The Car Industry in 2025: Innovation, Inflation and a Touch of Insanity!

There was a time when the car industry promised us jetpacks, flying sedans, and a utopia where no one sat in traffic. Instead, we got $75,000AUD electric hatchbacks, monthly subscriptions for heated seats, and marketing slogans that make driving sound like a moral failing. Welcome to the car industry in 2025; where everyone is trying to save the planet, but no one can afford a parking spot.

So, how did we get here? And more importantly, what does it all mean for those of us who just want a car that doesn’t nag us about “eco-mode” while we’re overtaking a truck on the national highway?

State of the Union: Confused but Still Moving

Globally, car sales are up, but only if you’re selling electric SUVs or building cars in China. Legacy automakers are still scrambling to stay relevant, while Tesla, the enfant terrible of the industry, is acting like it invented both electricity and wheels. Meanwhile, consumers are stuck in a paradox: we want sustainable cars, but also cheap ones. Unfortunately, in 2025, “cheap” now starts at $48,990 and doesn’t include paint.

There’s more tech in today’s average vehicle than in Apollo 11. And yet somehow, the reversing camera still f***ing sucks.

EVs Are Winning (But Still Whining)

Electric cars are everywhere. Teslas, BYDs, Polestars; they’ve become the new BMWs: everywhere, silent, and often driven like the laws of physics don’t apply. Range anxiety is down, mostly because no one dares to leave their postcode without charging twice.

Charging infrastructure is improving, but slowly. Having spent time abroad I have found the UK has more chargers than ever, assuming you count the ones that work. Try charging in a rural village and you’ll be met with a bloke named Dave, a three-pin plug, and a passive-aggressive sign that says, “Don’t even think about it.”

Hybrids: The Unsung Cockroach

While the world obsesses over EVs, hybrids are quietly having a renaissance. Toyota, the smug uncle of the industry, 15 years ago it was doing victory laps in its Prius (now it’s the RAV 4 Hybrid), while the rest of the market still tries to figure out how to make batteries that don’t explode.

Hybrids aren’t sexy, but they work. They’re the sensible shoes of the car world; not flashy, but they’ll get you home and won’t ask for a nap halfway there.

Affordable Cars: Missing, Presumed Dead

Once upon a time, you could buy a new car for sub $20,000AUD. Now, for that money, you might get four tyres and a “coming soon” email. Manufacturers are abandoning the entry-level market faster than Elon Musk exits a Zoom call.

The result? A generation of young drivers priced out of car ownership entirely. Which, ironically, is fine, because no one under 30 has a licence anyway.

Everything’s a Subscription Now

In the spirit of late capitalism, carmakers have realised they can charge you monthly for things your car already has. BMW tried it with heated seats. Mercedes wants to charge for extra horsepower. Ford probably has a subscription planned for cup holders.

Your car is no longer a machine, it’s a recurring payment plan with wheels.

The Human Element: We Just Want to Drive

Beneath all the jargon, the software updates, and the eco guilt, most people still just want a car that works, doesn’t cost the Earth, and lets them belt out Adele without a notification saying “driver alert.”

But modern car ownership feels more like managing a phone plan than enjoying the open road. Want to tow something? That’s an optional upgrade. Want analogue buttons? Not unless you’re buying a tractor. Want to change lanes without a 12-sensor approval system? Dream on.

So Where Are We Headed?

The car industry in 2025 is equal parts innovation and insanity. We’re making genuine progress; greener vehicles, smarter systems, better safety. But we’re also overcomplicating the one thing that used to be simple: getting in, turning the key, and going.

Until someone builds a car that’s affordable, honest, and doesn’t require an MBA in charging stations, expect most people to stick with their 2012 Mazda and call it “vintage.”

Next time: We’ll dive into why used cars now cost more than new ones, how the Chinese auto market is eating everyone’s lunch, or maybe just review the new Fiat Panda that’s neither cute nor cheap anymore. Stay tuned