Americans are spending more money to drive worse cars

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day, reviewed by our editorial team. Read the full piece on The Atlantic or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Despite soaring fuel prices, American drivers remain reluctant to switch to electric vehicles (EVs), even as electrified cars gain ground globally. From July to September 2026, EVs accounted for just 6.4% of new-car sales in the United States
• Meanwhile, rising oil prices linked to the war in Iran have accelerated EV adoption elsewhere, with 49 countries setting new EV sales records this year, according to energy think tank Ember

🔭 The context: High petrol prices alone may not persuade Americans to replace their cars. Buying a new vehicle is a major financial commitment, and many drivers expect fuel prices to eventually fall
• Elaine Buckberg, a Harvard sustainability fellow and former General Motors executive, argues that sustained high prices—lasting six months or longer—can have a more lasting effect on purchasing decisions
• Historical oil shocks helped shift American preferences away from large, fuel-hungry vehicles and towards more efficient models, including hybrids
• Today, however, political resistance, consumer scepticism and the cost of EVs continue to slow the transition

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Transport electrification can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on oil, particularly when EVs are powered by increasingly clean electricity
• Continued reliance on petrol-powered vehicles risks locking in fossil-fuel consumption and exposing households to volatile global oil markets

⏭️ What’s next: The key question is whether elevated fuel prices will persist long enough to change buying habits in the United States
• More affordable EVs, accessible charging infrastructure and policies that support adoption could help turn short-term economic pressure into a lasting shift towards cleaner transport

💬 One quote: “If gas prices are higher for a little while,” Elaine Buckberg explains, “People say, ‘Oh, this is going to pass. I’m not going to go and change what vehicle I own.’”

📈 One stat: 6.4%: the share of new-car sales accounted for by EVs in the United States from July to September 2026, highlighting the gap between American adoption and the global shift towards electrified transport

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