Adapting at Highway Speed: OEMs Pivot on Price, Product and Platform

CX Insights - Trend Watch - Automotive Industry (ICYMI November 2025)

If 2025 had a recurring theme, it's this: the OEMs reading the room fastest are the ones gaining ground. We saw it in September's pragmatist revolution, in October's strategic execution, and now November delivers the clearest signal yet … the average new vehicle price crossed $50,000, and the industry responded not with panic, but with pivots.

American consumers are pushing back. They're downsizing, stretching loans to the breaking point, turning to used vehicles or simply waiting it out. October marked the slowest selling rate in over a year. The expiration of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit only accelerated the pullback. The mood in showrooms? Let's call it "cautiously browsing."

But here's what makes November's story worth watching: OEMs didn't just acknowledge the shift; they moved. On multiple fronts. At highway speed.

| HYBRIDS HAVE ENTERED THE CHAT

Toyota Joins the Customer-Choice Movement

Remember September's pragmatist revolution? Honda slashed EV investments by 30% to launch 13 new hybrids, and Genesis unveiled a platform built to support BEVs, hybrids and extended-range vehicles by 2028. Even BMW is reportedly reviving the range-extender concept it helped popularize years ago.

Now Toyota is putting $912 million behind U.S. hybrid production, adding serious scale to a trend that's been building all year. This isn't a retreat from electrification; it's a recognition that "not yet" doesn't mean "never." When customers aren't ready for full EV, smart OEMs don't lecture them. They build what sells.

The hybrid resurgence we've tracked since September isn't slowing down. It's becoming industry consensus.

| THE COUCH IS THE NEW SHOWROOM

Amazon Becomes Serious Automotive Real Estate

Hyundai opened the door. Now Ford is walking through it with certified used vehicles on Amazon. No salespeople. No negotiation dance. Just add to cart, arrange financing, and schedule pickup like you're ordering a coffee maker – except this one has wheels and a warranty.

For budget-conscious buyers priced out of that $50K average, this is exactly where they're already shopping. For CX teams, it means customers arriving through entirely new channels with entirely different expectations. The support model that worked for showroom buyers won't cut it for couch buyers.

| YOUR CAR WANTS A SIDE HUSTLE

GM Turns Vehicles Into Power Plants (and Autonomous Award Winners)

Two stories this month point to where the real long game is headed, and it's way beyond getting from A to B.

First, Cadillac unveiled "eyes off" autonomous driving for the 2028 Escalade IQ. Not just hands-free, but eyes-off. GM is layering lidar, radar and cameras while competitors bet on cameras alone. With 700 million safe Super Cruise miles already logged, they're building trust the old-fashioned way: one mile at a time. The payoff? MotorTrend's SUV of the Year. The first Michigan-assembled SUV to take the crown.

Second, GM Energy is turning EVs into home energy ecosystems. From vehicle-to-grid technology and solar integration to utility credits, owners could actually earn money while their car sits in the garage. The ownership question is evolving from "where do I charge this thing?" to "how does my car pay me back?"

For CX teams, this isn't just new technology. It's entirely new customer conversations. Ones that span automotive, energy and utilities in a single interaction. The contact center of 2028 looks nothing like today's.

| AND FINALLY, A TOUCH OF FUN

Honda Goes to Space (Yes, Really)

In news absolutely nobody had on their 2025 bingo card, Honda launched and landed its own rocket in Japan. A 20-foot, 3,000-pound craft rose nearly 1,000 feet and touched back down "soft as an Acura suspension."

For a company that started by converting surplus Army engines into bicycle motors, this is quite the trajectory. No specific space plans announced yet, but if there's one thing we've learned tracking this industry, nothing stays grounded for long. Lunar vehicle warranty support, anyone?

That's your ICYMI for this month. November reinforced what we've been tracking all year: the OEMs gaining ground are the ones adapting across multiple fronts, product mix, sales channels and ownership ecosystems, without losing sight of what customers actually want.

The playbook isn't static anymore. It's responsive. And that responsiveness is becoming its own competitive advantage.

Up next: Our inaugural Year-End Recap & Forecast: a look back at the trends that shaped 2025 and a glimpse at what's revving up for 2026. Stay tuned …