U.S. automakers built the EV narrative. They made the announcements, set the targets, and positioned themselves as architects of an electric future. But something has shifted.
Despite majority support for scaling back EV plans, with 54% of Americans saying they understand the move, the strategic cost is accumulating beneath the surface. Trust is weakening. Younger consumers are reading the reversals as a signal, not a correction. And 70% of Americans now say the pullbacks suggest automakers misread the market in the first place.
“Consumers aren’t angry about the U-turn, they’re skeptical about what it reveals. When you change course without a credible reason, you don’t just lose momentum on EVs. You lose the credibility that makes your next commitment believable.” – Gregory Paratore, Vice President, The Harris Poll
Download the report.
Learn more about how American consumers are responding to EV rollbacks, including generational trust scores, behavioral signals, and what automakers should do next.
