With the Los Angeles Auto Show underway, the debate over the future of electric vehicles is in the spotlight.
Many manufacturers are promoting their EV offerings even after electric vehicle sales fell sharply in October after the $7,500 federal tax incentive expired at the end of September.
Electric vehicle sales fell by almost 60% nationally in October, according to J.D. Powerand now represent just 5.2% of total monthly new vehicle sales, down from 12.9% in September.
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But some auto experts say that while sales might decline with the repeal of the tax credit, electric vehicles won’t go away.
“People who don’t like electric cars might say, ‘Oh my God, they’re dead.’ Absolutely not true,” said Ed Loh, editor-in-chief of Motor Trend. “I think at this point we’re going to see that the fittest will survive. So those that make really good electric cars that are priced right, you’re going to see them bounce back.”
Hyundai has several electric vehicles in its range and debuted at the auto show with the powerful Ioniq 6 N. The sports sedan can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 3.2 seconds.
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The Hyundai Ioniq 6 N is on display during the 2025 Los Angeles Auto Show at the Los Angeles Convention Center on November 21, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images)
In addition to its electric offering, the manufacturer leans on a theme of engine choice.
“We want to meet the customer on their mobility journey,” said Randy Parker, CEO of Hyundai North America. “Whether it’s ICE [internal combustion engine]whether it’s hybrid, whether it’s EV. And the great thing for us is that we can meet the customers on that journey in any space, regardless of which direction they want to go.”
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Luxury EV manufacturer Lucid also has a booth at this year’s LA Auto Show.
Lucid’s interim CEO Marc Winterhoff says that while tax incentives for electric vehicles are welcome, the automaker doesn’t need them to compete.
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“There is a dip,” says Winterhoff about the company’s current sales figures. “People were moving forward… purchasing and now there’s a bit of a lull, I would say. But I really see this as a bump in the road, and it will normalize sometime in the first quarter of next year.”
