Auto show: ICE is back
The New York Auto Show felt like a turning point — coverage says manufacturers dialed back EV fanfare and gave more attention to hybrids and internal‑combustion models, suggesting the industry pulse has shifted from an EV‑only narrative. (That’s important because it signals product and marketing priorities heading into 2027, not just one‑off reveals at the show.) (cleantechnica.com)
At the 2026 New York International Auto Show, the surprise was not that electric cars vanished. The surprise was that a show with an Electric Vehicle and Hybrid Test Track still gave headline space to a refreshed Chrysler Pacifica minivan, a Dodge Durango special edition, and a new Ram ProMaster City van alongside a smaller set of all-new battery models. (autoshowny.com) (media.stellantisnorthamerica.com) You could see the split in the debuts. Subaru used New York to unveil the all-electric 2027 Getaway, but in the same event it also pushed the 2027 Forester Wilderness Hybrid and highlighted up to 25% better fuel economy for that hybrid off-road model. (media.subaru.com) (subaru.com) Stellantis leaned even harder into old-fashioned metal. Its New York plan centered on the 2027 Pacifica, the 2026 Dodge Durango GT America250, and the 2027 Ram ProMaster City, which is the kind of lineup you bring when you think families, fleets, and gasoline profits still sell better than battery hype. (media.stellantisnorthamerica.com 1) (media.stellantisnorthamerica.com 2) Even the companies still talking electrification were talking in a different tone. Toyota’s show materials paired “performance” with “the future of its electrification ambitions,” while its U.S. lineup page now puts hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery models on the same shelf instead of treating battery cars as the only destination. (autoshowny.com) (toyota.com) That shift follows the sales math. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said about 22% of U.S. light-duty vehicle sales in 2025 were hybrid, battery electric, or plug-in hybrid vehicles, up from 20% in 2024, but hybrids kept gaining share while battery electric and plug-in hybrid sales fell after tax credits expired at the end of September 2025. (eia.gov) Cox Automotive’s numbers show how abrupt that turn was. Electric vehicles reached 10.5% of U.S. new-vehicle sales in the third quarter of 2025, then dropped to 5.8% in the fourth quarter, and Cox said it expected electric share in 2026 to sit near 8% instead of resuming the straight-line climb many carmakers had been selling to investors. (coxautoinc.com) Automakers changed their product mix because buyers changed their shopping lists. Ford said its 2025 U.S. sales rose 6% on strong hybrid demand even as electric-vehicle sales slowed, which is a clean example of why a company walks into New York with more hybrids and gasoline models than battery moonshots. (usnews.com) Subaru made the same calculation in a more consumer-friendly way. The 2026 Forester Hybrid starts at $34,730 and promises up to 581 miles of range, which works like a bridge for buyers who want lower fuel bills without planning charging stops or changing how they drive. (media.subaru.com) (subaru.com) None of this means battery cars are gone. New York still had the 2027 Subaru Getaway, Kia’s electric models, Hyundai’s electric ride experience, and a dedicated test track for electric and hybrid vehicles, but even EV-focused coverage noted there “weren’t a ton of all-new EVs” at the show. (forbes.com) (autoshowny.com) (engadget.com) So the New York show looked less like a funeral for electric vehicles and more like a reset. Carmakers are still bringing battery cars to the stage, but the center of the stage has moved back toward hybrids and internal-combustion models that can sell in volume right now, which is usually what the 2027 model-year pipeline looks like before executives say it out loud. (autoblog.com) (autoshowny.com)
