A federal delegation — Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, EPA chief Lee Zeldin and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer — spent Friday walking assembly lines and the aisles of the Detroit Auto Show with a straightforward sales pitch: loosen rules that pushed automakers toward electric vehicles, and prices for everyday cars will fall.
They began their day at Stellantis’ North Assembly Jeep plant in Toledo, watching Wranglers move down the line and greeting workers. Stellantis currently builds Wranglers and Gladiators only with internal combustion engines at that factory, a practical counterpoint to the administration’s message that government shouldn’t pick winners in vehicle technology.
“Consumers should choose the kind of vehicle they want to buy,” Duffy told reporters on the shop floor, arguing that Biden-era fuel-economy targets were “illegal and unattainable” and that a lower standard — he cited 35 mpg — would let companies offer cheaper, more popular models. Zeldin framed the issue as consumer freedom: incentives and mandates, he said, had effectively forced manufacturers into EV programs that raised costs.
Headlines and horsepower: policy meets plant floor
The officials tied policy moves from the first year of President Trump’s second term to concrete industry developments. In recent months the administration eliminated the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, rescinded tougher mileage and California-style EV rules, and removed penalties for automakers that miss fuel-economy targets. Greer credited Trump-era tariffs with nudging some manufacturers to invest back in the U.S., pointing to Stellantis’ announced $400 million investment to bring a mid-size Ram truck to Toledo in 2028, a project the company says will add roughly 900 jobs.
There was theatre as well as policy. The group walked the Detroit Auto Show floor, where Ford CEO Jim Farley made an appearance and automakers displayed a mix of traditional SUVs and newer EV models. The administration’s message was blunt: if the market wants EVs, automakers should make them — but the federal government will not be leaning on rules and incentives to force that shift.
Contrasting forecasts and the cost question
Officials argued that rolling back mandates will lower sticker prices. Critics — including many environmental groups and some economists — say the relationship between fuel-economy rules and retail prices is more complex. According to industry data, average new-car transaction prices climbed into the mid-to-high five-figure range in recent years as buyers shifted toward larger SUVs and trucks; tariffs, supply-chain costs and supply-demand dynamics also play roles.
Consultants watching the market offer a mixed read. Boston Consulting Group’s EV lead acknowledged that North American EV sales softened in the near term after similar policy moves in other markets, while global sales grew sharply. His view: a short-term dip in one region can precede a rebound as designs, costs and consumer offers evolve.
Regulations, reputation and the climate debate
The visit exposed a tension that runs beyond price: it’s about who decides the future of the car. Zeldin announced the EPA has begun work aimed at reversing the 2009 Endangerment Finding that classified greenhouse gases as a threat to public health and welfare — a move that would have broad implications for future emissions regulation. Environmental advocates warn that undoing those foundations would make it harder to meet long-term climate goals.
On the other side, union leaders and plant workers were repeatedly courted by the administration’s message that tariffs and looser mandates mean more domestic production and more jobs. Stellantis’ multi-billion-dollar U.S. investment plan and the promised Toledo truck are easy examples to point to; whether they would have happened without current trade or regulatory shifts is harder to prove.
Why this matters beyond Ohio and Michigan
Policy changes in the U.S. don’t occur in a vacuum. Automakers sell into global markets, where rivals are moving aggressively on electrification and software-driven features. Decisions made in Washington — from tariff levels to whether federal incentives exist — will change investment calculus for plants, suppliers and engineers. At the same time, consumers voting with their wallets will influence what actually ends up in driveways.
For now, the administration is banking on a political pitch: consumer choice equals freedom, and greater freedom means lower prices. Industry watchers note that the mechanics of price — production scale, raw materials, dealer incentives, and model mix — won’t flip overnight. Tech and features that shoppers increasingly expect, like sophisticated navigation and AI-assisted systems, will also factor into future vehicle cost and appeal; those technologies are evolving fast and will shape what buyers want next, much like developments in mapping and assistants have started changing how people use cars (see how Google Maps' Gemini copilot is leaning into in-car tools).
If anything, the tour illustrated a simple political reality: policy signals matter. They influence factory plans, boardroom decisions and the stories automakers tell consumers. That’s visible in Detroit showrooms today and on Toledo production lines where the Wrangler is still quintessentially gas-powered. Whether those signals will deliver the promised cheaper cars — and whether the market will steer back toward electric vehicles in a few years as global demand and technology evolve — is the question automakers, workers and regulators will be answering one investment announcement at a time.
As the officials left the plant, the machines kept humming and a line of new Wranglers continued down the conveyor. It’s a reminder that policy debates eventually translate into real metal, jobs and choices for buyers — sometimes immediately, sometimes after a long, costly detour.
For context on how automakers are responding with product and aftermarket enthusiasm, Ford’s recent moves in enthusiast and performance gear show a different side of the market, where premium add-ons and retrofitting still find buyers interested in Ford's SEMA Maverick mods.