The race to electric vehicles is happening. That may be surprising for some when considering our political climate. 

President Donald Trump has reversed course on the electricity-forward Biden years. 

The new federal budget law will phase out tax credits for electric vehicles by the end of September. Congressional Republicans also eliminated penalties for companies that don’t comply with fuel economy standards. Those standards encouraged automakers to produce electric vehicles to offset the sale of gas-powered cars that emitted too much dirty energy.

But despite all this, Ford announced two weeks ago that it was charging ahead with its EV plans. The company announced the creation of a new electric vehicle production system to produce EVs more efficiently. Ford hopes to bring a $30,000 mid-size electric pick-up to market in two years. 

How might this plan turn out? And, can Ford and other American automakers outcompete China on EVs? 

John McElroy broadcasts three radio segments on WWJ, writes for Auto Blog and has a monthly column for Wards Auto. He spoke with Robyn Vincent.

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The auto industry in southeast Michigan is showing signs of strain.

In May, Ford ended a major initiative to modernize its vehicles’ computing systems. The “Fully Networked Vehicle” project is estimated to have cost the company $10 billion before it was shut down this spring.

That decision had ripple effects for local suppliers. Bosch confirmed to The Metro that it laid off 160 employees from its U.S.-based “Mobility Cross-Domain Computing Solutions Division,” including staff from its Plymouth, Michigan office. Back in November 2024, Bosch had announced plans to eliminate 3,500 of these jobs worldwide by 2027.

Adding to the uncertainty are new tariffs enacted by President Donald Trump, the elimination of electric vehicle tax credits, and slower-than-expected EV sales in the U.S.—all of which have cast doubt on the country’s electric car future.

John McElroy, a longtime auto journalist and broadcaster, joined us to talk about the implications of Ford’s Fully Networked Vehicle shutdown and what lies ahead for EVs in the U.S.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

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