It's going to be a pivotal year for cars in 2026. The US was the 20th century’s undisputed center of the car universe. But when CES rolled into Las Vegas at the start of January, the lack of car concepts on display was distinct, a clear illustration of the precarious state of the US automotive industry. And while America's love affair with EVs appears to be waning now that tax credits are no more, global EV sales are in far better health.
Most significantly, BYD has overtaken Telsa in EV sales, while the rest of China's auto industry readies itself to further expand across the globe, converting more and more new customers to their wares and away from Western marques. Why is this so important? More than half the time consumers buy a new car, they stick with the same brand.
As the center of gravity for the auto world shifts to China, big American brands like Jeep and Chrysler have announced they're killing production of all plug-in hybrids in the US.
Let's take a look at the EVs and hybrids—presented in alphabetical order—that WIRED is most looking forward to seeing hit the road in the coming year.
Aston Martin Valhalla
Courtesy of Aston Martin
Aston's first-ever mid-engine plug-in hybrid supercar is born from its collaboration with Red Bull Racing and so comes steeped in F1-inspired tech. At its heart sits a bespoke 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V-8 from Mercedes-AMG, but this is paired with three electric motors to deliver a staggering 1,064 horsepower and 811 pound-feet of torque. That’s enough thrust to catapult this carbon-fiber, land-based rocket to 62 mph in as little as 2.5 seconds and on toward a top speed of 217 mph.
Want to cruise using just electric power? Then you'll have to restrict yourself to a max of 80 mph and a range of miles miles. But the hybrid system doesn’t just boost straight-line speed; torque vectoring and active aerodynamics mean the Valhalla’s handling is as thrilling as the headline figures. We've tried it on Aston's private track, and it's astounding. Limited to just 999 units, the delayed Valhalla finally started to reach customers at the very last knockings of 2025, so we're keen to see it in the wild in 2026.
Audi R26
Courtesy of AUDI AG
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