All the Automakers Rolling Back Their Electric Car Plans

After unveiling plans to cut $20 billion in EV investment and go all-in on hybrids in May, Honda said it would end production of the US-only Acura ZDX.

A spokesperson for the Japanese automaker confirmed on September 24 that production of the electric crossover, which was built by General Motors at its plant in Tennessee, was being scrapped due to “market conditions.”

Jeep announced last year that it would introduce a plug-in hybrid version of its Gladiator pickup truck by the end of 2025.

However, in September, the Jeep Gladiator 4xe became the latest EV model on the chopping block.

A spokesperson for the brand, which is owned by European conglomerate Stellantis, told TechCrunch that Jeep no longer planned to include an electrified Gladiator in its product lineup after “reassessing its product strategy.” Jeep cited changing customer preferences as the reason for the shift.

Another Stellantis brand, US-based truck maker Ram, announced its own EV shift earlier in September.

The company said it would discontinue production of the REV 1500, a full-sized electric pickup truck that Ram had positioned as a challenger to Ford’s F-150 Lightning. Ram said the decision was in response to slowing demand for EV trucks in North America.

Porsche had bet heavily on luxury EVs, but the German carmaker announced it would shelve plans to build an electrified SUV and pivot back to gasoline-powered and hybrid models.

The German carmaker, which has faced falling sales in EV-friendly China, said it would take a €1.8 billion ($2.2 billion) hit over the strategy shift, sparking a record share price plunge.

British brand Bentley, known for its ultra-classy luxury motors, has also walked back plans to stop selling combustion-engine vehicles completely by 2035,

CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser told Autocar on September 22 that Bentley was now planning to build new gasoline versions of its most popular models, rather than just offering them as hybrids or EVs.

Ford confirmed in August that it had pushed back the launch of its new full-size electric pickup truck, known internally as “Project T3,” and a new commercial van to 2028.

The Detroit giant has lost billions attempting to compete with Tesla on EVs and is now betting on smaller, more affordable electric models developed by a “skunkworks” team based in California.

CEO Jim Farley announced in August that the first of these models, a $30,000 midsize electric truck, will roll out in 2027.