Drivers are increasingly ditching Toyota and Honda gas cars in favor of EVs
The electric vehicle rollout is gaining momentum as new car shoppers are increasingly switching to EVs, even if their preferred brand is not currently offering any. Ford, GM, and Hyundai’s new electric vehicles are winning over Toyota and Honda gas-car buyers, while Tesla continues establishing itself as a top automaker.
Yesterday we reported on the recent S&P Global Mobility data suggesting new electric vehicles are taking market share from Tesla.
And that is true, but it’s also misleading. Tesla was a pioneer in the US electric vehicle market, controlling nearly 100% at one point. As automakers race to fill the expanding pool of drivers looking to switch to electric vehicles, a loss in market share is inevitable.
The latest data shows Tesla still controls 65% of the market through the first nine months of 2022. Of the 525,000 new electric vehicles registered in the United States this year, almost 340,000 were Tesla models.
Tesla’s growth has helped the United States cross 6% EV market share this past quarter, up from just 2.2% in 2021, as new car buyers are increasingly switching from gas to zero-emission electric vehicles.
However, Tesla is one of many companies with their sights on the US EV market now. Ford, GM, Hyundai, and others have successfully introduced their own electric models that are enticing buyers to convert.
Meanwhile, those who have been slow to introduce fully electric options, like Toyota and Honda, are losing faithful buyers as drivers are embracing pure EVs over their gas-powered counterparts.
Electric vehicles are winning over traditional gas buyers
The S&P Global Mobility data shows a glaring consumer preference change trending toward electric vehicles.
Although this is good news for those early to introduce electric vehicles, it’s costing two of the largest companies on some of their most popular models. Take a look at which electric vehicles customers are trading their gas cars in for.
Do you see a trend here? Tesla, Ford, Chevrolet (GM), and Hyundai have all aggressively invested resources toward advancing fully electric vehicles.
Meanwhile, the brands customers are switching from have been slow to make the transition. Japanese automakers Toyota and Honda are seeing their customers leave to test other brands that have successfully introduced pure EV models.
Ford announced Wednesday it produced its 150,000th Mustang Mach-E as it looks to achieve a 2 million EV run rate by 2026. Other automakers are achieving similar milestones as they look to close the gap Tesla has established. Most importantly, the EV competition is doing what it was designed to do – convert drivers to zero-emission, fully electric vehicles.
Electrek’s Take
Drivers are increasingly trading in their top-selling gas-powered vehicles for new advanced EV models. Although as consumer preference continues trending toward electric vehicles, these models are bound to lose some faithful buyers, the data reveal an important point – car buyers are ready and willing to make the switch even if their favorite brands (Toyota, Honda) are not quite there yet.
Which electric vehicle will you purchase next?
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First Solar just cut the ribbon on a huge new factory in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, and it dwarfs the New Orleans Superdome. The company’s $1.1 billion, fully vertically integrated facility spans 2.4 million square feet, or about 11 times the size of the stadium’s main arena.
The factory began production quietly in July, a few months ahead of schedule, and employs more than 700 people. First Solar expects that number to hit 826 by the end of the year. Once it’s fully online, the site will add 3.5 GW of annual manufacturing capacity. That brings the company’s total US footprint to 14 GW in 2026 and 17.7 GW in 2027, when its newly announced South Carolina plant is anticipated to come online.
The Louisiana plant produces First Solar’s Series 7 modules using US-made materials — glass from Illinois and Ohio, and steel from Mississippi, which is fabricated into backrails in Louisiana.
The new factory leans heavily on AI, from computer vision that spots defects on the line to deep learning tools that help technicians make real‑time adjustments.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry says the investment is already a win for the region, bringing in “hundreds of good-paying jobs and new opportunities for Louisiana workers and businesses.” A new economic impact analysis from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette projects that the factory will boost Iberia Parish’s GDP by 4.4% in its first full year at capacity. The average manufacturing compensation package comes in at around $90,000, more than triple the parish’s per capita income.
First Solar CEO Mark Widmar framed the new facility as a major step for US clean energy manufacturing: “By competitively producing energy technology in America with American materials, while creating American jobs, we’re demonstrating that US reindustrialization isn’t just a thesis, it’s an operating reality.”
This site joins what’s already the largest solar manufacturing and R&D footprint in the Western Hemisphere: three factories in Ohio, one in Alabama, and R&D centers in Ohio and California. Just last week, First Solar announced a new production line in Gaffney, South Carolina, to onshore more Series 6 module work. By the end of 2026, the company expects to directly employ more than 5,500 people across the US.
Read more: First Solar pours $330M into a new South Carolina solar factory
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No, it’s not the new Bolt. GM’s design team previewed a new high-riding “sporty Chevrolet EV” that should be brought to life.
Is Chevy launching a new sporty EV?
This is the all-electric vehicle Chevy should sell in the US. General Motors’ design team released a series of sketches previewing a sporty new Chevy EV.
Although it kinda looks like the new 2027 Chevy Bolt EV as a higher-sitting compact crossover SUV, the design offers a fresh take on what it should have looked like.
The new Bolt is essentially a modernized version of the outgoing EUV model with a similar compact crossover silhouette. Nissan adopted a similar style with the new 2026 LEAF as buyers continue shifting from smaller sedans and hatchbacks to crossovers and SUVs.
Will we see the sporty Chevy EV in real life? It’s not likely. For one, the “exploration sketch” is by GM China Advanced designer Charles Huang.
GM Design posted the sketches on its global social media page, but the caption read “Sporty Chevrolet EV for the China Market.”
It’s too bad. The Bolt could use a sporty sibling like an SS variant. Chevy introduced the Blazer EV SS (check out our review) for the 2026 model year, its fastest “SS” model yet. Packing up to 615 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, the Chevy Blazer SS can race from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds when using Wide Open Watts (WOW) mode.
Will the Bolt be next? I wouldn’t get my hopes up. And if GM does bring the sporty Chevy EV to life, it will likely only be sold in China. Like all the fun cars these days.
What do you think of the design? Would you buy one of these in the US? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
While deliveries of the 2027 Bolt are set to begin in early 2026, Chevy is offering some sweet deals on its current EV lineup, including up to $4,000 off in Customer Cash and 0% APR financing for 60 months.
Ready to test drive one? You can use our links below to find Chevy Equinox, Blazer, and Silverado EVs at a dealership near you.
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Environment
Podcast: Electricity is the base currency, Tesla Robotaxi crashes, new Porsche Cayenne EV, and more
In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss electricity becoming the base currency, Tesla Robotaxi crashes, the new Porsche Cayenne EV, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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