Acura may bring back hybrids because it can only offer $20K EV discounts for so long
Honda’s luxury Acura brand could be the latest to launch new hybrids as a bridge to fully electric vehicles. Despite over $20,000 in discounts, ZDX sales are not picking up as quickly as Acura expected.
Is Acura launching new hybrids in the US?
Acura finally began delivering its first EV in the US last May, the 2024 Acura ZDX. Although the luxury brand had high hopes for the electric SUV, sales have been slow to gain traction.
The ZDX had its best sales month in December 2024, with 1,848 models sold. In total, Acura sold 7,391 electric SUVs in the US last year.
As it looks to boost sales, Acura is considering re-introducing hybrids. After dropping the RLX and MDX hybrids in 2020, Acura no longer sells a hybrid vehicle in the US.
The luxury brand was expected to spearhead Honda’s transition to electric, with EVs accounting for 60% of sales by 2030.
Although this is still Acura’s long-term plan, Mike Langel, vice president of national sales for Acura, hinted that it could change. Langel told Automotive News, “Our long-term plan is to sell all electric vehicles, but we are very flexible on what that path looks like.”
Acura’s executive did not confirm or deny plans to launch hybrids. Langley said, “It could definitely be a windy road, but the end goal remains the same.”
Acura expects to continue selling about 1,000 ZDX models per month. However, as Langley explained, “We can only drive the market so much by incentives, and that’s where we have to remain flexible in our approach.”
Remaining flexible
Shortly after hitting the market, Acura introduced massive discounts, upwards of nearly $30,000 to compete with top-selling EVs like Tesla’s Model Y.
The ZDX is still Acura’s short-term focus, alongside its second EV, the RSX crossover coupe. Unlike the ZDX, which is built on GM’s Ultium platform, the RSX will be the first EV underpinned by Honda’s in-house architecture.
Honda is expected to begin production in late 2025 at its new EV Hub in Ohio with deliveries following in early 2026.
After investing over $1 billion in the plant, Honda announced last week it’s preparing for “flexible production,” including ICE, hybrid, and EV models on the same line. That said, an Acura hybrid is more than likely coming soon.
Acura would join a string of other automakers, including Hyundai, Ford, GM, Porsche, and several others planning to add hybrids to their lineup.
Acura is still offering over $20,000 off the ZDX through leasing. With leases starting as low as $489 for 36 months, the electric SUV is among the most heavily discounted right now. Acura is also offering a $4,000 loyalty/ conquest offer for Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Kia, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Polestar, Rivian, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen or Volvo owners.
Ready check out Acura or Honda’s electric SUV for yourself? We can help you get started. You can use our links below to find deals on the Acura ZDX and Honda Prologue in your area.
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Hyundai offered a first look at the hot hatch earlier this week after unveiling the Concept Three, its first compact EV under the IONIQ family. The new EV, set to arrive as the IONIQ 3, already has a sporty, hot hatch look, but that could be just the start.
Hyundai has a new EV hot hatch in the making
The Concept Three took the spotlight at IAA Mobility in Munich with a daring new look from Hyundai. Based on its new “Art of Steel” design, the concept is a stark contrast to the Hyundai vehicles on the road today.
Hyundai took the “Aero Hatch” design to the next level, deeming it “a new typology that reimagines the compact EV silhouette.” And that it does.
When it arrives in production form in mid-2026, it’s expected to take the IONIQ 3 name as a smaller, more affordable sibling to the IONIQ 5.
Hyundai is set to unveil the electric hatchback next spring with an official launch planned in Europe in September 2026. According to Hyundai’s European boss, Xavier Martinet, the IONIQ 3 could make for the perfect EV hot hatch.
Martinet hinted that the IONIQ 3 could receive the “N” treatment, telling Auto Express that “The concept is quite sporty, and obviously you have heritage with N brand.” Hyundai’s European boss added that “it’s a fair topic to consider.”
Although it doesn’t sound too convincing, Hyundai’s head of design, Simon Loasby, called it “an opportunity.” Loasby was quick to add, “We’re not calling it N, it’s not approved yet.”
“But I think everyone in the company is realising what Europe needs, and that’s compact hot hatches, so it’s a topic for discussion,” Hyundai’s design boss added.
The Concept Three is 4,287 mm long, 1,940 mm wide, and 1,428 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,722 mm, or about the size of the Kia EV3 and Volkswagen ID.3. Both of which are set for hot hatch variants.
If the IONIQ 3 N does come to life, it will be the third Hyundai EV to receive the high-performance upgrade, following the IONIQ 5 N and IONIQ 6 N.
The IONIQ 5 N “was just the first lap,” according to Joon Park, vice president of Hyundai’s N Brand Management Group. He told Auto Express that Hyundai is “at the starting line” and plans to apply what it learned from its first EV hot hatch to upcoming models.
If you’re looking for an affordable electric hot hatch, Hyundai already offers one. After Hyundai cut lease prices last month, the IONIQ 5 N is now listed at just $549 per month. That’s $150 less per month than in July.
Want to test one out for yourself? You can use our link to find 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 models in your area (trusted affiliate link).
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The global wind industry is going to hit some unprecedented growth milestones, according to Wood Mackenzie’s Global Wind Power Market Outlook for Q3 2025. The world is on track to add its second terawatt of wind capacity by 2030. To put that in perspective, it took 23 years to install the first terawatt, which was reached in 2023. The second will come in just seven.
Wind is also set for a record-breaking year in 2025. Global additions are expected to reach 170 gigawatts (GW), with more than 70 GW coming online in the last quarter of the year alone. That means Q4 could add more capacity than the total installed in any full year before 2020.
This forecast represents a 13% jump from the previous quarter, primarily driven by explosive onshore growth in China. Global wind capacity is expected to double from 2024 levels by 2032. Outside of China, the industry is also expanding, though on a slower path. Excluding China, the world will reach 1 terawatt in 2031 and double 2024 capacity by 2034.
However, policy uncertainty and the Trump administration’s hostility toward the wind industry, particularly offshore wind, are negatively impacting the US market. Trump’s big bill act (OBBBA), passed in July 2025, ends tax credits after 2027. That’s sparked a rush of projects in the short term, but it drags down the long-term outlook. For the first time, the US has fallen behind India and Germany in forecasted 10-year additions.
“China’s dominance in the wind industry is becoming more pronounced,” said Sasha Bond-Smith, research analyst at Wood Mackenzie. “While other established markets struggle with policy uncertainty and economic headwinds, we’re witnessing an unequalled concentration of growth in China that’s reshaping the industry landscape.”
China’s onshore forecast jumped this quarter thanks to rising electricity demand from data centers and electrification. Wind is proving more profitable than solar in liberalized power markets, but China’s offshore wind sector is facing challenges. Sea-use conflicts are slowing or even halting projects already under construction.
Despite those hurdles, Wood Mackenzie now projects that wind could match solar’s power output in China over the forecast period. That would cement wind’s central role in helping the country meet climate goals while keeping up with surging power demand.
Elsewhere, onshore wind remains steady across Europe, Asia Pacific, and emerging markets, with tender results and pipelines supporting progress. Offshore wind is struggling, though. High costs and failed tenders are creating setbacks in Europe and delays in emerging markets. Policymakers are under pressure to rethink contract structures to keep projects moving.
“The wind industry’s most significant transformation in decades continues to unfold,” said Kárys Prado, senior research analyst at Wood Mackenzie. “While achieving historic scale, success will depend on how effectively the industry navigates this new geography of growth and adapts to evolving policy landscapes.”
Read more: FERC: Solar + wind made up 91% of new US power generating capacity in H1 2025
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