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The great EV pullback: all the obstacles, cancellations, and delays

The Verge / 3/18/2026

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Key Points

  • The EV push is pulling back as demand slows and automakers readjust investments amid policy changes, tariffs, and broader economic headwinds.
  • U.S. policy shifts, including the Trump-era elimination of the federal EV tax credit and weakened emissions rules, have weakened incentives for EV adoption.
  • Automakers are canceling or delaying models (for example Volvo EX30 and Honda Prologue) and shifting toward hybrids and energy-storage initiatives to cope with the tough environment.
  • China continues to outpace rivals in EV development and seems poised to win the future, widening the gap with the United States and Europe.
  • Tariffs and potential Buy American requirements for EV charging could slow the industry’s build-out and complicate the transition.
Digital photo collage of battery graphics overlayed on cars.

The auto industry bet big on electric vehicles, but now those ambitious goals are falling apart. Demand was already slowing down when Donald Trump took office and took an ax to pro-EV policy: the elimination of the federal EV tax credit, kneecapping clean energy, and bulldozing emissions rules. Tariffs have been taking their toll as well. And now US and European automakers are taking a bath on its EV investments, forcing them to readjust their model lineup. Hybrids are the new bet, and the EV future looks further away than ever — at least for the US. China continues to outpace the rest of the world in EV development, and stands poised to win that future.

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