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Germany’s new car market as-a-whole continued to struggle through the end of the first quarter, but you’d never know it from looking at EV sales. Even as Tesla’s fortunes continue to decline, EV sales shot up more than 35% year over year – now approaching 17% of the market, and that’s WITHOUT government incentives!

Spanish media outlet Motorpasión is reporting that Germany’s Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (or KBA; sort of like the American National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, NHTSA) says electric cars already make up 17% of all new vehicle registrations in the European country. And that EV market share is accelerating, despite the cancelation of government EV subsidies in late 2023.

At the same time, Tesla – whose Model Y electric crossover was, at one point, the best-selling car in the world – is watching its sales tank globally. That’s especially true in Germany, where the American EV brand saw a 70% drop in sales through the first two months of the year, YOY, and some 94% of survey respondents (allegedly) said they wouldn’t buy a Tesla.

All of which begs the question: what gives?

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Pull-ahead EV sales + Elon’s Musk

New Tesla Model Y; via Tesla.

The first part of this two-part answer involves German EV subsidies. The nation’s government issued a €4,500 subsidy for the purchase of a new EV with a sub-€40,000 list price (€3,000 for €40-65,000 cars). That often-criticized program was always intended to be temporary, however, and after EV sales reached one million units the subsidy was canceled for business customers in September in 2023 and private individuals the end of December.

The result of that cancellation was a significant drop in new EV sales in 2024 vs. ’23 – but that’s easily explained by “pull-ahead” sales driven by the knowledge that the government subsidy would be ending soon. And, sure, you don’t see the sort of spikes you see in the US when people who don’t understand basic economic concepts or what tariffs are suddenly gain political power, but that has as much to do with the way cars are sold in Europe as anything else.

In Europe, car buyers typically visit dealers to look at options and features and work with their salespeople to place an order for a new car. The car is built to their customized specifications, and the customer waits anywhere 3-4 months for delivery. There is no, “What’s it gonna take for you to drive one of these home, today?” in other words.

That’s part one.

The second part is the overwhelming stink of Elon Musk (see what I did there?). The Tesla CEO’s passionate embrace of the alt-right and even far-right political movement combined with not one but two “Roman” salutes at Trump’s inauguration (wink-wink, nudge-nudge) have turned the brand’s electric cars into political statements, whether their owners wanted that or not – and many are trading out of their Teslas much earlier than they’d originally planned in favor of a vehicle that’s less politically charged.

What vehicles are they buying? I’ve put together a list of the best-selling EVs in Germany so far this year, along with links to local discount and 0% deals on the ones that are available stateside. Take a look at number 7 (How the mighty have fallen!), then let us know how you think the German EV standings will look in December in the comments.

Ten best-selling EVs in Germany

SOURCES: KBA, via Motorpasión.


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Hyundai wants to bring back the hot hatch, and its new EV concept nails it

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Hyundai wants to bring back the hot hatch, and its new EV concept nails it

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.

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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.

Hyundai-EV-hot-hatch
The Hyundai Concept THREE EV, a preview of the IONIQ 3 (Source: Hyundai)

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.”

Hyundai-EV-hot-hatch
The Hyundai Concept THREE EV, a preview of the IONIQ 3 (Source: Hyundai)

“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.

Hyundai-EV-hot-hatch
The Hyundai Concept THREE EV, a preview of the IONIQ 3 (Source: Hyundai)

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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China’s surge pushes global wind toward fastest growth ever

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China’s surge pushes global wind toward fastest growth ever

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.

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“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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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

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Podcast: Tesla unveils Megablock, bunch of new EVs at IAA, Hyundai’s plant, and more

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Podcast: Tesla unveils Megablock, bunch of new EVs at IAA, Hyundai's plant, 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 Tesla unveiling its new Megablock product, bunch of new EVs at IAA, the debacle at Hyundai’s plant, 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:

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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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