The American automotive industry is sailing into uncharted waters in 2025.
Uncertainty about trade and electric vehicle policies under the incoming Trump administration, coupled with the potential economic turbulence they might cause, has already led several automakers to rethink their plans.
Brands like Ford, Ram and even Tesla have delayed or entirely canceled previously announced vehicles, but the march of new models with and without batteries continues.
Here are a few of the most interesting vehicles that are scheduled to be arriving in U.S. showrooms during the year.
CADILLAC ESCALADE IQ AND VISTIQ
Cadillac still has big ambitions for electric vehicles and its two biggest models start with E and V. The Escalade IQ and Vistiq are both three-row SUVs, but they slot into different segments.
The Escalade IQ is a large SUV like the current internal combustion engine Escalades, but it has a 750 hp dual-motor electric drivetrain that makes it the most powerful Cadillac ever built. A large battery pack gives it a driving range of 450 miles per charge, while its $129,990 starting price is appropriately huge.
The Vistiq is a size smaller and more along the lines of a Cadillac XT6. It is priced at $78,790 and delivers 600 hp and a range of around 300 miles per charge in a body that looks like a shrunken version of the Escalade IQ.
CHEVROLET CORVETTE ZR1
The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is the farthest thing from an electric car you can imagine, but no less electrifying. The mid-engine sports car features a twin-turbocharged V8 that produces an astonishing 1,064 hp. It can accelerate down a quarter-mile in 9.6 seconds and hit a top speed of 233 mph with GM President Mark Reuss behind the wheel. That makes it the fastest car that costs less than $1 million, but Chevrolet hasn’t yet said by exactly how much.
Automakers are putting their best feet forward in the face of uncertainty.
Ford is also getting into the supercar game with the $325,000 Mustang GTD. The 815 hp coupe is modeled after Ford’s endurance racing cars and will be one of the Corvette ZR1’s top rivals. It has already thrown down the gauntlet by becoming the first American car to lap the benchmark 12.9-mile Nürburgring Nordscheife race track in Germany in less than seven minutes.
JEEP RECON
The Jeep Recon is an off-road electric SUV designed with the same spirit as the iconic Wrangler. The doors are removable, the roof opens and it has a four-wheel drive system that gets Jeeps “Trail Rated” designation, which means it can handle seriously tricky terrain. Pricing and other specifications have not been released, but it should match up nicely against the Rivian R1S, which is similar but doesn’t offer al fresco driving.
RAM 1500 RAMCHARGER
Ram has postponed the introduction of its first electric pickup until 2026 and will instead focus on launching the Ram 1500 Ramcharger extended-range electric truck in 2025. The full-size model has a relatively small battery pack that can provide up to 145 miles of range, but it is also equipped with a V6 engine that works only as a generator to produce electricity when you can’t find anywhere to plug in on a long trip.
TESLA MODEL Q
Tesla’s plans to build a $25,000 electric car at a new factory in Mexico have been put on the shelf, but CEO Elon Musk says it will introduce a new entry-level vehicle that could cost around $35,000 instead. Images of it have not yet been released, but it will be based on the same platform used for the Model Y and built in Texas. One Tesla executive has called it the the Model Q. That name is a reference to the #TSLAQ stock ticker the trillion-dollar company would be issued if it ever went bankrupt, which, much to the chagrin of Tesla short-sellers, doesn’t look likely to happen anytime soon.
