U.S. Automakers Think They’re Beyond the Point of No Return Thanks to EV Mandates

[IsailedawayfromFR]

We do NOT need to give these auto makers any leeway, as they refused to buck what the government was shoving down their throats.

U.S. Automakers Think They’re Beyond the Point of No Return Thanks to EV Mandates
By J.D. Rucker • Nov. 22, 2024

Donald Trump has promised that during his second term he will rein in the tyrannical electric vehicle mandates that have put U.S. automakers in precarious situations the past four years. But some are suggesting that as bad as the mandates are, revoking them could make things worse.

In essence, they’re suggesting that the damage is done, the investments are made, so they need to somehow generate a return on those investments before Trump pulls the plug on the mandates.

A report by Brady Knox over at Washington Examiner, commenting on a NY Times article, suggests car companies may ask President Trump to keep Joe Biden’s rules in place for now:

According to a report from the New York Times, the Biden administration’s actions to boost domestic EV manufacturing may have already set the auto industry past the point of no return. Following Biden’s initiatives, automakers have already invested billions of dollars in transitioning to electric vehicles. If Trump were to scrap the initiative, major automakers fear they could be undercut by smaller manufacturers producing cheaper, internal combustion engine cars.

Three of the country’s largest automakers, Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, are already lobbying Trump against scrapping the rules.

Some had hoped that one of the biggest proponents of electric cars, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, would be able to sway Trump to keep those rules in place, but now, his priorities seem to be cutting regulations. He expressed opposition to the $7,500 tax credit for buyers of electric cars, saying he opposes all subsidies.

“In my view, we should end all government subsidies, including those for E.V.’s, oil and gas,” Musk said last week.

Musk’s calculation was more cynical in a July earnings call, speculating that the end of the subsidy would hurt Tesla somewhat, but hurt its competitors much more.

Is it worth keeping the mandates so the big three U.S. automakers can prevent smaller competitors from eating their lunch?

Nope, Not Worth It

As horrible as the situation is for major U.S. automakers, keeping the mandates in place would be far worse. Americans need relief far more than automakers right now. Getting the price of vehicles down to a manageable level is crucial if America is going to have any chance of recovering from the financial decimation we’ve felt for the last four years.
https://thelibertydaily.com/u-s-automakers-think-theyre-beyond-point-no/

[Kamaji]

Scrap the damned rules.  If these companies think that EVs are the way to go, then let them put their money where their mouths are by testing that belief in the open market with competition from companies producing ICEs. 

[DB]

Why would someone buy an expensive new car while wondering if in 5 years it will be worth anything due to the lack of support going either way?