The automotive industry didn't ease into 2026 quietly. Instead, we got record-breaking sales numbers, multibillion-dollar writedowns, brand expansions, and the latest generation of self-driving minivans. Here's what happened this week in the electric vehicle world.

Polestar's Best Year Yet

Swedish EV maker Polestar Automotive wrapped up 2025 with some genuinely impressive numbers. The company sold 15,608 vehicles in the fourth quarter alone, a 27% jump from the previous year. For the full year, Polestar moved 60,119 vehicles, representing a solid 34% increase over 2024.

CEO Michael Lohscheller called 2025 the company's best year ever, which is particularly notable given that the EV market hasn't exactly been smooth sailing lately. When you're growing at that pace while others are stumbling, you're doing something right.

Tesla Dominates in China

Tesla had an exceptional December in China, and the numbers tell the story. The company sold 93,843 vehicles in the month, marking a 13.2% year-over-year increase compared to December 2024. Quarter-over-quarter, that's a 31.2% jump.

According to data shared by influencer Roland Pircher, this wasn't just a good month for Tesla in China—it was the best month ever. That's significant momentum heading into the new year, especially in a market as competitive as China's EV landscape.

BYD Enters the Ride-Hailing Game

Chinese automaker BYD Co. Ltd. is reportedly launching a dedicated sub-brand for the ride-hailing industry. The company unveiled four different vehicle models under the new "领汇" badge in a regulatory catalog released by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

It's a smart strategic move. The ride-hailing market has specific needs—durability, efficiency, cost-effectiveness—and a purpose-built brand can address those requirements directly rather than trying to retrofit consumer vehicles.

GM Takes a $7.1 Billion EV Hit

General Motors Co. announced a substantial $7.1 billion charge related to its electric vehicle operations. The breakdown isn't pretty: over $4.2 billion stems from supplier commercial settlements and contract cancellation fees, while another $1.8 billion comes from non-cash impairments.

The company also indicated that additional charges are coming in 2026, though they're expected to be "significantly less" than what we saw in 2025. When you're pivoting an entire automotive empire toward electrification, apparently this is what the transition costs look like.

Waymo's Next-Generation Robotaxi

Alphabet Inc.'s autonomous vehicle unit Waymo used CES 2026 to unveil the updated version of its Ojai robotaxi minivan. Built in partnership with Chinese automaker Zeekr, the vehicle is packed with sensor technology: more than 13 cameras, 6 radar sensors, and 4 LiDAR sensors.

The design also includes additional features specifically to keep all those sensors clean, which is one of those practical problems you don't think about until you're actually deploying autonomous vehicles in real-world conditions. Turns out robots need windshield wipers too.