Electric Vehicles Proving Expensive

When I say proving expensive, I'm refering to some manufacturers in this instance. In particular Ford and the F-150 Lightning. If the name Lightning implied that would be selling fast, then that would be a misnomer. 

Sales were suggested to be in the 150,000 region per annum. They peaked at 33,500 in 2024 and over the four years it's been on sale, barely got past a combined total of 100,000. The scrapping of federal EV tax credits may have been the final nail in the coffin, but maybe it was doomed regardless. 

The amazing thing is it was the best selling BEV truck in the US. Mind you, the Cybertruck wasn't exactly competition, just a little opposition. Still there are others out there and they were beaten too. Despite that, Ford has decided to end the Lighning. 

So this u-turn is costing the company billions of dollars, according to Ford. From the outset, I never saw BEVs as an ideal mass market vehicle, more likely to carve out a niche. Surely, fuel cell or synthetic fuels have potential for broader mass appeal. 

Some markets see it differently and are pushing BEVs to become the future of mobility, for now at least. One positive is they are providing some stability by not flip flopping. What it shows is that predicting the future is as difficult as it has ever been. Those that are putting a great deal of money into BEVs are taking a risk and already some have been burned. Electric vehicles sure can be expensive. 

Toyota Deeside Wales

The UK produces quite a few car engines. Up to November, 2025 about 1.5 million engines were manufactured YTD. With the world moving away from ICE powered vehicles, that looked like an industry living on borrowed time. Recent pull backs on the move to ban such engines will give this industry a reprieve. 

One such plant is situated in Deeside, North Wales, which started producing engines for the Carina model in 1992. My father grew up in the area, so I do have a connection with it. He worked at the local Shotton Steelworks before moving away. 

According to Toyota, the plant employs around 600 workers and in 2024, a total of 244,463 hybrid & petrol engines were produced. 

They found their way into the Corolla built in Derbyshire, for the C-HR model built in Turkey and the Corolla Cross in South Africa. 

The Deeside engine assembly line has the capability to produce an engine every 44 seconds, the fastest Toyota assembly line of its type in the World.

So if you own any of the models mentioned above, the engine came from Deeside, Wales. Pictures and information sourced from Toyota UK. 

EU to Backtrack on China Sourced EVs?

Since November 2024, the EU imposed tariffs on Chinese sourced electric cars (BEV) due to unfair advantage through state subsidies. Now pressure is being applied by a European car maker who manufacture a BEV in China to make an exception for them. What is the reasoning?

According to VW's SEAT/Cupra, they say it is "an unfair tariff that penalises strategic investments." So making cars in China rather than Europe is 'strategic' or the definition of the word 'helping achieve a plan'. Protecting European jobs isn't the plan nor punishing perceived infair subsidies, so I guess increased profit is the strategic plan.  

After deciding to build a car somewhere and then legislation is introduced that affects that decision adversely is a bitter pill to swallow. Getting an exemption would seem an ideal solution. The downside is opening the door to many others doing the same and that works against the initial tariff's aim. 

Other brands make electric cars in China. BMW decided to make the MINI Aceman in China rather than the UK but would retaining tariffs lead BMW to start making them in the UK? Volvo produces the EX30 in Belgium and that circumvents tariffs. It seems Dacia will bring the Spring model production back to Europe in 2026. I wonder how the manufacturers that accepted BEV tariffs and are moving production back to Europe are now feeling?

 As to whether tariffs are a good idea or not in this situation is not an argument I want to join. As a general observation though, SEAT/Cupra is looking at their personal situation and they want an exception for their benefit. Considering the effect on others and the impact on the overall objective becomes secondary. 

BEV sales in Europe aren't going that well anyway and plans to impose a ban on selling new cars with internal combustion engines in the EU from 2035 have been abandoned. I wonder if trying to beat the tariff will reap that much anyway.