EV rollback costs global carmakers $55bn

Global carmakers have booked some $55bn (R888.32bn) in writedowns in the past year as they scale back electric vehicle ambitions on a tough US market under President Donald Trump, price wars in China and a more complex mix of vehicle types in Europe.

The latest to join the growing pile is Jeep-to-Fiat owner Stellantis, which revealed charges of about €22.2bn (R422.70bn) in the second half of 2025, dragging its shares down over 20% to six year lows. Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said the writedowns are due to the “cost of over-estimating the pace of the energy transition”, echoing similar comments by peers Ford, General Motors and Volkswagen.

Legacy carmakers are struggling to keep up with new entrants, especially from China, and watered down electrification targets in Europe and in particular the US, a key market where the EV shift has stalled sharply.

Stellantis

The Franco-Italian carmaker booked on February 6 its huge writedown, the biggest yet, which it said was linked to rejigging its product lineup to meet consumer demand and new emission regulations in the US. The writedown includes payments of about €6.5bn (R123.76bn) expected to be made over the next four years.

Ford

The Dearborn, Michigan-based company said in December it would take a $19.5bn (R314.90bn) writedown and kill several EV models, and pivot hard into petrol and hybrid models instead.

General Motors

The largest US carmaker by sales said in January it would take a $6bn (R96.89bn) charge to unwind some electric-vehicle investments, including a $4.2bn (R67.82bn) cash charge related to contract cancellations and settlements with suppliers.

Volkswagen/Porsche

Volkswagen, Europe’s top carmaker, said last September it would take a €5.1bn (R97.11bn) hit from a far-reaching product overhaul at its Porsche unit, which delayed some EV models in favour of hybrids and combustion engine cars. That included an about $3.5bn (R56.52bn) impairment charge.

Reuters