The US electric vehicle market has encountered a new alarming signal. According to Edmunds analysts, the share of EV owners trading in their cars when purchasing a new vehicle has reached a record level. According to the study, in March and April 2026, electric vehicles accounted for about 2.7% of all cars traded in. At first glance, the figure seems small, but for the market, this is a historical high and a noticeable increase compared to previous years.
Not all owners are switching to other electric vehicles. A significant portion of buyers are returning to hybrids or even traditional internal combustion engine cars. Reasons cited include high insurance premiums, rapid depreciation of residual value, uncertainty surrounding charging infrastructure, and a general fatigue among some consumers from the early stage of the electric vehicle revolution.
However, this does not mean the collapse of the EV market. Electric vehicle sales continue to remain high, and many owners are still satisfied with their cars. Rather, the market is beginning to enter a more mature phase, where buyers evaluate not only environmental friendliness or technology, but also the long-term economics of ownership.
Against this backdrop, hybrids are particularly benefiting. They are increasingly perceived as a compromise between an electric vehicle and a traditional car: no charging anxiety, but with significant fuel savings. This is why many manufacturers – from Toyota to Ford Motor Company and Hyundai Motor Company – are now actively expanding their hybrid lineups.
The situation resembles what is happening in China. There, electric vehicles also face the problem of rapidly falling residual value due to price wars and rapid technological obsolescence of models. As a result, buyers are increasingly starting to think not only about the characteristics of a new car, but also about how much it will be worth in a few years.
This is where the main paradox of the current EV market emerges. Manufacturers have spent years convincing buyers to look at range, charging power, and digital features. But as the market matures, much more mundane things begin to play an increasingly important role: insurance, depreciation, service, and resale value.
In fact, electric vehicles are gradually ceasing to be a technological novelty and are becoming an ordinary consumer product. And this means that buyers are beginning to evaluate them as pragmatically as any other car.