Would you purchase an electric car? For most Americans the answer is still an overwhelming no. Fully electric vehicles currently makeup only about 1.9 percent of the total 291 million registered vehicles in the United States. But adoption varies heavily by location. For example, electric vehicles comprise 20 percent of new car sales in California followed by similar numbers in Colorado and Washington.
As these figures illustrate, cars with internal combustion engines dominate the market in America. But that didn’t stop SAT test writers from addressing the topic of electric vehicles. According to a passage on the August 22, 2026 SAT, the adoption of electric vehicles is UPENDING or radically changing the jobs of automotive technicians who must now master high-voltage safety protocols and complex battery management systems.
In the long run the SAT test writers are right. Electric vehicles are the wave of the future. They are steadily gaining market share in China, Europe, and Canada. The new cars will inevitably replace and UPEND the automotive experience in the United States.
UPEND – to radically change or disrupt a system, routine, or situation
BONUS POINT: I have been carefully following SAT vocabulary words for a long time. I believe that the August 22, 2026 marks the first appearance of UPEND as an “SAT word.” Needless to say, I will add it to our list of “One Hit Wonders.”