Autobayng News Team
China has taken the lead on electric vehicles, leaving the collective West in its dust. Its EVs have better performance, charge quicker and are cheaper to buy than Western alternatives, which makes them very compelling buys. But the West isn’t asleep at the wheel. Companies like BMW, Mercedes, Polestar and others are now releasing a new wave of EVs that are a true match to the best the People’s Republic has to offer.
We could call these new models Gen 3, since they are part of the third wave of EVs from the modern era and they all have certain things in common. They ride on advanced 800-volt bespoke EV platforms and fit into the software-defined vehicle category, promising to improve over time through successive over-the-air updates.
Several EVs from this new wave are either here or just around the corner, and they should make 2026 a much better year for EV enthusiasts.
How We Got To Gen 3
Photo by: Andrei Nedelea
Electric vehicles have been around for well over a century, with their first golden age lasting from the late 1890s until around the 1920s, when they started to disappear. The modern wave of EVs began after the year 2000, and it was only around 2010 that automakers started to take them seriously and began pouring more money into their development.
Cars like the first Nissan Leaf, the BMW i3, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive or the Ford Focus Electric can be considered Gen 1 EVs. They were mostly compliance vehicles that couldn’t travel far on a charge and even bespoke models like the Leaf or i3 were still compromised by their small batteries and slow charging.
The Gen 1 era lasted from 2010 until around 2018, when most automakers began making what we would define as Gen 2 EVs (cars like the BMW i4, the Mercedes EQE and EQS or the Ford Mustang Mach-E). These cars were far more usable thanks to their much larger batteries and faster charging, but they were still plagued by software issues and reflected legacy automakers’ inexperience with EVs.
During that era, Tesla offered the best EV experience by far, thanks in no small part to the existence of its expansive network of Supercharger stations, but also the cars themselves, which were superior to any EV rival for many years straight. The company’s software-defined approach would eventually be copied by Western rivals, but it was Chinese automakers who took note first. This eventually ended up giving Chinese automakers the EV lead they have today, as they improved upon Tesla’s formula and left the rest of the West behind.
So even though Western Gen 2 EVs were finally usable enough through their increased range and faster charging to compete with gas cars, they still had plenty of compromises that could potentially make buyers wary of switching to electric. Many Gen 2 EVs are still on sale today, but we’re also at the start of the third generation of EVs. Manufacturers are applying the hard-learned lessons of their first decade of EV production, launching products with better technology, more compelling designs and far more efficient powertrains. Gen 3 is when EVs finally seem like they have reached maturity.
The Gen 3 Recipe
Photo by: BMW
The recipe for what we would define as a “Gen 3” EV is simple. The first thing is that it needs to be built on a bespoke EV platform running at 800 volts or higher. This higher voltage has a whole suite of advantages, the biggest being higher power, quicker charging (the fastest-charging EVs all run at 800 volts or higher) and improved running efficiency.
Running at 800 volts also allows manufacturers to lower the amperage of the current running through the vehicle, reducing heat and allowing all of the wires and cables inside the system to be thinner, cheaper and lighter. Thermal management of larger components is easier, too, due to the decrease in electrical resistance.
The cost to build an 800-volt EV is higher than for a 400-volt EV, so buyers will have to pay more for one of these higher-voltage EVs. Cost is also the reason behind BYD’s decision not to bring its 800-volt EVs to Europe yet, although they are surely coming, given the increased competition from local players.
The other key pillar of a Gen 3 EV is that it has to be a software-defined vehicle or SDV. This means the mechanical side of things fades in importance behind the software that runs it. Software controls how the vehicle feels and drives and it can completely change how you perceive it without touching any of the hardware.
SDVs are seen as more future-proof since they can be kept up to date with over-the-air updates in a way that traditional cars can’t. One way to oversimplify things is to say that an SDV is like a smartphone on wheels. That’s not necessarily accurate, but it does paint a good picture of what these new cars are like and what we can expect from them.
Why China Pulled Ahead
Photo by: Andrei Nedelea
China makes some of the world’s most advanced EVs today and its automakers experienced much quicker progress than their Western counterparts. They offer superior performance—one Chinese EV has 3,000 horsepower and is the fastest around the Nurburgring—and are considerably more advanced when it comes to charging, with some exceeding the one megawatt mark.
They are also able to make these EVs considerably cheaper than Western automakers, so much so that they can still sell them at a competitive price in Europe even with tariffs piled on top. Part of the reason is that Chinese automakers received significant government subsidies. Bodies like the European Union consider this an unfair advantage, which is why they imposed different import tariffs on Chinese EVs depending on the amount of state aid they received.
But even with tariffs, brands like BYD, Geely, SAIC or Chery are doing very well in Europe, even if not all their offerings fit into the Gen 3 category. Most already offer such vehicles in China, but they determined that bringing these new or updated models into Europe isn’t worth it right now, since older-tech EVs are still competitive against local rivals.
