• Lucas Wagmeister

  US reporter

Anyone looking for confirmation can find it this weekend in Detroit: the future of the American auto industry is electric. From small startups to giants like Ford and General Motors, it’s all on the floor of the annual auto show at Motor Town Refers to electricity. The auto industry is still at the beginning of a major transformation, but it has clearly made the decision.

For years, the industry struggled. Stricter environmental regulations were seen as a cost component, and there was a lot of pressure to push legislation into the future. Until last month, California introduced the most stringent legislation yet: As of 2035, a car with a gasoline engine could no longer be sold in the state. To everyone’s surprise, silence prevailed. The auto industry is over.

In fact; Most of the brands themselves are in a hurry. “Our first all-electric model will roll off the production line in 2025,” said Kristen Feuille, CEO of Chrysler. “And by 2028, our entire range will be electric.”

Last year was one of the most exciting in the industry since the invention of the automobile, says electrician David Cook. “For years, auto manufacturers were just thinking and preparing, but now we’re suddenly seeing challenging goals that are immediately tangible,” said the Ohio University researcher. “It’s going really fast now.”

It is concrete. New models that still have a combustion engine always take second place in the exhibition. New EV models are central to the platforms of all the major brands. From city cars to SUVs, vans, vans, sports cars and even a huge selection of pickup trucks so popular in America.

“This is a big change, especially for the typical pickup truck driver,” Ford representative Tyler Smith confirmed. The Ford F-150 has been America’s best-selling truck for years. “This is a classic piece of cultural heritage, you’d rather not mess with it.” However, now F-150 Lightning Ahead is the EV. “It does exactly what the regular form does, and more,” recommends Smith.

It’s a vehicle with multiple sockets, useful for installers or mechanics who can charge their power tools right away. It even has an ice coolant, in which the engine was located. The car was deliberately designed to be nearly indistinguishable from the old F-150. “It worked, orders are speeding up, and we can’t deliver them anymore,” Smith says.

Reporter Lucas Wagmeister took a look at the latest electric models at the Motor Town Auto Show:

There is immediately a bump in the road to the electric car revolution. If the reversal process goes too fast, the industry will overtake itself. “This really requires a completely new infrastructure,” said researcher David Cook. The car factory will change beyond recognition. “The whole chain has to change. From the new raw materials to the production process. From the place where the minerals for batteries are in the ground, to the production of all the parts for the mass production of these vehicles.”

It’s exactly what President Biden’s climate plans are for. Because, of course, the electrification of the US automobile fleet will bring significant benefits in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Both Biden’s previous infrastructure law and last summer’s climate law contain major incentives for the industry.

For example, the tax credits go to consumers who buy an electric car and the industry can get a subsidy, as long as the production takes place in America. At least seven battery plants are currently under construction across the country to meet the future demand for automobile batteries.

“The government is pouring more money than ever into new technologies,” Cook said. “It will not change the entire industry, but it will attract companies and investors.” During a visit to the auto show last Wednesday, Biden announced that an additional $900 million would be allocated to installing charging stations. “It gives assurance to the industry: the government is behind this shift with its weight,” Cook said.

The speed of this change surprised everyone. Order books are packed everywhere, and many new EV models won’t be available until 2023 or 2024. “It’s going to take a few years to transform this industry, but the mental shift is massive. You used to pull and demand attention, now they come to us wanting to know everything,” says Cook. It’s going now. It’s really happening.”