It is a sweltering summer afternoon in Detroit when Ford engineers are secretly getting ready what is described by the executives as the company’s “Model T moment.” Their assignment is neither to assemble another vehicle, but to redefine an entire industry. With an electric pickup truck costing around $30,000 on the cards and billions in fresh investment, Ford is counting on affordability and scale to drag the EV from the sidelines of invention into the very heart of American living, marking a pivotal step in the US EV market.
They’re not alone. From Silicon Valley start-ups to Japanese icons, the game to conquer America’s EV market is on. It’s a challenge powered by technology, demand from consumers, and government encouragement—and it is changing the way Americans think about getting behind the wheel.
A Market in Motion
The U.S. market for electrified and electric vehicles is solidly underway—no longer experimental:
According to Autos Innovate, in Q1 2025 EVs—including BEVs, PHEVs, and fuel-cell electric vehicles—accounted for 9.6% of new light-duty vehicle sales. That’s down from 10.9% in Q4 2024, yet still reflects a 0.3 percentage-point gain year-over-year. Meanwhile, overall light-duty sales rose 6%, and EV volume grew by about 9% (~30,500 vehicles) compared to Q1 2024.
This change in powertrain mix shows the way the dominance of the ICE market is gradually being replaced by several forms of electrified mobility.
The Drive to Affordability
For years, the biggest obstacle to EV adoption was cost. Now, car manufacturers are getting serious about reducing prices:
- Ford aims to produce a mid-sized electric pickup around $30,000 by bringing back the Model T spirit through affordability (as reported by Vox and Investors).
- New entrants like Michigan-based Slate Auto are constructing modularity-based electric trucks whose base prices will come in under $27,500—again flipping the script on availability.
Power, Luxury, and Performance
Affordability isn’t the only story. At the luxury end:
Lucid Motors is getting ready to debut the Lucid Gravity, an electric SUV positioned as a high-performance vehicle statement—good for about 828 hp, powered by a 123 kWh battery, and offering 450 miles of range.
Tesla, though still dominant, encounters tougher competition as incumbents such as Ford, GM, and Hyundai—and an increasingly vibrant startup ecosystem—are stepping up their EV initiatives.
Model-Level Highlights (U.S. Top Sellers H1 2025)
