QOTD: What's Ahead for the Automotive Industry?

by Tim Healey

Published: November 8th, 2024

qotd what s ahead for the automotive industry

I chatted with Robby DeGraff about it on our podcast, and now it's your turn.

What does Donald Trump's election back to the White House mean for the car business?

I have lots of thoughts, and you can hear them on the podcast. So I will turn the floor over to you.

With the usual caveats, of course. Play nice, don't sling mud, don't insult each other, don't be racist/sexist/bigoted, etc. Be ready to have comments moderated and/or be banned should you break those rules. I realize politics is emotional, and you're free to register your disgust/joy with the outcome, but please be civil in the comments. It's our sandbox, and you're guests, so if you don't respect it, we'll show you the door.

Thanks. Now sound off below.

[Image: Jonah Elkowitz/Shutterstock.com]

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#DonaldTrump #PresidentialElection #QOTD #QuestionOfTheDay #AutomotiveIndustry

Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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7 of 136 comments

CarsonFK 2 days ago
I love reading the dissembling of the sore losers on here. This is a great time to be an American. We're kicking out the treasonous authoritarians who put Tulsi Gabbard on a terrorist watchlist, so she'd be harassed by the real fascists threatening our constitutional republic for the crime of leaving the pedocrat party. We're going to cleanse the civil service of jackbooted thugs who have been caught doing things like denying emergency services to patriots. Seems like Marn'I Washington has a lot of fans on here. Unlike the administrative state, Trump's rising tide is lifting all boats. Enjoy the strengthening dollar, the spread of peace in the world, and the overheating stock market. They weren't what you were expecting from losing the election to the sane majority, but they would cause you to reexamine your assumptions if you had the least little grasp on reality or semblance of cognitive ability.

5 Reply
- See 2 previous
- Peter Yesterday
  CarsonFk, Congratulations! Trump and his minions will soon control all parts of the federal government. Now they actually have to govern.
  
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- 28-Cars-Later Yesterday
  True but when's the last time any governing actually happened.... 2016? 2008?
  
  1
- Peter Yesterday
  28-Cars, 4 more years four more years. Of trying to repeal ObamaCare”. This time there will be an infrastructure week.
  
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Wjtinfwb Yesterday
I can't see a complete dismantling of the EPA or of air quality, emissions or CAFE standards. Maybe a freeze on new regulations which would probably be good for all automakers. More likely organized labor may come under the microscope and Shawn Fain maybe in for a tough remainder of his term. EV mandates will likely go away or be pushed way out and the absurd amounts of cash being pumped into EV infrastructure will likely be reduced or even better, repurposed to roads and bridges as well as airports and railroads which Transportation is also responsible for. If the changes allow Ford to keep pumping out Raptors and Hi-Po Mustangs and maybe encourage Stellantis to put some money into a revamped Hemi in addition to the pretty great Hurricane 6 would be great. Perhaps that would encourage GM to build a new ICE Camaro and keep churning out Supercharged 6.2L V8s allowing the reintroduction of the ZL1 when the new Camaro debuts.

1 Reply
- See 1 previous
- 28-Cars-Later Yesterday
  I'm sure there will be still legal wrangling but I think a cease-fire for one product cycle is what's best for all parties. PSA etc.'s USA division sounds so screwed up I can't see Hemi production lines restarted (perhaps if this was 2022, an extension). I don't see GM doing a 7th gen Camaro ever at this point and I believe a sizable percentage of moneyed buyers who would be in the top trim Camaros if they existed stepped up to the C8 (makes me think RenCen is capable of 4D chess once an while). If an existing BEV could be sold profitably I'd expect it to continue but I don't expect market share to grow much overall. I see write downs in BEV investments and R&D money shifting into hybrids and extending other existing drivetrains. Tesla is a still a winner IMO, although the cognitive dissonance will kick in for its earlier far left buyers I expect them to be replaced by at least some right/far right buyers due to human nature to follow celebrities/strongmen/political figures (i.e. Musk who is at least 2 of the 3). I do not expect the "cool" factor to repeat on other BEVs (which to this point has not) so those who drank the Kool Aide (i.e. VAG) are probably scrambling as Ford did last year.
  
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- 28-Cars-Later Yesterday
  Adding, I reiterate the call to Fain to step down while he can and appear to have a successful legacy. This isn't because of my personal dislike, its because whatever he views as his career/legacy are probably going to be on the line after Jan 20 2025 given his personal politics and choices vs rank and file UAW. Now *if* Trump 2.0 metaphorically extends his hand and Fain takes it maybe it will be water under the bridge but the latter's got a lot to lose if that doesn't happen - and Trump along with UAW will be involved in US mfg politics very soon.
  
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