5 Automotive Trends for 2026, So Far

1. More Family-Friendly EVs

With the demand for SUVs remaining high along with the EV tax credits (now sadly expired), manufacturers responded with a boom of higher capacity vehicles. From the Lucid Gravity, Volvo EX90, and Escalade IQ to the charm of the VW ID Buzz— these options are all fully electric with three row seating. Plenty of room for the hockey team or Gran’s knitting club. Just remember, larger vehicles need larger batteries. And batteries are heavy, leading to more wear and tear on tires.

2. Stable New Vehicle Prices

After years of skyrocketing, new vehicle prices have kept most of us holding on to our keys for dear life, the industry appears to be leveling off.  The average price of a new vehicle in April was $49,461. High volume sales in SUVs and trucks have an effect on overall average costs, but experts say that price growth remains below long-term averages in general.

3. Used Vehicle Inventory Remains Low

In line with those increasing new automobile prices, there are more used vehicles on the road and less inventory on the used-car lots. Prices for used vehicles continues to increase slowly with an average listing price of $25,390, an increase of 1% from last year. Most retail and independent used-car dealers prefer to have around 60 days’ supply of inventory on hand. Currently, the supply of used vehicles dropped to 37 in March of this year. For vehicles under $15,000, the supply dropped to 27.

This means those in the market for a used car have limited options, especially if they are on the hunt for a vehicle under $15k. Oodles of patience and casting a wide net in the search are the best tools to keep handy if you are in the market for a used car.

4. Vehicle Cybersecurity

As our vehicles become more connected than ever, we need to be aware of cybersecurity. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is working with manufacturers and other automotive industry professionals to adopt practices across the board to proactively address cybersecurity issues and mitigate the risks. Sensor manipulation alone is a major cause of concern. The NHTSA supports cybersecurity considerations from initial development through the lifespan of the vehicle, using risk assessment tools, risk reduction/removal, and layers of protection.

For the full document, here’s the link.

5. Gas Prices Climbing

Those of you with fully electric EVs, you can skip this one. For the rest of us, visiting the gas pump is like going to a movie with Aunt Mildred. It’s gonna be painful to watch and will cost more than you planned on.

As of Memorial Day, the nationwide price of regular gasoline is $4.507/gal, compared with $3.183/gal in 2025.

While negotiations continue in the Strait of Hormuz, the promise of relief in gas prices remains unclear. It will take time to settle an agreement and even more time before shippers feel confident to resume normal shipping patterns.

One more concerning factor is that the United Arab Emirates, a leader in oil production, has left the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) as of May 1^st to focus on “national interests”. OPEC was initially founded in 1960 to ensure states had control over their natural resources and create fair and stable pricing.

One bright spot in all this, is that over the past five years most manufacturers have increased fuel economy across production. We’ll take every last mile per gallon, thank you very much.