Europeans Still Love Their EVs – Jalopnik

Happy Monday! It’s October 5, 2026, and that is The Morning Shift — your day by day roundup of the highest automotive headlines from all over the world, in a single place. This is the place you may discover a very powerful tales which are shaping the best way Americans drive and get round.

In this morning’s version we’re EV gross sales within the EU, in addition to GMC’s push for greater trims and better costs. We’ll additionally take a look at Britain’s new best-selling car, and the nation’s response to such an upset. 

If you need a recap of the most recent auto information despatched to your inbox every weekday, you possibly can join Jalopnik’s free Morning Shift publication right here.

The United States is giving up on electrical automobiles, renewables as a complete, and the overall thought of a liveable planet previous the yr 2028 or so. Europe, nevertheless, is just not following in our footsteps. Instead, the bloc is shopping for ever extra EVs — a shift that, paradoxically, our struggle on Iran is barely accelerating. From Reuters:

Europe’s uptake of electrical automobiles is gaining momentum, with file gross sales to date this yr pushed ​by a slew of reasonably priced fashions coming onto ‌the market to convey carmakers according to EU targets, in line with a examine.

* EV gross sales throughout the EU reached file volumes ​in 2026, with 1.64 million bought within the January-to-August ​interval, up 45% year-on-year, Brussels-based environmental advocacy group ⁠Transport & Environment present in its EV progress report printed ​on Monday.
* EVs made up 22% of the market throughout ​this era, six factors greater than the identical interval final yr, in line with the report.

Europe is shifting to EVs not simply as a result of the price of gas or a want for breathable air, however the naked economics of car-buying. The continent is getting an increasing number of low-cost EVs, and the economics of sticking to inner combustion simply do not make sense — fuel automobiles want oil adjustments, frequent brake work, and all method of mechanical repairs. EVs are far nearer to solid-state. 

As buying energy turns into an increasing number of extreme a problem, automakers are watching the underside fall out of the new-car market: Folks that may have purchased entry-level automobiles are as a substitute turning to the used market, which suggests they rely for jack squat to OEMs. Thus, carmakers are prioritizing earnings over quantity, which suggests extra high-dollar fashions that rake in money from extra prosperous sorts. From Automotive News:

Premium Denali and off-road AT4 fashions now account for half of GMC’s gross sales, serving to to drive the model’s profitability as General Motors prioritizes high-margin trims over quantity — whilst its lead over Toyota as America’s top-selling automaker shrinks.

The reputation of the Denali and AT4 trims helped push retail gross sales of the Sierra 1500 pickup to an all-time excessive within the third quarter. And GMC’s common transaction worth — greater than $66,000 in Cox Automotive information for July and August — now tops that of quite a few luxurious manufacturers, together with Audi, Lexus and Volvo.

Moving ahead, GMC says it sees a path to “sustained growth” by clearly aiming its subbrands at premium consumers and off-road fans, serving to to generate worthwhile gross sales regardless of the business’s affordability downside.

GMC is one instance of this, nevertheless it’s occurring throughout the business. Even Aston Martin, a high-dollar automaker, is placing an increasing number of assets into limited-run supercars for the ultra-wealthy — an elevated model of what is occurring right here with pickup vans. I’ll say, although, I had a GMC Denali press loaner not too long ago and it was with out exaggeration the worst car I’ve ever pushed for Jalopnik. If the corporate desires to rake in luxurious money, it is going to have to make some adjustments. 

Brits are loving the brand new wave of Chinese automobiles, for one easy purpose: They provide the identical degree of match and end because the extra established manufacturers, however for the pricing one would count on from upstarts nonetheless seeking to show themselves. Everybody wins! From the Wall Street Journal:

The Jaecoo 7, made by China’s Chery Automobile, was Britain’s bestselling car in September, an essential gross sales month within the U.Ok. In the primary half of 2026, nearly each sixth automobile bought in Britain bore a Chinese model, in line with Schmidt Automotive Research, the next proportion than in every other European nation besides Norway.

Britain’s car imports from China have nearly doubled this yr in contrast with the identical interval in 2025. Only Russia and Brazil—growing economies that principally purchase cheaper fashions—have imported extra. Cratering gross sales in China, the world’s largest automobile market, have inspired its producers to search for progress abroad.

Turns out, providing extra for the cash works as a gross sales technique. Who would’ve thought? As the proud proprietor of a kitchen knife made by a Japanese knifemaker who was on the time nonetheless proving himself (and whose work has since skyrocketed in worth), I perceive precisely why these Brits are shopping for from less-established Chinese opponents. They’re not charging Range Rover cash, however they’re providing Range Rover high quality — if not higher. 

The powers that be within the U.Ok., nevertheless, are much less enthused about these cheap-yet-good automobiles. Spurred on by all of the imports, British authorities at the moment are seeking to tariff automobiles from China — no less than the electrical ones. From Reuters: 

Britain is contemplating imposing tariffs on Chinese electrical car imports amid considerations that ​Beijing is flooding the market with state-subsidised automobiles, the Times ‌newspaper reported on Sunday.

Business minister Jonathan Reynolds is drawing up a package deal of potential tariffs on Chinese car imports, the report stated, citing considerations that ​Chinese producers are “dumping” subsidised automobiles into Britain.

Of course, the automobiles which are truly consuming into British model gross sales aren’t all electrical (the Jaecoo J7 above may be had in fuel or hybrid trims solely, with no pure-electric model supplied), however what distinction does that make? Instituting tariffs on a scary and new know-how like EVs is less complicated to promote to your constituents. 

He simply may need what it takes to make it massive on this enterprise. 

Remain calm! All is effectively!

I do not like this entire “cost of living” factor.