Hashlist at IAA Mobility 2025: Our take on the push for EVs & SDVs

The initial EV (Electric Vehicle) push from many Western OEMs proved to be challenging both economically and technically. Demand didn’t follow expectations. EV plants were scaled down. Emission targets were pushed back. ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) plants started coming back. Many thought the future was directionless.

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However, this year’s IAA Mobility showed the opposite. While demand for EVs, and SDVs (Software-Defined Vehicle) in the short-term didn’t grow exponentially as expected, the long-term hasn’t changed. To highlight this, we decided to collect some of the more notable announcements from OEM’s during this year’s event, starting off by a quote from Polestar’s CEO Michael Lohscheller on today’s EV status:

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We are in a climate emergency. We don’t need neutrality. We need direction, ambition, and action. Let me be clear. There is nothing neutral about inaction. There is nothing innovative about clinging to combustion. The result of inaction will ultimately be a much higher price to pay. The problems of transitioning to a green economy is not that it is happening too fast, it is that it is happening too slow. The climate crisis is a fossil fuel crisis. Automobiles account for 15% of emissions and 25% of fossil fuel consumption We are Europe’s only pure play EV manufacturer. We don’t build compromises. We don’t build nostalgia. We build for the future. The electric car is not the thing that threatens the automotive industry. It is the only thing that can save it.

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Here's a list of our favourite announcements:

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BMW: Neue Klasse IX3 platform

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• BMW launched their Neue Klasse iX3, its first model under the Neue Klasse platform, signalling a new generation of EVs. The iX3 offers a WLTP range of up to 805 km, supports 400 kW peak charging, allowing ~372 km of range added in just 10 minutes

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Volkswagen: ID.Polo Concept & €1B AI Push

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• Volkswagen revealed the ID. 2, or the ID.Polo. The ID.Polo is aimed squarely at reclaiming lost ground in the small-car EV segment while signalling that affordability & going back to electrifying existing brands it’s next EV push 
• Alongside, VW announced up to €1 billion in AI investments by 2030 to streamline development, production, and in-car features. 

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Opel (Stellantis): High-Performance EVs

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• Opel showcased its high-performance GSE label with the Opel Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo concept car, that previews future all-electric, high-power small cars. This car comes with 800 hp <2.0 second 0-100 km/h, and a top speed of 320 km/h. Stellantis also opened deliveries for the Opel Mokka GSE (fully electric), the Opel’s Grandland Electric AWD, its first all-electric all-wheel-drive car. The messaging centered on “electromotive passion” and performance in EVs, not compromises.

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Mercedes-Benz: 1MW Charging & 2026-2027 Lineup

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• Mercedes used IAA to demonstrate the world’s first 1MW (megawatt) charging prototype for cars. Initially developed for heavy trucks, this tech could eventually make charging just as quick as filling up a gas car. The message was clear: EV adoption depends not just on cars but on charging infrastructure that rivals refueling in speed. 
• Mercedes also revealed several top-of-the-line EV models for 2026 & 2027

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Lucid Motors: A new US-based EV player arrives in Europe

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• Lucid showcased the Air Sapphire and Air Pure, underlining its European expansion strategy. With new service centers opening in Germany and the Netherlands, Lucid used IAA to reassure buyers and investors that its ultra-luxury EVs are here to stay despite US demand headwinds. Lucid’s appearance was as much about survival and credibility in Europe as it was about products.

Scout Motors: Direct-to-Consumer Sales

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Scout Motors, VW Group’s US off-road EV brand discussed their direct-to-consumer sales model, and how that will allow them to own the entire customer experience, similar to brands such as Tesla, or Apple.

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Chinese OEMs

A complete new article could be written only on the announcements made by pure-EV OEMs from China, but here’re a few bullet points:

• A total of 14 Chinese automakers showed up in Munich, more than the number of European brands. 
• Chinese EV players work more like Sillicon Valley firms than traditional OEMs when it comes to development and agility. New models are quickly trimmed and recalibrated when needed or demand shifts
• China exports 750,000+ vehicles per month, or 9M+ vehicles per year at the current run rate (up from 1M per year in 2020)
• Chinese car makers doubled their share of the European market in the past year
• Most of Chinese EVs are quite significantly technologically ahead of legacy Western OEMs

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Conclusion: Where does this leave us? We at Hashlist believe the EV & SDV push is inevitable, and only accelerating in 2025. A new type of workforce is quickly needed, and that’s where our ecosystem of the world’s most skilled automotive contractors & suppliers comes in. Contact us to learn more.

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