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Larry Behrens
Larry Behrens is the Communications Director for Power The Future.
Except for Seahawks fans or those who appreciate a stingy defense, the action on the field at this year’s Super Bowl left a lot to be desired. But off the field, between kickoff and the final score, this year’s Super Bowl sent a message that didn’t need words: The moment for electric vehicles is over.
For the first time in years, there was no Super Bowl advertisement featuring an EV in a starring role. No celebrity endorsements, no sweeping promises about the “future of driving,” and no multimillion-dollar attempts to convince Americans that electric cars are inevitable. The only trace of an EV during the entire broadcast was a split-second glimpse of Volkswagen’s electric van, which is struggling with low sales and recalls and reportedly will not receive a 2026 version.
That brief cameo stood in sharp contrast to previous Super Bowls, when EVs were front and center. For several years, automakers used the biggest advertising stage in America to promote electrification, leaning heavily on celebrity appearances and high-production storytelling. The message they pushed was that electric vehicles were not only the future, but they were already mainstream.
Welcome to the reality of 2026.
The retreat began last year, when electric-focused car ads largely disappeared after surging during the Biden administration. Just as notable as the absence of EV ads was the absence of major automakers themselves. Ford and General Motors did not run headline-grabbing automotive campaigns at all.
That decision is difficult to separate from the financial reality facing both companies with EVs. Ford has lost nearly $20 billion on its EV business, while General Motors has reported losses around $6 billion. When EV divisions are bleeding cash, spending millions on Super Bowl commercials becomes increasingly difficult to justify. Advertising budgets shrink when the product being promoted isn’t delivering returns.
EV advocates argue that the slowdown is the result of fading federal subsidies rather than weak consumer demand. But sales data tell a different story. Even during the Biden years of generous tax credits, aggressive mandates, and saturation advertising, electric vehicles never captured more than a modest share of the market. According to Cox Automotive, EVs accounted for just 8.1 per cent of total US vehicle sales at their recent peak. The trajectory tells a better story: EV sales in the United States cratered 46 per cent between the third and fourth quarter of 2025 as the government giveaways dwindled.
That figure came after years of extraordinary policy support and cultural promotion. If billions in taxpayer subsidies and relentless marketing still produce single-digit adoption, it’s clear we have a lemon on our hands.
For many Americans, the hesitation is practical, not ideological. Higher purchase prices, limited charging infrastructure, range concerns, and cold-weather performance remain obstacles that glossy commercials cannot erase. These are everyday considerations for families, commuters, and rural drivers, who are the people automakers once hoped to reach through Super Bowl ads.
The absence of EV marketing during the Super Bowl suggests the industry recognizes this reality. Companies do not abandon the most valuable advertising platform in the country unless its effectiveness is in doubt. If electric vehicles were flying out of the stores, automakers would be competing aggressively for airtime. Instead, they stayed silent.
The Super Bowl has long mirrored consumer culture. This year, that mirror reflected a shift away from electric vehicle hype and toward something more grounded. After years of promotion, EVs failed to justify their place on the biggest stage in advertising.
The message wasn’t delivered by a commercial. It was delivered by the absence of one.
The free market remains undefeated.
This article appeared at RealClear Energy and was republished by CFACT.
