Upcoming Automotive Landscape in 2025: Tesla and other Automakers Unveiling Electric Cars; Anticipation for "Super-Hybrids"
Electric Vehicles Set to Flood European Market in 2025
The electric vehicle (EV) industry is gearing up for a significant shift, with several new models set to launch in Europe and the US in 2025. These vehicles are expected to contribute significantly to the reduction of CO2 emissions and help meet stricter emissions standards.
Key Electric Vehicle Launches and Trends for 2025:
- Tesla: While there is no specific mention of a new Tesla model launching exactly in 2025, Tesla continues to be a major player in the EV market in both Europe and the US. The new Tesla Model Y is expected to go on sale by the end of this month, with production starting at the German Gigafactory in Grünheide.
- BYD (China): BYD is expanding aggressively into Europe with new production slated from 2026 at its Hungarian plant. This facility is capable of producing about 150,000 compact all-electric sedans annually, ideal for European urban settings. BYD’s vehicles feature advanced technologies like flash-charging that significantly enhance range and charging speed, enabling journeys like driving from one European capital to another without lengthy recharging stops. BYD’s presence challenges Tesla’s dominance with highly competitive models designed by engineers formerly from European automakers.
- Lucid Motors (US): The Lucid Gravity, a new luxury electric SUV available as 5- or 7-seater, is launching in 2025 with high-performance variants offering up to 1070 horsepower and EPA ranges close to 450 miles. It is positioned as a premium competitor in the US EV market.
- Mercedes-Benz: The 2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS450 is part of a new wave of fully electric luxury vehicles expected to launch, continuing the push by established carmakers toward EV lineups.
- Toyota: Although Toyota will start producing EVs in Europe from 2028, it plans to expand its BEV portfolio in Europe by 2026 with models such as the new C-HR+ SUV and a revised bZ4X. Toyota’s shift toward localized EV manufacturing is a strategic response to tightening EU emissions rules and the ban on combustion engines starting in 2035.
Contribution to CO2 Emissions Reduction and Regulatory Compliance:
- The EU is seeing a strong increase in plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) adoption, with registrations up 41.6% year-on-year by June 2025, alongside battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) growing steadily. These trends coincide with a marked decline in petrol and diesel car registrations (down more than 20-30%) as Europe tightens emissions standards and prepares for a combustion vehicle ban by 2035.
- Manufacturers introducing new EV models in 2025 help increase the share of zero-emission vehicles, critical for meeting European Union CO2 targets, which require significant reductions in average vehicle fleet emissions by mid-decade.
- In the US, continued adoption of EVs like those from Tesla and Lucid supports federal and state-level ambitions to cut CO2 emissions from transportation, a leading source of greenhouse gases.
In summary, the 2025 EV launches, including premium SUVs like the Lucid Gravity, expansions by BYD in Europe, together with ongoing Tesla sales, strongly contribute to the transition away from fossil fuel vehicles. This momentum supports meeting stringent CO2 emission standards, particularly in Europe, where policy pressures are accelerating the phase-out of petrol and diesel vehicles. Toyota's gradual ramp-up of European EV production from 2026 onward also highlights the industry's commitment to comply with future regulations.
Additionally, similar "Super Hybrids" could hit the market by 2025 from Western manufacturers, including models from Mercedes, Land Rover, and Toyota. In China, NEV sales increased by 35 percent to nearly 13 million units in 2024, with PHEVs accounting for 40 percent. The EU fleet emission target for each manufacturer will be lowered to 94 grams of CO2 per WLTP kilometer in 2025, and PHEVs may contribute significantly to CO2 reduction in the EU, accounting for 8 percent of the required reduction in fleet emissions. Porsche has reportedly reconsidered its decision to offer the new Macan exclusively as a pure electric vehicle after sales of the E-sports car Taycan dropped by almost 50 percent in 2024, and the brand is considering offering a Macan with an internal combustion engine and a PHEV variant. Tesla plans to start producing new, more affordable electric vehicles in the first half of 2025, while nine out of ten NEV startups from China have announced or introduced electric vehicles with range extenders (EREVs). Observers expect the first entirely new Tesla of 2025 to be a smaller electric car, although the official name has not been confirmed. The electric vehicle industry is planning to launch a flood of new electric vehicles onto the European market in 2025, including seven models starting at prices below €25,000.
- The electric vehicle industry is expecting a major transformation in 2025, with new models from Tesla, BYD, Lucid Motors, Mercedes-Benz, and Toyota set to be launched.
- BYD, a Chinese automaker, is set to challenge Tesla's dominance in Europe with its new compact all-electric sedans, featuring advanced flash-charging technology.
- The Lucid Gravity, a luxury electric SUV, is expected to debut in 2025 with high-performance variants offering impressive power and range.
- The transition away from fossil fuel vehicles is accelerating, with more affordable electric vehicles set to flood the European market in 2025, aiming to reduce CO2 emissions and comply with stricter emissions standards.
