.S.

This one's been a long time coming. Mercedes-Benz has been researching, refining and even reshaping the car that would ultimately be the CLA for years now, teasing us with technical briefings and even showing off a sultry crimson concept car a full two years ago.

That was the Concept CLA, and while the production CLA you see here doesn't look quite that good, it is a fine-looking little electric sedan. More importantly, it goes as far as you'd think its slippery, 0.21-coefficient-of-drag body would carry it: up to 374 miles on a charge.

With a $47,250 starting price, is this electric CLA the complete package? After spending a day behind the wheel of one, I think it might just be. 

Higher density

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The CLA has long been Mercedes-Benz's most attainable sedan, a machine for those wanting something fun and stylish that offers a taste of the M-B lifestyle without breaking the bank.Attainability is still a big focus of this newly rebooted CLA, which serves as the debut venue for the company's latest generation of electrification. While most luxury auto makers would have you swing for their top-tier models to get the newest tech, Mercedes is actually bringing it to the lower end first. 

The new CLA is built around a new battery pack that offers 20 percent more energy density than the company's previous EVs. There's a big boost in efficiency, too. Where the EQS, the company's current range meister, does up to 390 miles on a charge from roughly 110 kilowatt-hours, the CLA manages 374 miles from just 85. It's a much smaller car, sure, and lighter too at about 4,500 pounds versus 5,500 and up for the EQS, but there are bigger efficiencies at play here thanks to advanced motors and the aforementioned aerodynamics.

The CLA’s  0.21 coefficient of drag slots it right in between the 0.20 rating for the EQS sedan and 0.22 for the EQE. Crucially, though, despite being just as slippery as those cars, Mercedes-Benz's designers also managed to make the CLS stylish, a big step up from the efficient but amorphous profiles of its previous EVs. 

That aerodynamic efficiency is a big part of what delivers the 374-mile range for the single-motor CLA 250+ with EQ Technology model, the formal and long-winded designation for what I drove. It delivers 268 horsepower through the rear wheels. Those wanting a bit more oomph can step up to the 349-hp, dual-motor, all-wheel-drive 350 4MATIC model. That extra power and low-grip surety costs an extra $2,550, but the bigger penalty is range: the dual-motor model maxes out at 312 miles on a charge. (There is a hybrid version of the new CLA coming as well, but we'll cover that on its own later.)

When it comes to charging, the new CLA impresses there, too. Charging at up to 320 kilowatts via the company's first NACS plug, the CLA adds a whopping 200 miles of range in 10 minutes. Weirdly, the car also has a separate, older-style J1772 plug for slower, level-two charging.

Accessible, not basic

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As a more attainable machine, you wouldn't necessarily expect the CLA to be completely loaded with features. Still, tick enough boxes and you can definitely get it there. While it doesn't have the luscious, curving Hyperscreen display as the EQS, it does offer a similar experience called Superscreen. You can get up to three displays spread across the dashboard: a 10.25-inch gauge cluster on the left, a 14-inch touchscreen in the center and an optional third display (also 14 inches) on the right for the passenger to play Angry Birds or stream videos. If, for some reason, they wouldn't rather just look at their phone.

All those displays run the latest version of the MBUX user interface, similar to what we've seen in the company's other EVs, but it’s a bit simpler and easier to use here. That's backed by a wholly new system-level operating system called MB.OS running on NVIDIA silicon, also making its debut on the CLA. Mercedes says this not only has far more capability but can also be more comprehensively updated via the car's 5G connection. 

One of the features in the latest Mercedes software is baked-in AI. Say "Hey, Mercedes," and you can not only change just about any setting in the car, but also engage in any number of inane conversations. I asked for a weather update for my next trip to Chicago, the latest releases from a few of my forgotten bands and even got an explanation of why the lyrics in the song "Water's Edge" by Seven Mary Three are so very creepy. (Don't go down there, friends.)

It's all reasonably snappy and quite useful, but not perfect. When I said "I'm hungry," I got a quick listing of restaurants and offers for quick routing. When I said, "I need a hospital," the system, flummoxed, just stopped talking to me. Thankfully, I did not need a hospital. I was actually feeling pretty okay. 

