EV News Roundup, Dec, 17, 2025: 18.5 Million EVs Sold | What’s Really Happening in 2026?
Hey everyone and welcome back to EV News Roundup. It’s December 17th and today we’re keeping the vibe high. Yes, there have been a few headlines that raised eyebrows lately, but zoom out and the picture is still incredibly bright. Global growth is roaring. Infrastructure here in the US is exploding. and some seriously exciting affordable EVs are about to hit the streets. This is the good news edition. Let’s celebrate the wins and the massive upside coming in 2026. Buckle up. It’s jingle all the way. First, let’s talk about the worldwide story, and it’s a banger. Through November, we’ve seen roughly 18.5 million electric vehicles sold globally. That’s a 21% leap over 2024, with November alone clocking in at around 2 million units moved. China is absolutely dominating. Europe is surging back strong and plug-in vehicles are now regularly topping 25% of to car sales in many markets. The transition isn’t slowing down, it’s actually accelerating. The world is going electric and 2025 is proving it. We’re even up year-over-year total sales here in the USA, but that’s another subject altogether. Let’s address that elephant in the room. US sales numbers have cooled off in October and November. November came in at around 70,000 UVs total, down about 41% year-over-year. A lot of that ties to the recent changes in federal tax credits and some uncertainty about the policy as we head into the closure of the first year of the new administration. But here’s where the story flips to pure upside. Full year 2025 is still tracking ahead of 2024. Low singledigit growth holding the line. And 2026, it’s about to go ballistic. Two absolute game changers are launching in early 2026 that will flood the market with affordable, long range, practical EVs. First up is the all-new 2026 Nissan Leaf. No longer just a hatchback. This is a sharp, modern electric crossover SUV packing up to 303 miles of range, way faster charging than it had before, a premium interior, and it’s already sweeping awards like car of the year and best budget EV. Deliveries start ramping up in quarter 126. And then of course Chevrolet’s reborn Bolt, the 2027 Bolt is coming back on a new platform, an LFP platform. They’re thinking 255 plus miles of range, but I’m thinking it’s going to be closer to 270. Over 150 kW fast charging. That’s more than 2 and a half times quicker than the old one. And the price kicking off is in the low 29,000s. GM is building an entire affordable EV family around it. Just keep an eye on that over the next year. These two alone are expected to dramatically boost volumes and bring EVs back into the reach for everyday buyers. The dip was temporary. The comeback in 2026 will be massive and it will turn heads. Another headline that’s gotten some serious negative spin, Ford has wrapped production of the current F-150 Lightning. Yes, they’re taking a charge on it and high-priced pure electric trucks have faced tougher demand lately, but flip that script. This is Ford getting laser focused on what actually moves the needle. They’re freeing up billions to pour into a brand new universal EV platform launching in 2027. These will be smaller superefficient high volume battery electric vehicles at a much lower price point than the current Ford F-150 Lightning, and it’ll be a real mass market EV built for profit and scale. And that’s the name of the game. In the meantime, the next Lightning Evolution is rumored to be an extended range EV with gas assist for up to 700 plus miles of total range. Electric for daily driving, no compromise for towing or long hauls. Hybrids bridge the big trucks. This isn’t a retreat. It’s a strategic repositioning toward affordable practical electrification. It’s a smart move. And as technology moves forward, the extended range part of that EV will go away. Now for the part that genuinely makes me smile. Charging is absolutely booming. Shout out to the Network Architect channel for continuing a killer weekly tracking across North America. We now have almost 78,000 public DC fast charge stalls across North America. That’s roughly a 25% growth year-over-year. Thousands of new high-powered chargers were added in 2025 alone. Tesla Superchargers, Electrify America, and especially now INA and Walmart ramping it up in the latter part of 2025 for an explosive 2026. They’re deploying at record speeds. Reliability is climbing. Highway corridors are filling in. Rural gaps are closing. And with Knack becoming the standard, compatibility drama is fading fast. Long-d distanceance EV trips are easier and more reliable than ever. This is the quiet revolution solving range anxiety for good. And it’s happening right now. Now for a lightning round. Tesla still owns the US up market with over 55% market share in November. Model Y remains the global best seller. Chinese brands led by BYD are rewriting the volume records worldwide. Batteries are getting cheaper. Ranges are climbing. And the tech just keeps improving. Look, 2025 has had regional bumps, but the foundation is rock solid and getting stronger, no matter what the naysayers in the news have to say. Affordable EVs are coming. Charging is starting to pop up everywhere. Global adoption is unstoppable, and the industry is adapting smarter than ever. We’re not just surviving, we’re charging full speed into an electric future that’s brighter than the headlines suggest. I want to thank you for tuning in today. Drop your thoughts below and let’s keep this conversation going and I’ll see you out there or somewhere along the route from point A to point B. Take it easy everybody and happy holidays. Heat. Heat.
Hey everyone, welcome back to Jim’s EV Adventures! This EV News Roundup from December 17, 2025, highlights that 18.5 million **electric vehicle** sales have been made through November 25. The segment discusses new **dcfc** sites being established by various vendors and addresses rumors about Ford discontinuing their EV line, clarifying it as a strategic realignment for **electric cars**. This episode also touches on **ev charging** infrastructure and the broader **us news** landscape affecting the automotive industry.
If you are inclined, you can give a Super Thanks, or join me for a coffee at:
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⏱️ Chapters:
00:00 – Opening Thoughts
00:43 – Opening Credits
01:00 – EV Sales Worldwide
01:45 – US Car Sales
02:20 – 2026 Game Changers
03:55 – The F-150 Lightning
04:24 – Ford’s REAL Focus – the Universal EV Platform
05:22 – Charging Infrastructure is Booming
06:32 – The Lightning Roundup
07:01 – Conclusion
07:52 – Outro
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