But now that the Europeans have finally caught up, Chinese automakers aren’t invincible, though (many have already called it quits), and they will have to bring their A-game to the continent to maintain its momentum.
The Contenders
Photo by: Mercedes-Benz
The BMW iX3 was probably the most notable new Western electric vehicle launch of 2025, the first in the new Neue Klasse series of models. It ticks all the Gen 3 boxes, and it puts the West in a very good position against China.
Not only is the iX3 an 800-volt software-defined EV, but it also retains BMW’s renowned driving engagement and performance, and it’s extremely efficient too, as our own Tim Levin found when he drove it recently. It’s also innovative. Its wrap-around panoramic display sits under the edge of the windshield, leaving it somewhere between a traditional screen and a head-up display. It makes sitting in one of these cars feel fresh and futuristic but without feeling gimmicky.
The iX3 takes full advantage of its 800-volt platform, too, with new motors and more power-dense batteries that make it one of Europe’s longest-range EVs. Next year, when BMW launches the i3 sedan, it should use its electrons even more efficiently, giving cars like the BYD Seal or the Zeekr 007 a real European competitor.
Mercedes-Benz also has a Gen 3 midsize electric crossover on the way, the new GLC EV, as well as a sedan version, the C-Class EV, on the way. Both are built on a new 800-volt platform with a focus on efficiency and quick charging, although they don’t have the same outright peak charging power as the BMW iX3 or the Zeekr 7X.
There’s also the smaller Mercedes CLA EV, which boasts a different 800-volt platform and excellent efficiency. It too is defined by its software and features an advanced Google-based infotainment system, complete with an AI assistant that you can almost have a conversation with. Its party trick, though, is its impressive range for a vehicle in its size and price bracket.
If you want the same platform as in the CLA but in a taller package with a more cavernous interior, you can choose the new GLB with EQ Technology instead. It has the same 320 kW charging and even with its bulkier body, it should be more efficient than older EVs of its size.
Photo by: Porsche
The refreshed Polestar 3 also ticks all the Gen 3 boxes. After just a year on sale, the Polestar 3 is getting a big upgrade for 2026, including a new 800-volt platform, an upgraded central computer, and 350 kW fast charging. If you want the same underpinnings but in a more traditional SUV shape, then you can get the Volvo EX90 instead, since it’s basically the same vehicle underneath but with less of a focus on looking and feeling sporty.
Still, these manufacturers are playing catch-up to Porsche and Hyundai-Kia, whose EVs have had 800 volts for years now. Porsche’s latest EV, the new Cayenne Electric, takes charging power up to 400 kW. It features a structural battery pack and even features optional wireless charging, bringing Porsche one step closer to producing a true global EV.
Lucid is still an EV tech leader with its vehicles running closer to 900 volts for years, too, offering remarkable charging speeds, efficiency and range figures. Unlike some manufacturers like Kia, whose latest EVs have switched from 800 to 400 volts, Lucid’s future midsize models will likely keep their higher-voltage platform and eke out more of its benefits. Photo by: Rivian
Honda will also soon offer its own Gen 3 EVs in the form of the strange-looking 0 Series, as well as with the Acura RSX. They do not feature an 800-volt architecture, but this shouldn’t hinder them too much.
Some carmakers say they just don’t see the need to go any higher than 400 volts in the foreseeable future, and this includes startups like Rivian, which is working on two new, smaller and more affordable models, the R2 and R3. Both will likely stick to 400 volts.
Some Gen 3 EVs are still a couple years away, like the Scout Terra and Traveler, as well as a new line of Rivian-powered Volkswagen EVs that should arrive around 2027. Ford’s “skunkworks” electric truck is also firmly in Gen 3 territory, even if the new modular EV platform it will be built on doesn’t support 800 volts.
Basically, all Western carmakers have either just launched Gen 3 EVs or plan to do so in the next year or two.
Not A Victory Lap
Photo by: Andrei Nedelea
However, the seemingly renewed commitment by Western automakers to make better EVs doesn’t automatically translate to success. These vehicles still need to be desirable enough for customers to justify the price premium they typically command, especially when compared to Chinese competitors and Tesla’s compact models, which remain strong value propositions with their 400-volt platform.
Next year is when this battle of EV manufacturers looks set to go down, and it could go either way. For instance, BYD is expected to begin EV production at its new factory in Hungary, which should allow it to avoid tariffs, meaning it could sell EVs in Europe at a lower price than it does today, when everything it offers in Europe is imported from China and is subject to import duties.
BYD’s ascent in Europe shows that buyers on the continent are willing to overlook their bias for a certain local car brand and its products if another model (Chinese or otherwise) offers a better deal and is cheaper than what the local manufacturers are selling. That gives Western automakers a challenging task: proving they can beat China’s best. Next year, we’ll see if they can pull it off. More On This We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Insideevs.com? – The InsideEVs team