That extensive software upgradability is also opening the door to a new era of car upgrades. Yes, the automotive DLC era is here, and you can pay extra to unlock additional active features like automated parking, navigation, a dashcam function and whatever else Mercedes-Benz's product planners can dream up in the future. Hopefully, there's no horse armor involved.

We'll see how that shakes out, but my only real complaint about the interior was that it felt a bit cramped. It's a sedan on the small side, sure, but the layout feels a bit claustrophobic. That dashboard with all the displays is situated nearly vertically, as are the sides of the center console. Sitting in the passenger seat felt like being tucked in a box.

Mind you, it was a very comfortable box, well-upholstered and featuring a lovely interior trim made of recycled paper, grooved to give the effect of a Zen garden. Headroom up front is generous and actually isn't too bad in the rear, but ducking under that sweeping roofline to get into the back seats requires a bit of flexibility.

Drive time

Tim Stevens for Engadget

Despite being the slowest electric CLA, this little sedan gets off the line quickly. A 6.6-second 0-to-60 time under-sells the feeling of instant acceleration and throttle response that make EVs so very compelling. You only start to feel the CLA's relative lack of horsepower at higher speeds, but even there, it's hardly lacking.

That made it a blast to scoot from light to light as I was escaping from San Francisco, but it was much more fun in the foothills of Mt. Tamalpais. The CLA's steering is light yet has good feedback. I could really feel the road beneath the front tires, making for a more engaging machine than I was expecting.

That battery pack in the floor keeps body roll in check, but a positively pliant suspension makes for a relaxed affair. The CLA did a great job of soaking up the countless imperfections in and around San Francisco, making for an extremely comfortable commuter, if one that felt a bit floaty at times.

It'll be a safe commuter, too. The car is festooned with sensors, including 10 cameras of various resolutions and focal lengths, five radar sensors firing in every direction and 12 ultrasonic sensors. You'll need to pay extra for the digital keys to unlock their full functionality, though, like advanced lane-keeping and automated lane changes. There's even an advanced, point-to-point driver assistance system coming called MB.DRIVE Assist Pro that'll let the car handle most of the steering — even on secondary roads. More details on that to come. 

For now, the car did great at managing itself on the highway, changing lanes with enough initiative to get through commuter traffic without issue, and not only bringing itself to a complete stop in traffic, but resuming again as soon as the cars ahead moved.

It even delivered good efficiency. I saw 3.9 miles per kWh, which would equate to a theoretical 331 miles from the 85 kWh battery pack. That's despite my driving with a good amount of enthusiasm and a heavy right foot. Edmunds, driving more conservatively, got 434 miles from a single charge,

Wrap-up

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So the CLA looks great, drives well, has plenty of range and again, starting at $47,250, feels well-priced. Yes, you'll need to pay extra if you want to get all the toys, like the epic Dolby Atmos-capable Burmester sound system or the lovely Natural Fiber Zen interior trim. But when I ticked all the boxes I wanted, I still came out under $60,000. That put me about $5,000 below the base price of the company's next-bigger EV, the EQE.

The CLA really is a big step forward on the EV front, and it’s a car that's hard to fault. The new CLA is hitting dealerships presently, and I have a feeling you'll be seeing plenty of them on the road soon.

If you like both electric vehicles and emotional roller coasters, 2025 was an excellent year. However, for those of us whose nerves are already sufficiently frazzled, the highs and lows of the last 12 months were a bit hard to stomach.

In 2025, we saw the introduction of new, compelling models like the Lucid Gravity and refreshed Nissan Leaf, the latter available at a price on par with its internally combusted competition. From a product availability standpoint, 2025 was the year the EV market started feeling more mature and less manic.

But 2025 also saw new heights of anti-EV vitriol stirred up during a particularly traumatic election cycle. The means of propulsion or badge on the hood of your commuter machine suddenly became an indicator of your political affiliations. Put simply, the car you drive is now a political statement, and it’s the latest unprecedented situation in an exhaustingly long and dire string of unprecedented situations. Yes, it's been a long year, and the pessimism of 2025 will surely carry us well into 2026, but not all hope is lost for EVs.

Tesla and the DOGE effect

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We've certainly seen some civic-minded CEOs in the past as auto executives have a long history of mixing their corporate interests with their political panderings. Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca was even considered a potential presidential candidate once upon a time. However, we have never seen the kind of ass kissing and cronyism we were privy to in this year's fickle friendship between Elon Musk and President Trump.

