The United States presents a contrasting picture. A joint JD Power and GlobalData forecast published on 22 October 2026 projects total US new-vehicle sales of about 1.327 million units in October, a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 15.6 million - essentially flat versus a year earlier. Within that total, the retail share of electric vehicles is forecast at 6.9%, down 0.3 percentage points year-on-year, while hybrids are expected to reach 18.6%, up 4.0 points. Incentives tell the same story: average EV discounts are projected to fall 42% to $7,531 per unit compared with the elevated levels of October 2025, whereas incentives for combustion and hybrid vehicles rose 17.5% to $3,142. Affordability remains the central constraint - the average monthly payment is set to hit a record $823 and loan rates ticked up to 6.81%. Consumers are increasingly opting for hybrids as a bridge technology. Globally, light-vehicle sales were cut to 87.9 million units for 2026 (-4.8%), weighed down by a contracting Chinese market.
Sources: J.D. Power; GlobalData.
