Electric Vehicles Lead the Charge at World Car Awards 2025
Electric vehicles are expected to continue their dominance at the 2025 World Car Awards. Two of the three finalists nominated for the prestigious overall World Car of the Year Award are fully electric, and the third offers an EV option alongside petrol, diesel, and plug-in hybrid powertrains.
This trend follows a recent pattern: electric vehicles have secured the title in five of the last six years. Korean automakers have enjoyed particular success, with Kia and Hyundai leading the charge. Kia’s EV9 took home the top prize in 2024, following wins for Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 and Ioniq 5 in 2023 and 2022, respectively. Volkswagen’s ID.4 won in 2021, and the Jaguar I-Pace in 2019.
The shortlist for the 2025 awards includes Kia’s all-electric EV3 and the Hyundai Inster, another Korean model. BMW’s X3 completes the three-car lineup for the main award.
The Kia and Hyundai models are also contenders for the World Electric Vehicle Award, facing off against the Porsche Macan. Additionally, the EV3 is in the running for the World Car Design of the Year award, alongside the new Toyota Land Cruiser and the all-electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz.
The Inster also qualifies for the World Urban Car Award, competing with the MINI Cooper Electric and the BYD Seagull/Dolphin Mini, marking the first time BYD has been nominated for a World Car award. This recognition comes in a year where BYD executive Stella Li has been named World Car Person of the Year.
The World Luxury Car Award features several electric options. The Volvo EX90 and the new Porsche Macan are nominated along with the Porsche Panamera, which offers a plug-in hybrid option.
Plug-in hybrids and fully electric vehicles are well-represented in the World Performance Car category, with the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT, Porsche 911 Carrera GTS, and the BMW M5 all receiving nominations.
The winners of the 2025 World Car Awards are set to be announced at the New York International Auto Show on Wednesday, April 16th, 2025. This event marks the 20th year of the awards ceremony being held at the New York show, which is celebrating a significant anniversary of its own.
Mark Schienberg, president of the New York International Auto Show, commented on the upcoming announcement:
“As the New York Auto Show marks an incredible 125 years, we’re thrilled to kick off the celebration with one of the industry’s most prestigious honours – the World Car Awards! Winning this award, judged by 96 of the world’s top automotive journalists, is a true triumph and the perfect way to launch North America’s first and most-attended auto show. A huge congratulations to the World Car team for over two decades of excellence, and best of luck to this year’s outstanding finalists!”
