The North American International Auto Show in Detroit, where EVs had once been given their own spotlight, is now presenting hybrids and gas-powered vehicles alongside electric models across the event’s indoor tracks, organizers said. The change reflects a broader shift in how the U.S. auto industry is marketing electrification as it reassesses priorities for consumers.
Todd Szott, chairman of this year’s Detroit auto show and an auto dealer, said the show “will always reflect what’s happening in the industry at the consumer level,” adding, “Obviously things have changed in the EV landscape.” The event, in other words, is no longer built around a single EV-only emphasis, according to the account of how the show is organized this year.
The article that covers the show ties the shift to policy changes after President Donald Trump returned to the White House with a pro-fossil fuels agenda, saying Detroit is pivoting away from EVs. In that framing, some industry players describe their message as “consumer choice,” even as some experts at and outside the show questioned what a U.S. EV pullback could mean for automakers’ long-term competitiveness.
Michael Robinet, vice president of forecast strategy at S&P Global Mobility, addressed that concern during a panel on industry trends, saying, “What we worry about is how competitive will we be on the global stage as the market continues to advance around us.” He pointed to the pace of electrification elsewhere, where countries and manufacturers have continued expanding EV offerings and market share.
Electrification data released to the show also underscored the contrast. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence reported that including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, U.S. sales of electrified cars grew just 1% last year, while China saw 17% growth in plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles and Europe saw a 33% increase. The article also said the U.S. pure-EV market share was just under 8% in 2025, with 1.23 million EVs sold, a slight decline from 2024.
The policy and political backdrop at the center of the EV debate came up as Trump toured the Ford River Rouge Complex in Dearborn. The article said Trump used his time in Detroit to boast about policy changes on EVs and tariffs he said boosted U.S. automakers, including remarks to an economic club in which he said, “Among my first acts in office was to end the radical left war on oil and gas and stop the crusade to kill American energy and, frankly, to open up cars so that you don’t have to have an electric car,” and later, “I love electric cars. I think they’re great,” before adding, “But I’ve been saying it for four years. They wanted everybody to have an electric car in a very short period of time.”
The article says Trump revoked a Biden-era target for half of new vehicle sales in the U.S. to be electric and tried to block money obligated to EV charging across the nation’s highways. It also said Congress cut tax incentives that saved buyers up to $7,500 on an EV purchase under Trump, and that the administration weakened fuel economy and gas mileage rules, including eliminating penalties for automakers that do not meet fuel economy standards.
In that account, the industry response included financial impacts tied to electrification efforts. The article said Ford announced last month $19.5 billion in charges connected to electrification efforts and ending production of the all-electric version of the F-150 Lightning. It also said General Motors announced $6 billion in EV-related charges and rolled back some EV commitments, while describing Tesla’s 2025 performance as difficult.
Still, Ford marketing leadership told the show that EV commitment remains part of the company’s strategy. Shawn Strain, Ford’s marketing manager, said, “We still are just completely committed to EVs,” and added, “And it may not be as overt as we once were.”
At the show on Thursday, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also highlighted concerns that U.S. automakers face competition from China. She said, “China wants to dominate every part of auto manufacturing. They’re making major headway,” and added that “They’ve captured major market share almost everywhere except the U.S. and Canada,” concluding, “We have to meet these challenges.”
Will Roberts, an automotive research lead at Benchmark Minerals who released the 2025 data, warned that U.S. policy has made a difference, saying it would be good strategy for automakers to keep “keeping things ticking along in the background with a really compelling EV offering.” Pete Buttigieg, former transportation secretary under President Joe Biden, agreed the stakes were about leadership, telling a panel, “But he can stop America from being the leader in that technology,” and saying, “Industry should point a different direction.”
The net effect at the Detroit show, as described in the article, is a visible rebalancing: EVs may still be promoted, but the show’s space and the messaging around it reflect a more cautious, less exclusive approach than in past years.