The 19 Best EVs Coming in 2026 | WIRED

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It's already 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. 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 Tesla 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, when 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. However, thanks to President Trump's war on Iran and the subsequent oil price hikes, anything could happen in the EV world this year.

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.

Updated March 2026: We've added the Ferrari Luce, Volvo EX60, BMW i3, and Hyundai Ioniq 3.

Aston Martin Valhalla

Courtesy of Aston Martin

Aston's first-ever mid-engine plug-in hybrid supercar is 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 7.5 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, but the bulk of orders will land in 2026.

Audi R26

Courtesy of AUDI AG

The Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne at the start of March saw Audi's striking R26 line up on the starting grid for the first time, marking the German auto brand’s F1 debut. For three years now, Audi has been developing its power unit for Formula 1 in Neuburg an der Donau in preparation for the sport’s new regulations that dictate the cars must split their power source 50-50 between gas and electric.

Audi's setup is a turbocharged V-6, energy recovery system and storage, a combined electric motor and generator, and an electronic control unit—the “brain” of the car, controlling the engine, hybrid systems, gearbox, and more. Resplendent in its minimalist design cues, yes, this is not a road car, but it is an electrified manifesto: a test bed where future Audi hybrid and EV tech is developed by the marque under the most extreme conditions.

BMW iX3

Courtesy of Fabian Kirchbauer/BMW

WIRED has driven the iX3, and we liked it a lot, which is fortunate considering the EV represents the single biggest financial investment in BMW’s history. The all-new iX3 arrives as more than just an electric SUV—it’s the first of six cars based on BMW’s much-trailed new modular “Neue Klasse” EV platform.

On board are new motors, new inverters, new batteries, new charging tech, new interior display wizardry (Panoramic iDrive), and a fancy new central computer brain. A sub-five-second 0-to-62 mph time means this EV is no slouch. Meanwhile, cell-to-pack batteries with liquid-cooled cylindrical cells with a higher nickel and less cobalt content deliver a 20-percent bump in energy density, and an 800-volt architecture boosts charging speeds by a third and up to 400 kilowatts. This means 200 miles can be added in just 10 minutes.

The headline stat is the 500-mile WLTP max-range figure, or 400 in the more realistic US EPA test. In our test, we figured the iX3 was good for a real-world 350 miles, so not that far off the EPA estimate. Inside, the Intelligent Personal Assistant will be powered by Alexa+. BMW chairman Oliver Zipse says the Neue Klasse cars are “redefining the BMW brand,” which shows how much the company is relying on the iX3 and its following five EVs to take on cheaper Chinese competitors.

BMW i3

Photograph: Courtesy of BMW

The second Neue Klasse model and the electric reimagining of BMW's legendary 3 Series, the new i3 is perhaps even more important than the iX3. Built on the same architecture as its SUV sibling, the i3 thankfully kee