Electric vehicles were supposed to be the car industry’s unstoppable future. Instead, a growing chorus of executives is now arguing that the market has been badly misread and that most drivers are not ready to plug in, no matter how loudly governments and investors cheer. The backlash is sharpening as sales growth cools, incentives fade and some of the biggest names in autos start counting the cost of the electric bet.
At the center of the storm is a blunt claim from a senior figure at Vauxhall’s parent company that “Nobody really wants EVs,” a line that has ricocheted through boardrooms and show floors. I see that remark less as a literal statement about demand and more as a verdict on how the industry has tried to force a revolution faster than customers, infrastructure and policy could keep up.
The Vauxhall broadside and a new mood of EV realism
The most provocative shot came from an executive linked to Vauxhall, who argued that “Nobody really wants EVs” and blamed electric models for sapping car company profits. The remark, reported in The Daily Telegraph’s Saturday edition, captured a frustration that has been building as manufacturers pour billions into battery platforms while watching buyers hesitate. By framing the issue in such stark terms, the executive was not denying that some consumers love their Teslas or Hyundai Ioniqs, but suggesting that the mass market still sees electric cars as a compromise rather than an upgrade.
The same report underscored how this sentiment is spreading across Europe, where companies juggling tight margins and strict emissions rules are now questioning the pace of the transition. The fact that the quote appeared in Daily Telegraph Saturday section, with its traditionally car‑friendly readership, underlines how mainstream this skepticism has become. When a brand as established as Vauxhall is associated with such a sweeping dismissal, it signals that the era of uncritical EV boosterism is over.
Former insiders: hype, policy and an ‘EV winter’
That Vauxhall‑linked critique echoes what some retired industry heavyweights have been saying for months. In one televised discussion, former executives complained that the electric push happened “too soon, too fast,” warning that “We’re seeing the cascading effect of a failed initiative” as inventories build and margins shrink. One of those voices argued that “The problem with the whole EV movement is that there was a colossal amount of hype behind it,” driven by what he called true believers who assumed a rapid, universal switch to battery power that simply “wasn’t going to happen,” a view captured in former auto executives who now feel vindicated by the slowdown.
Those warnings are colliding with a policy environment that is no longer as aggressively supportive as it once was. In Europe, The EU has softened its planned ban on combustion vehicle sales, a clear sign that regulators are adjusting to slower adoption and political pushback. Analysts now talk openly about an “EV winter” as sales growth cools and companies like Ford, General Motors and startups such as Slate Auto confront more cautious buyers, a trend that one report summed up with the phrase colossal hype meeting colder reality.
Profits, policy and the Detroit mood shift
The financial strain behind these complaints is increasingly visible on balance sheets. General Motors has taken over $7 billion in charges as it scales back EV production, a stark acknowledgment that its early electric rollout is not delivering the returns once promised. That kind of write‑down reinforces the Vauxhall‑linked complaint that EVs are “sapping car company profits,” especially when paired with the capital costs of new factories and battery plants that are not yet running at full tilt. For shareholders who were sold on EVs as a growth engine, the numbers are sobering.
Policy shifts in the United States are adding another headwind. Under Trump, Congress cut tax incentives that had saved buyers up to $7,500 on an EV purchase, removing a key nudge that helped offset higher sticker prices. At the same time, the administration has weakened fuel economy rules that once pushed automakers toward electrification. The result was on display in DETROIT, where At the North American International Auto Show the spotlight has dimmed for EVs even as the rest of the globe, especially China, electrifies at pace.
Premium EV fatigue and the marketing mistake
Even at the top end of the market, where early adopters once lined up for every new launch, the shine is fading. One detailed analysis noted that Premium EV demand seems to be cooling in exactly the places the industry expected to carry the next leg of growth, such as high‑priced, high‑margin models. That slowdown matters because luxury buyers were supposed to subsidize the technology curve for everyone else, soaking up early costs while mass‑market prices fell. Instead, inventories of six‑figure electric SUVs and sedans are rising, and discounts are creeping in.
Part of the problem, as the Winterhoff of Lucid argues, is that the industry has been selling virtue instead of desirability. He says carmakers often frame EVs as the “responsible” choice, lecturing buyers about emissions rather than highlighting what makes the cars exciting or convenient. In a separate interview, the Lucid CEO put it more bluntly, saying Buyers want space and power, not the eco‑lecture, and comparing his own Air sedan to luxury benchmarks like the Range Rover SV to stress that electric cars must first be great cars.
Slowing sales, shifting incentives and the long game
Across the broader market, the data now supports what executives are feeling anecdotally. Analysts describe a phase of “EV realism,” noting that the industry was once euphoric about electric growth but that consumer demand no longer matches the most optimistic forecasts. One assessment framed it as How automakers react in 2026 will be telling, as companies like GM, Ford, Hyundai and Tesla adjust production plans and pricing. Another report warned that While EV policy is deteriorating, sales growth is slowing at the same time, creating a feedback loop that makes it harder to justify aggressive new investments.
In the United States, the retreat of federal support has been particularly sharp. The EV market has taken a dive since federal tax credits were phased out last September, removing another layer of price support just as interest rates climbed. Yet But General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra still insists that an eventual all‑electric future is the “end game,” a stance she reiterated when Barra said GM still believes EVs will eventually take off as charging becomes easier and prices come down. That long‑term conviction sits awkwardly beside the short‑term pullback, but it reflects a broader industry belief that today’s slowdown is a painful correction, not the end of the electric story.
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