In the early part of 2024, I was editing an investigative feature from contributing editor John Voelcker about how General Motors' vaunted "Ultium" electric revolution had gone off the rails. By the end of that year, this publication handed our inaugural Breakthrough Award to the Chevrolet Equinox EV after glowing reviews and GM itself was in a dogfight with the Hyundai Motor Group to see who could come in second to Tesla for all-electric sales in the U.S.
My point here is that this was a remarkable turnaround for the General. But like any automaker that did well on selling EVs last year, the question was always whether it could keep up that momentum in a more uncertain era that, say, may not include benefits like the $7,500 EV tax credit.
Yet so far, GM is doing more than fine at selling EVs—Chevrolet in particular. We're taking a look at that today on Critical Materials, our morning roundup of industry and technology news. Also on deck today: the New York Auto Show brings fresh EV momentum, while new tariff changes bring fresh uncertainty. Let's dig in.
30%: Chevy's EV Momentum Continues
At the launch of the new Chevy Blazer SS, which our own Mack Hogan (a noted non-SS Blazer owner himself) will be reviewing soon, Chevrolet touted its "momentum" in the electric space as of late. Automotive News reports that EV registrations went up 74% in just the first two months of the year, led by the affordable Equinox EV. And many of those buyers are entirely new to the Chevy brand, which is called a "conquest" in industry jargon. More:
More than half of Chevy’s EV buyers are new to the brand, [Chevy Global Vice President Scott Bell] said. They’re also proving to be loyal, he added, with more than 6 in 10 former Chevy Bolt EV owners moving to a Blazer EV or Equinox EV and 86 percent of EV owners sticking with battery power on their next vehicle.
Bell said customers are more receptive to EVs and their capability today than a couple of years ago, and Chevy is working to address affordability with the Equinox EV, which starts at $34,995 with shipping.
“Tax credits certainly will have an impact. And we’ve seen that in other markets — when it goes away, what happens," he said. “But these people are in these vehicles for a reason, and they’re not leaving them without a lot of thinking.”
We are getting to the point where more and more buyers will just choose EVs because they like them, and not necessarily out of discounts and deals. However, GM says it's got those coming too in the form of the new 2026 Chevy Bolt, which officials reaffirmed "will be priced slightly above the model discontinued in 2023 that started under $30,000." But as one top dealer told Automotive News, "nobody’s going to be able to compete with that." The way things are going, he may be right.
60%: The New York Auto Show Brings Renewed EV Heat
The fact that today's New York Auto Show—which hasn't exactly been a hotbed for new car news in recent years—will be home to several new EV debuts proves that this space isn't going anywhere.
We're at the show today to see what's on tap. Most notably, those debuts include the updated Subaru Solterra, new Subaru Trailseeker and the U.S.-spec Kia EV4. All of them are said to be headed our way in 2026, and all of them have Tesla-style North American Charging Standard (NACS) plugs. And all of them are going to be strong additions to a market in need of more gas-free choices.
Check back today on InsideEVs as we uncover more, but I wouldn't count out a few surprises from the show as well.
90%: More Tariff Changes, More Tariff Confusion
Another thing I expect to hear a lot about at the auto show today, both in terms of public displays of resolve and private complaining from industry sources, is tariffs. Basically, nobody in the car business can figure out the current rules, where things are going, or how and where they should build cars—and at what prices.
Here's the latest from the Wall Street Journal:
When President Trump enacted the 25% tariff on all vehicle imports, he gave automakers some relief: They would be allowed to pay a lower tariff based on the percentage of U.S.-produced parts and materials used in a foreign-built vehicle.
The White House, however, has yet to provide many details on what exactly constitutes “U.S. content” or how it might be determined, for now leaving it up to the companies to figure it out on their own. Meanwhile, they have been left to pay the full tariff.
“We’re all waiting to better understand how this is supposed to be done,” said Jennifer Safavian, president and chief executive of Autos Drive America, an industry group representing foreign-based automakers. “It’s not really been clear to us.”
[...] Company executives say the U.S. content requirements are critical for shaping longer-term decisions, such as whether to raise prices or reroute production. A study published Thursday by the Center for Automotive Research, an Ann Arbor, Mich.-based nonprofit, said the auto-import tariffs could increase costs for automakers by more than $100 billion.
Misinterpreting the rules carries some risk: The Trump administration has warned that any company found to have provided inaccurate information on their U.S. content levels could be subject to retroactive tariffs.
"Retroactive tariffs," or taxes and fees applied after the fact if they're found to be in violation of the rules. Great. I'm sure every car company out there is thrilled.
100%: How Much Will EV Tax Credits Matter For EV Adoption?
Nobody really expected the EV tax credits to last forever, even if the White House hadn't gone to President Donald Trump. The system was largely seen as a stopgap to get people to buy electric cars until prices could go down naturally through the magic of scale, and then they'd likely stay electric owners long-term.
But the tax credits aren't dead yet. And more and more new EV models are coming out all of the time, including at more affordable prices. Could that maturation of the field happen on its own, or will keeping that $7,500 tax credit in place be key to getting there? Sound off in the comments.
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
