The Electric Revolution
The global pandemic which disrupted most of our lives and is probably still fresh in the minds of many, had a catastrophic effect on the world’s automotive industry. Car sales plummeted in many markets and manufacturing was reduced to a comparative trickle, compared to previous years.
That Was Then
Well, that’s all done with for the time being and the car industry has made great strides of recovery but now, more than ever before, the concentrated effort has been on electric vehicles (EV).
The electrification of cars isn’t new. It was tried as early as 1881 and by the turn of the 20th Century more than 30,000 EV’s were produced. Sadly, this was around the time that the internal combustion engine came much more to the fore proving conclusively reliable, cheaper to produce and much quicker to refuel; that heralded the demise of the first electric vehicles.
This Is Now
Oddly, we have come full circle; the issues that blighted early 21st Century electric cars were much the same as their historical predecessors. Some drivers were early adopters of the EV wave but there was much hesitation among car users otherwise. It’s taken a few years for the message to get through and fortunately huge technological advances mean that battery capacity is much greater, charging times are becoming much shorter and range is increasing to the extent that, for most, the EV presents a more attractive prospect. This can be seen in the improving popularity of fully electric vehicles this year.
For those drivers still sitting on the fence, they have the excellent compromise of hybrid technology. This combines the best of both worlds with self-charging and plug-in models proving to be very popular with buyers.
MHH International has exported a good number of new and used prestige electric and hybrid vehicles from the UK to destinations around the world including Kenya and New Zealand, demonstrating the fact that the technology is now widely accepted. Car manufacturers have pulled out all the stops to make their products better and this is reflected in showroom sales.
2025 Was A Good Year For EV’s
At first it seemed that Elon Musk’s Tesla brand would continue to rule the roost but that hasn’t been the case. Certainly, Tesla cars remain hugely popular but they are by no means the whole story. For example, Polestar may be an unfamiliar name to many car buyers, but the brand’s importance can’t be underestimated.
Polestar, once a spin-off from Volvo but now an entity in its own right, is Sweden’s answer to Tesla, specialising in progressive electric cars with a lifestyle feel. Not so long ago MHH International sourced and exported a Polestar 2 model for a valued client, for example.
Polestar 2
This model offers a refined chassis with a low centre of gravity and provides a very responsive drive. Finely tuned suspension and precision handling delivers driver confidence on the road with adjustable driving characteristics to suit a range of preferences and environments. Take a look at the Polestar 2 as it, like all the other EV models in the range, offers premium interior quality above all else.
Yet Tesla and Polestar have not had it all their own way. Prestige German car makers have also made big inroads into the EV and hybrid markets ,not least of which is BMW. They offer a wide range of vehicles (as can be seen on our current stock listings here) including fine, well-established EV’s like the BMW i4.
BMW i4
First produced in 2021 and recently upgraded, the BMW i4 has been the model to firmly situate purely electric mobility at the core of the BMW brand. It’s a fine car. The i4 was the first premium model in the mid-size class and brought the brand’s signature design, material & build quality, individualisation and intuitive operation together with locally emission-free mobility.
In addition, the unmatched overall design quality of the BMW i4 continues to elevate it above all its rivals. Its sophisticated chassis technology, tuned precisely to the vehicle concept and the performance characteristics of the all-electric drive system, delivers an engaging driving experience in the unmistakable BMW style. There’s a wide range of models with a choice of motive power sources too.
The Hybrid Revolution 2025
The move to the use of electricity to power our vehicles has been greatly enabled by hybrid technology. It’s been around for a while now but our automotive future from 2026 and beyond has been enhanced by greatly improved trends like plug-in hybrid, adaptive cruise control and the recent introduction of solid-state batteries; the latter being the future power source, we would suggest, for fully-electric power soon, thanks to greater capacity and smaller size. The Mercedes-Benz EQS has a semi-solid-state (a gel, in fact) battery and BMW are trialling a fully-solid-state battery in their i7 model.
2025 could be said to be the year that hybrid technology has come of age. Cost is probably the first thing that comes to mind. Are hybrid cars worth it? Well, the good news is that full hybrids are among the most fuel-efficient cars out there. They use two power sources: an electric motor and a combustion engine so fuel goes further, using less than a traditional internal combustion engine, on both short and long trips. Even though their efficiency shines in city driving, the electric motor can give extra power to the combustion engine when driving steadily at high speeds on the motorway. For high mileage users, there’s no question of range anxiety as there is always petrol back-up.
Further, developments like vastly improved regenerative braking and intelligent energy management systems are accelerating EV innovation. Advanced power-train technologies like fifth-generation hybrid systems and multiple driving modes make EV and hybrid models more attractive among drivers, even at long range. For example, MHH International recently exported a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Volvo XC90:
Volvo XC90 T8 Recharge PHEV
By far the most effortlessly powerful variant of the very popular seven-seat Volvo XC90 SUV, the T8 hybrid is the cleanest, most frugal and quickest car of the XC90 range. It’s aimed at drivers who, for whatever reason, can’t quite commit to a fully-electric car, but still want the emission reduction and premium credibility associated with cars of this type.
The chassis was designed from the outset to package electric power-trains. In the T8 a petrol engine in the nose drives the front wheels via a very smooth-shifting eight-speed auto gearbox. An electric generator sandwiched between the two rapidly cranks the petrol engine into life, boosts torque and charges the battery as required.
Not wishing to change things unnecessarily, Volvo has updated the car’s exterior only slightly, with a new grille and sleeker hammer-shaped headlights to match those of the brand’s design ethos. The interior has also been modernised with just a few touches to elevate the setting. The infotainment display is still portrait, only now a little bigger at 11.2 inches, while new storage spaces are present inside for even greater practicality.
2025 And All That
Recently, rapid advancements have reshaped the automotive sector and the future of the industry looks significantly different than before. With our modern lifestyle choices, interest in in-car technology has soared five-fold among drivers over the past year, indicating growing public interest in the major changes ahead.
After a dismal couple of years, overall 2025 has been a year of steady growth and transformation for the automotive industry here in the UK. New car sales are growing after several years of disruption, while the used-car market continues to thrive thanks to high demand and improved stock levels. The on-going rise of electric and hybrid vehicles highlights a strong consumer shift toward sustainability and an improving charging infrastructure.
As 2025 draws to a close, the automotive market-place remains optimistic; balancing innovation, cleaner technology and affordability as key priorities for motorists.
We would go so far as to suggest that some car manufacturers are making braver decisions and completely rewriting their strategies to embrace the next generation of cars and only focus on manufacturing electric vehicles. In the UK as an example, Jaguar has recently undertaken an ambitious rebrand, although the results of that are yet to be seen. 2026 should reveal all. Further, the decision by car makers to attract a younger consumer base reflects the belief that they will buy into the EV focused future across the world.
MHH International are the market leaders in vehicle exports and offer a fully comprehensive service to our clients, including, VAT-free options, after-sales service and a dedicated team ready to source your next car. Our website has all the details.
So, our motoring future seems to be electrified, but what of the internal combustion engine (ICE), you might well ask. Fortunately for those among us who like the smell of petrol in the morning, the fossil fuel powered car is still thriving and a number of European car makers have signalled that combustion engines are here to stay for a while yet. Read about ICE and news for 2026 and beyond in Part 2.
