Does it matter if cars are no longer made in the USA (or made by American companies)?

[Anonymous]

The global car market is rapidly moving to EV. In much of Europe, it'll be impossible to buy a new vehicle with a combustion engine in the next few years. China seems to be way ahead of everyone else for affordable EVs. And meanwhile American manufacturers are all in with gas-sucking pick up trucks. I think Ford even got rid of most of their sedans.

The US market is big so American manufacturers can still roll with outdated vehicles. But globally, China has really moved far ahead and everyone is scrambling. Japanese and Korean manufacturers seem to be doing the best job with producing high quality, reliable vehicles. But China is the major competitor now outside the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The global car market is rapidly moving to EV. In much of Europe, it'll be impossible to buy a new vehicle with a combustion engine in the next few years. China seems to be way ahead of everyone else for affordable EVs. And meanwhile American manufacturers are all in with gas-sucking pick up trucks. I think Ford even got rid of most of their sedans.

The US market is big so American manufacturers can still roll with outdated vehicles. But globally, China has really moved far ahead and everyone is scrambling. Japanese and Korean manufacturers seem to be doing the best job with producing high quality, reliable vehicles. But China is the major competitor now outside the US.

Never happen. ICE will remain the majority forever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The global car market is rapidly moving to EV. In much of Europe, it'll be impossible to buy a new vehicle with a combustion engine in the next few years. China seems to be way ahead of everyone else for affordable EVs. And meanwhile American manufacturers are all in with gas-sucking pick up trucks. I think Ford even got rid of most of their sedans.

The US market is big so American manufacturers can still roll with outdated vehicles. But globally, China has really moved far ahead and everyone is scrambling. Japanese and Korean manufacturers seem to be doing the best job with producing high quality, reliable vehicles. But China is the major competitor now outside the US.

Never happen. ICE will remain the majority forever.

DP lol! Sure dinosaur. You still have a pager? In 10 years the US domestic car manufacturers will be like the UK auto manufacturers- kept alive by the state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When was the car made solely in the USA? 75-100 years ago?
They aren’t made here.
Who cares? I buy what is a good investment.

I bought a Chevy Cruz brand new in 2017 and it was not yet built. It was just built in the OHIO plant close enough to Gaithersburg MD I got a call it is on truck and was there next day at dealership. Literally I had car withing a day or two of being built.

My Hyundai was was held up in the Shipping and Port and Customs for weeks while awaiting delivery in 2022

It anything Democratic Foreign Car buyers of last 20-40 years created Trump in a weird way. All those high paid union jobs disappeared and created angry people in fly over country

To keep those union jobs the American people pay $25,000-$30,000 more per new car. It is long past time to remove tariffs on cars and reduce prices.

I do not give a sh#t about maga union members. I really do not want to subsidize them to the tune of $30,000. F them. Car manufacturing including foreign manufacturing operating in the US is 3-4% of GDP.

But they were mainly democrats pre you buying cars built in Japan and Germany two counties that tried to kill us all not that long ago.

And don’t be a drama lama I gave my newer foreign car to daughter to drive as has tons of safety features and last year took our oldest American made car to drive to work every day. My 13 year old American car is driven every day to work and somehow manically runs fine. Does it handle like my old BMW, no, is it as cool as my old Mercedes, no, does it get as good mileage as my Camry, no.

Has it been driven every day the last 13 years, yes. All cars are pretty reliable. Some are just more fun or cool

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The global car market is rapidly moving to EV. In much of Europe, it'll be impossible to buy a new vehicle with a combustion engine in the next few years. China seems to be way ahead of everyone else for affordable EVs. And meanwhile American manufacturers are all in with gas-sucking pick up trucks. I think Ford even got rid of most of their sedans.

The US market is big so American manufacturers can still roll with outdated vehicles. But globally, China has really moved far ahead and everyone is scrambling. Japanese and Korean manufacturers seem to be doing the best job with producing high quality, reliable vehicles. But China is the major competitor now outside the US.


Never happen. ICE will remain the majority forever.

No. Forever is a long time. Batteries are only improving and oil is not renewable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When was the car made solely in the USA? 75-100 years ago?
They aren’t made here.
Who cares? I buy what is a good investment.

I bought a Chevy Cruz brand new in 2017 and it was not yet built. It was just built in the OHIO plant close enough to Gaithersburg MD I got a call it is on truck and was there next day at dealership. Literally I had car withing a day or two of being built.

My Hyundai was was held up in the Shipping and Port and Customs for weeks while awaiting delivery in 2022

It anything Democratic Foreign Car buyers of last 20-40 years created Trump in a weird way. All those high paid union jobs disappeared and created angry people in fly over country

To keep those union jobs the American people pay $25,000-$30,000 more per new car. It is long past time to remove tariffs on cars and reduce prices.

