Automakers Lost a Ton on EV Investments 💰📉

PLUS: Details on the next Ford EV truck, a Mercedes recall, and problems at Scout?

If you have trouble reading this message, view it in a browser. Carmakers Took a $50 Billion Loss on EVs      It sure seemed like electric cars were going to be the next big thing. So automakers gambled big on them, rejiggering production lines and product plans to address what "everyone" thought would be a massive shift to electric power and the end of the gasoline age. But while there is still a demand for electric cars—somewhere between 7% and 10% of the market in the US—and while markets outside the US are sporting a much higher demand for EVs, particularly China and to a somewhat lesser extend Europe, customers in the US appear to still largely want good old gasoline, environment be damned.    Read more here. READ THE FULL STORY Ford's New 2028 Electric Truck Will Be a Fully Modern EV for $30,000        Ford's first product on its Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform will be a mid-size electric pickup truck. It will also be its first-ever modern, ground-up, dedicated EV. This "mid-size" pickup hasn't been seen; the design should emerge this year, and Ford said first sales will be in 2027.    It may possibly be called the Ranchero. Ford declined to comment on its August trademark filing for the model name of its 1960s and 1970s car-based pickup truck. Ford also isn't giving out battery range, size, or charge times for the new truck.    But whatever it's called, the first UEV pickup will be different than any other vehicle Ford has built. It draws on the experience of a staff new to Ford, from EV startups and motorsports, who worked in a skunkworks team to develop it.    Read more here. READ THE FULL STORY Donut Lab Says It'll Have Solid-State Battery Test Results Soon      The biggest news out of this year's CES may have been from a previously unknown startup in Finland. Donut Lab, the biggest thing to come out of Espoo, Finland, since the Verge hubless electric motorcycle, said it had a production-ready solid-state battery that would go on a Verge motorcycle and be in production in a few months. I could say I'm going to have a Pulitzer in a couple years. The world needed proof.    So Donut has rounded out the skepticism by announcing it has "commissioned the internationally renowned VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland to independently measure the features of the company's groundbreaking, world's first solid-state battery ready for mass-production."    Read more here. READ THE FULL STORY Tesla Slashes Cybertruck Prices to Boost Pickup Sales READ MORE Uber to Invest $100 Million in Robotaxi Charging Hubs READ MORE 2026 Toyota bZ Woodland Adds AWD, 375 HP and Off-Road Focus READ MORE Mercedes-Benz Issues Recall for EQB Electric SUV over Fire Risk READ MORE 2026 Toyota C-HR Promises Compact, Sporty, Practical Fun READ MORE Scout's Production Timeline Reportedly Thrown into Question READ MORE Spread the word: If you know someone interested in staying on top of the rapidly growing EV segment, feel free to pass this newsletter along. SIGN UP Follow Us Unsubscribe | Manage Preferences | Privacy Notice | CA Notice at Collection Autoweek is a publication of Hearst Autos. ©2026 Hearst Autos, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent by Hearst Autos, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-3779 https://link.autoweek.com/oc/5e72241397a2142fca606ee4qch63.9hh/f64685e0