EV realism is here. How automakers react in 2026 will be telling

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DETROIT – The U.S. automotive industry has entered a new phase for all-electric vehicles: realism.

The industry was euphoric about the EV segment in the early 2020s, but consumer demand never took off as much as expected and, as it fizzled, automakers monitored and planned how to react. Now, they’re pivoting, as companies have wasted billions of dollars in capital, Detroit automakers are refocusing on large gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs, and many have admitted that policies, not consumers, were driving the charge for EVs.

“We have to make the investments to get to ... the regulatory environment they set. We’ve seen a complete change in that. One way, 180 degrees. One way, 180 degrees back. That’s the world CEOs of automakers are living in,” GM CEO and Chair Mary Barra said earlier this month during The New York Times’ DealBook conference.

How automakers like GM that invested heavily in EVs will respond over the next year will be telling for the future of the vehicles in the U.S., according to industry insiders and experts.