I do not give a sh#t about maga union members. I really do not want to subsidize them to the tune of $30,000. F them. Car manufacturing including foreign manufacturing operating in the US is 3-4% of GDP.

But they were mainly democrats pre you buying cars built in Japan and Germany two counties that tried to kill us all not that long ago.

And don’t be a drama lama I gave my newer foreign car to daughter to drive as has tons of safety features and last year took our oldest American made car to drive to work every day. My 13 year old American car is driven every day to work and somehow manically runs fine. Does it handle like my old BMW, no, is it as cool as my old Mercedes, no, does it get as good mileage as my Camry, no.

Has it been driven every day the last 13 years, yes. All cars are pretty reliable. Some are just more fun or cool

So you want to continue to pay 25-30k more for a new car made in the US by union members? LOL No way!

Americans stop buying US manufactured cars in the 1970’s because of poor design, low gas mileage and poor quality. You want everyone to buy an inferior product that is 25-30k more expensive to provide work for union members who hate democrats? At this point that is what US auto manufacturing jobs are- make work. Like the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression but with no benefits to the country.

WW2 ended 80 years ago. The US, Germany and Japan were allies for almost 80 years till you and Trump went mental. Still I am saying we should allow Chinese made cars in with no tariffs. Think of the impact if a new car(EV or ICE) in this country was 15-30k instead of 48k. Those car are higher quality vs anything built by a US manufacturer. Oh and China was our ally in WW2. So it should be good with you!

[Anonymous]

So you want to continue to pay 25-30k more for a new car made in the US by union members? LOL No way!
Americans stop buying US manufactured cars in the 1970’s because of poor design, low gas mileage and poor quality. You want everyone to buy an inferior product that is 25-30k more expensive to provide work for union members who hate democrats? At this point that is what US auto manufacturing jobs are- make work. Like the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression but with no benefits to the country.

WW2 ended 80 years ago. The US, Germany and Japan were allies for almost 80 years till you and Trump went mental. Still I am saying we should allow Chinese made cars in with no tariffs. Think of the impact if a new car(EV or ICE) in this country was 15-30k instead of 48k. Those car are higher quality vs anything built by a US manufacturer. Oh and China was our ally in WW2. So it should be good with you!

Biden wanted you to do that. He even walked a picket line with the workers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

So you want to continue to pay 25-30k more for a new car made in the US by union members? LOL No way!
Americans stop buying US manufactured cars in the 1970’s because of poor design, low gas mileage and poor quality. You want everyone to buy an inferior product that is 25-30k more expensive to provide work for union members who hate democrats? At this point that is what US auto manufacturing jobs are- make work. Like the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression but with no benefits to the country.

WW2 ended 80 years ago. The US, Germany and Japan were allies for almost 80 years till you and Trump went mental. Still I am saying we should allow Chinese made cars in with no tariffs. Think of the impact if a new car(EV or ICE) in this country was 15-30k instead of 48k. Those car are higher quality vs anything built by a US manufacturer. Oh and China was our ally in WW2. So it should be good with you!

Biden wanted you to do that. He even walked a picket line with the workers.

You do know Chevys are pretty cheap. I bought a new one cause it was same price as a used Toyota a few years ago. A new Toyota was 10K more same size car. I was just buying it for my two kids to share. Now somehow you are saying a Chevy will cost 30K more than a foreign car? I can buy a brand new 2025 Chevy Malibu for 22K. Those things are in rental fleets and driven as uber, cabs etc and last 200K miles.

People buy American cars often as cheap. I was only looking at Hyundai and Chevy new for kids or used Japanese as cant afford new ones. .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Do you think people care about car manufacturing being a thing here? If Tesla does not succeed (which seems possible), will Ford or GM put as much into batteries and research? Does it matter if we all buy BYD cars made in China? Apparently they are far superior and cheaper. What do you think?

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/28/opinion/trump-car-industry-tariffs.html

Dont you care about good jobs and national security that a strong manufacturing base can bring? It is not all about buying cheap stuff.

This is definitely important. Will be some growing pains trying to get the USA back to a mfg base nation though. Most people these days were raised on TikTok/instant oatmeal/fast food/immediate gratification society.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Omg wake up no company is bringing car manufacturing back to the US in a Trump economy.

Americans do not want their white sons working in factories

Maga is too stupid to understand even if a company is here they get the parts from over seas.

This country will never do this.

This country can not make cars like the Japanese. They have had over 50 years to figure out that. They also do ridiculous pricing structures. American cars are crap. Ford truck maybe is decent those cost a pretty penny and maintenance is absurdly expensive.

You want American made cars stop voting in Republicans not once has one brought Autobusisness to one stare not one. You know who brings business Dems, yeah which states have revenue from
Business blue

Bwahahahaha!!!!

