Business Today TV reports from the floor of the 2026 New York International Auto Show, where the mood among automakers is markedly more cautious than in previous years. US EV sales have slipped from close to 10% of total auto sales to around 6.5% in recent months, and the removal of federal purchase incentives has put additional pressure on the segment.
Subaru used the show to introduce two new vehicles side by side: the Getaway, a three-row full-size electric SUV with over 500km of claimed range, and the Forester Wilderness Hybrid. The pairing was deliberate. Kia showed the compact EV3 alongside the new Seltos, which arrives first in gasoline trim and then in a hybrid version later in the year. Hyundai noted that its hybrid lineup is currently outpacing its EV sales, with consumers caught between rising fuel costs and the uncertainty left by incentive changes.
The dynamic that most brands highlighted is a push-pull effect: the removal of federal EV incentives has softened buyer interest, while rising fuel prices tied to Middle East tensions are nudging some consumers, particularly in California, back toward electric options. It is a demonstration of price elasticity playing out in real time across the showroom floor.
The report frames the overall industry position not as a retreat from electrification but as a strategic recalibration. Hybrids are serving as the bridge for buyers not yet ready to commit fully to battery-electric, while EVs remain the stated long-term direction for most major brands. The challenge is that consumer preference for larger vehicles hasn't changed, which puts pressure on automakers to deliver competitive range and efficiency at price points buyers will actually pay.
What the New York show makes clear is that the path to widespread electrification runs through considerably more uncertainty than the industry projected two or three years ago.