When President Trump ended EV (electric vehicle) subsidies, carmakers felt shockwaves. Many faced billions in write-offs by eliminating most of their actual or planned EV production. Nissan appears to have suffered the most among major car brands. The Japanese giant now finds itself on the brink of bankruptcy, if not extinction.
One car definitely exiting the U.S. scene by next year is an extraordinarily beautiful and well-built EV, the Polestar (pictured). The U.S. bans cars that use software originating in China or Russia, and Polestar is a Chinese product using Chinese software. The ban is to prevent electronic spying on individuals operating such vehicles.
Polestar, however, will probably survive with sales in Europe and elsewhere. More troubling is a prediction by a reliable industry watchdog — the Murphy Automotive Product Pipeline (MAPP) — that the auto industry is set for a shake-up in the next few years, with some manufacturers either receding in production or going out of business altogether.
“We believe a day of reckoning is on the horizon. Certain brands, and possibly manufacturers, will not survive in the U.S. market,” a recent MAPP report concludes, according to a report by Motor Trend.
MAPP does not indicate which models or manufacturers might fall to consumer tastes and affordability, but it evidently singles out Toyota as the safest of all brands. Motor Trend suggests Stellantis, which manufactures Chrysler and Dodge vehicles and is expanding its lineup, might be likely to face continued challenges.