Yeah, ok!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

Do you think people care about car manufacturing being a thing here? If Tesla does not succeed (which seems possible), will Ford or GM put as much into batteries and research? Does it matter if we all buy BYD cars made in China? Apparently they are far superior and cheaper. What do you think?

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/28/opinion/tr...ndustry-tariffs.html


Dont you care about good jobs and national security that a strong manufacturing base can bring? It is not all about buying cheap stuff.

Manufacturing is not all about a lot of "good jobs" anymore. Lots of it is robots (and it will be even more robotics going forward). And guess who builds all the robotics to do this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Do you think people care about car manufacturing being a thing here? If Tesla does not succeed (which seems possible), will Ford or GM put as much into batteries and research? Does it matter if we all buy BYD cars made in China? Apparently they are far superior and cheaper. What do you think?

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/28/opinion/trump-car-industry-tariffs.html

Dont you care about good jobs and national security that a strong manufacturing base can bring? It is not all about buying cheap stuff.

This is definitely important. Will be some growing pains trying to get the USA back to a mfg base nation though. Most people these days were raised on TikTok/instant oatmeal/fast food/immediate gratification society.

lol you and your kids can work side by side in the factory together! Oh wait think someone else should work in the factory right?

[Anonymous]

It is too late for car manufacturing in the US. Without government subsidies and tariffs the industry is dead. It can not stand up to the competition specially the Chinese- EV and ICE. Chinese car manufacturing is taking over the world. The only way to improve ICE is to have the ICE generate electrical power for wheel motors. The size and weight of electric car motors are shrink really fast. The Chinese are dominating both EV motors and battery innovation and production.

Interesting articles

I Drove China's Advanced EVs. Now My Brain Is Broken
On this week's Plugged-In Podcast: Part 1 of our Shanghai Auto Show recap
There's kind of a running joke at the InsideEVs office about Staff Writer Kevin Williams: he's been to China so many times, and driven so many of China's hyper-advanced electric vehicles, that he doesn't like anything we get offered stateside anymore
…
Well, I've been to China now too. I joined Kevin in seeing and driving a bunch of those cars. And I came back to the U.S. with the adamant belief that this country—its auto industry, its policymakers and even its consumers—need to have a long, hard discussion about the technological leadership we have ceded to that country.
That's the big story on today's episode of the Plugged-In Podcast. My co-host Tim Levin (whom I have already drafted for the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, because he needs to see this stuff too) and I recap some of the most impressive things we covered at the Shanghai Auto Show this week and last. And I am hoping at least some of our coverage, which will continue on the site and our YouTube channel soon as well, will serve as some kind of wake-up call.

I joined the Geely Group, the parent company of Volvo, Polestar, Zeekr, Lynk & Co and others, for the show. Besides walking seven miles each day at the Shanghai Auto Show itself, I drove cars from those last two brands in Hangzhou; experienced battery-swapping Nios in Shanghai; and some of BYD's most cutting-edge new models in Beijing.

On today's episode, you can hear my takes on all of them. But believe me when I say that Western automakers need to be treating this as a five-alarm fire, and tariffs will not save them from what's coming

https://insideevs.com/features/758402/shanghai-tesla-podcast-musk-byd/


Even Toyota!

Toyota is slowly shredding its reputation as the laggard in the global EV race. It plans to launch as many as 15 EVs by 2027 across the world and some of them—likely the crossovers, SUVs and trucks—will also end up on U.S. shores.


But this big shift isn’t happening in a vacuum. Behind the scenes, Toyota’s sprawling supplier ecosystem is going all in. The combined research and development spending from its closest affiliates—Denso, Aisin, Toyota Industries, Aichi Steel, Toyota Gosei, Toyota Boshoku and Jtekt—is on track to increase more than 7% to over $7 billion this year.

…
Here’s more from Nikkei this morning:

"It's because this is a period of change that we want to increase investment in improving future added value," Denso CEO Shinnosuke Hayashi said in an earnings briefing, referring to the tariffs.
Hayashi cited electrification and advanced driver assistance systems as growth areas, along with semiconductors and software to strengthen underlying technology.
"We will stop investment related to internal combustion engines," Executive Vice President Yasushi Matsui said.
That last bit could mark a turning point for Toyota. Denso has long been a stalwart of Toyota’s gas-powered empire. If it’s truly shifting to electrification, it signals not just a technological pivot, but a broader cultural one within Japan’s auto suppliers.

And Toyota needs it. The company has been sleepwalking through the EV era, with half-hearted efforts like the bZ4X. Full disclosure, I do have a soft spot for the bZ4x despite its shortcomings because it really suits specific use cases in cities like New York. But that’s beside the point. Chinese EV makers have raced ahead and threatened Toyota’s dominance, especially in China

https://insideevs.com/news/758421/japan-is-finally-getting-serious-about-evs/

If US manufacturing of cars is important to you the US government is going to have to be very involved with subsidizing US manufacturers. Otherwise it is done. The US is 18% of the world car market and it is looking like the only market not making the conversion to EV.


