Automakers with Uncertainty: Impact of Trump’s Trump-Carrying Trade Agreements on Autonomous Machines and Transport Systems
is transportation editor with 10+ years of experience who covers EVs, public transportation, and aviation. His work has been seen in two New York newspapers.
It started last week with Tesla, followed quickly by General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo. The automakers are having trouble figuring out how to plan for the future because of President Donald Trump’s constant tariffs.
uncertainty is paralyzing the auto industry. Stellantis, the parent company of Jeep, Dodge, and Ram, also recently scrapped its outlook for the year, with Chief Financial Officer Doug Ostermann telling analysts, “Most of us are in a period of waiting for a bit more clarity,” according to Reuters.
Tesla Chief Executive Laura Barra: The Case for High-Tariff-Induced Car Sales and Revenues in the U.S.
Even the CEO of the company. The inventor of the device said he was trying to get the president to lower tariffs on imported car parts. “I believe lower tariffs are generally a good idea for prosperity,” Musk said during Tesla’s earnings call last week. “But this decision is fundamentally up to the elected representative of the people, being the President of the United States. So, you know, I’ll continue to advocate for lower tariffs rather than higher tariffs, but that’s all I can do.”
The car companies are against this stuff. These are multinational companies that like to plan far in the future and use sales predictions and forecasts to make their decisions. market certainty is the foundation of this.
There isn’t anything like a car with all US parts in the US today, and many factories and production hubs could take up to 4–5 years to build in the US due to the rules of the US tariff game.
According to analysts, the tariffs will cause sticker prices to increase by as much as $10,000. panicked shoppers rushed to their local dealership to get their goods while the others were not. According to J.D. Power, new car sales in April are expected to rise 11 percent year over year as buyers try to lock in pricing. According to a survey by the Car Dealership Guy, manufacturers promised more price stability throughout the summer.
She wrote that they were looking forward to maintaining their strong dialogue with the administration as they continued to evolve. “As you know, there are ongoing discussions with key trade partners that may also have an impact. We will update you as we know more.
Mary Barra thanked President Donald Trump for his support of the U.S. automotive industry in her Q1 letter to shareholders. The impact of Trump’s tariffs could be as high as $5 billion, according to a report.
It’s revenue is up 2 percent year over year, and its making more progress in improving the profitability of its electric vehicle lineup. In that respect, Barra declared that GM had “solidified” its position as the number two seller of EVs in the US, behind Tesla. It is possible that GM continues to make progress in this department with the sales and revenue of electric car manufacturer, Tesla, cratering. Chevy, with its popular Equinox and Blazer EVs, is now the “fastest growing EV brand,” she said. The US holds the largest producer of lithium-ion batteries.
Barra’s letter was evidence of the delicate line the automaker needs to tread in order to placate the president while also assuring investors that it can weather the financial storm ahead. And in that respect, GM says it has a lot of evidence in its favor.