Fewer new models are hitting the market than at any time in recent history, a direct result of the industry's shift to electric vehicles and its abrupt pullback. Automakers are expected to redesign just 9% of their lineup on average across the 2026 through 2028 model years, well below the 20-year average of 14%, according to veteran automotive analyst John Murphy. Fresh models attract buyers to showrooms and command higher prices; without them, dealers are left pushing aging designs while using retro throwbacks and special editions to attract customers.

The dearth of new models stems from billions bet on EVs diverting time and money from the hybrids and V8-powered trucks buyers crave. New entries are sparser now than in the years following the Covid pandemic or the 2007-09 recession. It will take at least another year or two before car companies churn out new models at their usual pace. The lull arrives amid already tepid U.S. auto sales, down roughly 2% year-to-date, though demand picked up in September. GM and Ford, with truck-heavy lineups, have lost market share to Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai, which offer more hybrids and lower-cost options.

At Mark Trudell's Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep dealership in Jackson, Michigan, the repair shop is busy with owners trying to eke out more miles, while the new-car lot holds unsold vehicles. Trudell welcomes the return of the Jeep Cherokee, which is generating more sales, but notes it will take three years or more for Stellantis to roll out new deals. Auto executives race to fast-track made-over portfolios of trucks, SUVs, sedans, and hybrids, though retooling factories is a massive industrial U-turn.