All signs show the US is getting left in the rear view mirror.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Do you think people care about car manufacturing being a thing here? If Tesla does not succeed (which seems possible), will Ford or GM put as much into batteries and research? Does it matter if we all buy BYD cars made in China? Apparently they are far superior and cheaper. What do you think?

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/28/opinion/trump-car-industry-tariffs.html

I think you are off in your thinking. Tesla will fail. GM has put more into batteries last year than Tesla has ever. GM knows more than Tesla. Ford also has put in a ton of money. Ford knows that electric cars are the thing just not for the next 20 years. My bet would be that Ford wins the battery wars but that all happen mid-century.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is too late for car manufacturing in the US. Without government subsidies and tariffs the industry is dead. It can not stand up to the competition specially the Chinese- EV and ICE. Chinese car manufacturing is taking over the world. The only way to improve ICE is to have the ICE generate electrical power for wheel motors. The size and weight of electric car motors are shrink really fast. The Chinese are dominating both EV motors and battery innovation and production.

Interesting articles

I Drove China's Advanced EVs. Now My Brain Is Broken
On this week's Plugged-In Podcast: Part 1 of our Shanghai Auto Show recap
There's kind of a running joke at the InsideEVs office about Staff Writer Kevin Williams: he's been to China so many times, and driven so many of China's hyper-advanced electric vehicles, that he doesn't like anything we get offered stateside anymore
…
Well, I've been to China now too. I joined Kevin in seeing and driving a bunch of those cars. And I came back to the U.S. with the adamant belief that this country—its auto industry, its policymakers and even its consumers—need to have a long, hard discussion about the technological leadership we have ceded to that country.
That's the big story on today's episode of the Plugged-In Podcast. My co-host Tim Levin (whom I have already drafted for the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, because he needs to see this stuff too) and I recap some of the most impressive things we covered at the Shanghai Auto Show this week and last. And I am hoping at least some of our coverage, which will continue on the site and our YouTube channel soon as well, will serve as some kind of wake-up call.

I joined the Geely Group, the parent company of Volvo, Polestar, Zeekr, Lynk & Co and others, for the show. Besides walking seven miles each day at the Shanghai Auto Show itself, I drove cars from those last two brands in Hangzhou; experienced battery-swapping Nios in Shanghai; and some of BYD's most cutting-edge new models in Beijing.

On today's episode, you can hear my takes on all of them. But believe me when I say that Western automakers need to be treating this as a five-alarm fire, and tariffs will not save them from what's coming

https://insideevs.com/features/758402/shanghai-tesla-podcast-musk-byd/


Even Toyota!

Toyota is slowly shredding its reputation as the laggard in the global EV race. It plans to launch as many as 15 EVs by 2027 across the world and some of them—likely the crossovers, SUVs and trucks—will also end up on U.S. shores.


But this big shift isn’t happening in a vacuum. Behind the scenes, Toyota’s sprawling supplier ecosystem is going all in. The combined research and development spending from its closest affiliates—Denso, Aisin, Toyota Industries, Aichi Steel, Toyota Gosei, Toyota Boshoku and Jtekt—is on track to increase more than 7% to over $7 billion this year.

…
Here’s more from Nikkei this morning:

"It's because this is a period of change that we want to increase investment in improving future added value," Denso CEO Shinnosuke Hayashi said in an earnings briefing, referring to the tariffs.
Hayashi cited electrification and advanced driver assistance systems as growth areas, along with semiconductors and software to strengthen underlying technology.
"We will stop investment related to internal combustion engines," Executive Vice President Yasushi Matsui said.
That last bit could mark a turning point for Toyota. Denso has long been a stalwart of Toyota’s gas-powered empire. If it’s truly shifting to electrification, it signals not just a technological pivot, but a broader cultural one within Japan’s auto suppliers.

And Toyota needs it. The company has been sleepwalking through the EV era, with half-hearted efforts like the bZ4X. Full disclosure, I do have a soft spot for the bZ4x despite its shortcomings because it really suits specific use cases in cities like New York. But that’s beside the point. Chinese EV makers have raced ahead and threatened Toyota’s dominance, especially in China

https://insideevs.com/news/758421/japan-is-finally-getting-serious-about-evs/

If US manufacturing of cars is important to you the US government is going to have to be very involved with subsidizing US manufacturers. Otherwise it is done. The US is 18% of the world car market and it is looking like the only market not making the conversion to EV.


All signs show the US is getting left in the rear view mirror.

You cannot subsidize manufacturing. You will pay penalties for that.