Musk was (hyper) active on the Trump campaign trail, and wasted no time digging into what he described as government overspending. While the Department of Government Efficiency's efficacy is debatable, it certainly proved quite effective at decimating the accounts of Tesla investors. Between January and March, Tesla's stock price dropped by nearly half. Things didn't turn around until Musk left DOGE in May. 

Since then, Tesla's price has returned to its highs before the DOGE debacle. Its sales, however, have not. Q1 deliveries declined by 13 percent, then 14 percent in Q2. Deliveries bounced back 7 percent in Q3 as everyone scrambled to buy before the EV credits expired, but profits plunged 37 percent. Tesla's market share in the US electric vehicle space has halved, leading perennial pitchman Musk to start hawking everything from AI agents to spandex-clad robots — anything to distract from the numbers.

And it's apparently working. Musk's $1 trillion pay package was approved by Tesla’s shareholders without much worry. This could make him the world's first trillionaire, but only if he meets a series of aggressive targets and deadlines for sales, an area where the man has struggled in the past.

The big, beautiful sales spike

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Elon Musk and Donald Trump's bromance wasn't the only fallout from the latter's second term. So, too, died the $7,500 federal EV incentive, which expired in September as part of President Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill." That actually spurred a short-term sales spike ahead of the deadline. Many manufacturers even set new EV sales records riding that wave, but there's a disconcerting trough to come.

We still need to wait a bit to see just how bad Q4 EV sales are going to be, but early indications are not looking good. J.D. Power's October report says that EV sales in September were a record high, making up 12.9 percent of new vehicle sales in the US. In October, after the credit expired, they fell to a mere 5.2 percent. 

That's a worrying drop, and it's already affecting product planning. 

Cuts in EV production

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When I was in Japan last month, getting an early look at some next-gen hybrids from Honda, I wasn't expecting to hear talk of midterm American elections from the company's executives. But that's what was on CEO Toshihiro Mibe's mind. He's watching American voting trends closely to determine the nature of the company's upcoming releases.

Mibe said that Honda has already canceled plans for some EVs here in America, instead focusing on a broader selection of hybrid models. It's not the only company to do so. Ram also canceled its 1500 EV truck, but the hybrid version is still supposedly on the way. 

Scout Motors, too, has been focusing more on its extended-range hybrid offerings. The company's initial pitch was purely electric trucks and SUVs. Lately, it's been prioritizing its extended-range EV options based on the feedback from its 130,000 pre-orderers. 80 percent of them want the onboard generator, an add-on that may prove a saving grace for this EV startup.

There is reason for optimism

Some manufacturers may be throttling back on their EV aspirations, but others are forging ahead. There's a delightful collection of battery-powered machines coming next year, and that's worth getting excited about.

Again, the 2026 Nissan Leaf should be a hugely popular choice as its production ramps up. It's already hitting dealerships now, and with a starting price under $30,000, it'll be hard to beat. But, Chevrolet is going to try with a refreshed Bolt EV for similar money.

If you've got more to spend, you've got more options. BMW's stellar iX3 crossover SUV is due soon, as are both the electric CLA sedan and GLC SUV. 

The most anticipated EV of the year, though, might just be the Rivian R2. This electric SUV will join the stellar R1S and R1T, expanding Rivian's segment footprint while also hopefully expanding its market reach. A $45,000 starting price makes it far more attainable than any of the company's previous offerings. 

Nathan Heleine / Rivian

If the prospect of a fun, affordable SUV from Rivian doesn't have you excited for the upcoming year in EVs, maybe some promising news from Europe will. After cutting its own EV incentive program in 2023, Germany's EV sales fell off a cliff, dropping 28 percent in 2024. Cue the predictions of the demise of EVs by many local pundits.

Since then, though, EV sales slowly climbed back up, and lately they've been booming, with German road traffic agency KBA saying the total number of newly registered electric vehicles increased by nearly 50 percent in October (year over year). Electric cars now make up 19 percent of the market there, and that's despite Tesla's sales cratering.

There's no guarantee that the American market will follow a similar rebound, especially if the anti-EV political messaging continues. Me, though, I've decided I'm staying optimistic, as exhausting as that can be these days.