Former auto executives warn electric vehicle push happened 'too soon and too fast'

Chrysler's Nardelli and former Big Three exec Bob Lutz discuss the challenge of selling EVs to Americans

Data may say it all, but former auto industry executives are setting the record straight on the electric vehicle push.  

Former Ford, Chrysler and General Motors executive Bob Lutz and ex-Chrysler Chairman and CEO Bob Nardelli told Fox News Digital that while electric vehicles (EVs) could change the entire auto industry, thus far, it's been handled all wrong.

"In the short term, I'm afraid, it's going to be a challenge," Nardelli said. "It's going to be a challenge to convince the consumer that the EV is a reliable and affordable means of transportation."

"You could see what's happening out there," he continued. "We're seeing the cascading effect of a failed initiative."

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"The problem with the whole 

EV movement is that there was a colossal amount of hype behind it, largely from what I like to call the liberal mainstream media, making it sound like everybody's next vehicle was going to be an EV," Lutz also told Digital. "And of course, the government was pushing it, because of their climate change policies. And it just plain wasn't going to happen."

Bob Nardelli and Lutz on EVs
Former Ford, Chrysler and General Motors executive Bob Lutz and ex-Chrysler Chairman and CEO Bob Nardelli speak to Fox News Digital about the current state and future of the electric vehicle market. (Fox News)

Lutz added: "And yes, it did come too soon and too fast."

From Nardelli’s perspective, the forced transition to zero emission transportation in the U.S. began on "Day One of this administration," when President Joe Biden pulled the plug on oil and drilling projects while boasting a plan to make more than half of new car sales to be electric by 2030.

"Major auto companies are preparing for 50% of future sales to be electric vehicles by 2030, 100% by 2035," President Biden said during remarks on rising prices in June 2022.

In 2022, EVs made up less than 1% of all U.S. vehicle registrations. Since then, Elon Musk’s Tesla severely missed 2023 Q1 expectations, Ford announced production stops on its electric trucks and cars and Rivian, Nardelli noted, lost a sizable $5.4 billion in the last year alone.
"If the Democrats win the November election, we could have something approaching. An EV mandate where they establish emission regulations that are so tough that basically the industry is left [with] no choice but to produce nothing but EVs. And the American public is left [with] no choice but to buy EVs, because that's all there is out there," Lutz said.
Ultimately, the former Big Three exec believes the more likely outcome would be EVs would represent about a quarter of the industry. 

"My guess for a 10-year period, which I might be around to witness, but at 92, one can't be sure. I would say EVs could, without a government forced job, EVs could be 25 to 30% of the market. And then continually going up from there."

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