The Trump administration’s constant shuffling on tariffs or its saber rattling against Europe, Canada, Mexico and China may feel somewhat more calm this week, but that doesn’t mean the car industry isn’t shoring up its defenses. Several big legacy manufacturers are making big moves to secure their future in an increasingly financially troublesome world (particularly for U.S. tariffs), and it’s not clear if it’ll pay off quite yet.

It’s Critical Materials time, and I’m here to give the usual suspects a break this week, as at least two of us are out on the road. Today, we’re talking about legacy automakers: Nissan, Toyota and Hyundai. All are doing different things, but all are related to one unified goal of self-preservation.

30%: Nissan Plans Onslaught of New Products That Are Designed Quicker Than Before

Photo by: Nissan

The onslaught of models shown in Japan is just part of Nissan’s big push to relevance here. The brand says that it wants to throw a whopping 10 new models on sale by the 2027 model year for the U.S. alone, although it hasn’t exactly confirmed which models will end up on dealership lots. The new Leaf should, but we wouldn’t hold our breath on the Micra.

But whatever Nissan has planned for 2027 could end up from the drawing board to the roads far quicker than before, according to Automotive News:

“Today, developing a car takes us about 55 months,” Ivan Espinosa, who becomes Nissan’s CEO April 1, said. “By [platform and design sharing] and other changes in the development cycle, we want the first car in a family to be developed in 37 months, with subsequent models in the same family done in 30 months.”

With that in mind, it may be possible that whatever ten models have been planned for 2027 might not even be done cooking yet. 

It seems like Nissan is trying to angle not only to be able to react to market conditions better but also to fend off fast-moving Chinese EV brands. Just check out BYD. It’s common for it to introduce or update its car mere months after introduction, sometimes to the chagrin of its customers.

60%: Toyota Its Delays Big EV Battery Plant

Photo by: Lexus

About two weeks ago, Toyota shared its plans and renewed zeal for its EV projects. Lackluster cars like the Toyota BZ4X and Lexus RZ450e have been overhauled for the next model year with improved efficiency and bigger batteries. Toyota plans on introducing new models and promising new tech like solid-state batteries to be in its EVs on the road. The conference felt like Toyota was finally taking its EV efforts seriously.

But it’s not exactly moving at warp speed. Nikkei Asia reports that Toyota is putting the brakes on a battery plant in Japan that would have made Toyota’s purported breakthrough 1,000 km (621 miles) battery: 

“While Toyota said it will eventually move forward with construction, it will reconsider the products that will be manufactured at the site, as well as the scale.

The plant was scheduled to make batteries for next-generation Toyota EVs. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry plans to provide subsidies for the construction of the factory.”

Is Toyota getting cold feet? The brand cites slowing global EV demand as one reason for pulling back. However, I can’t help but feel that perhaps its breakthrough 1,000 km battery might not be ready for prime time.

I know that Toyota is a risk-averse, very measured company when it comes to new technology. For that brand, it needs to be nearly perfect before it’s placed on sale. In the meantime, at least Americans should be getting better Toyota EV models to play with.

90%: Hyundai Steel Invests In Louisiana

 

Are the tariffs working? I don’t know, but at the very least, it’s thrown automakers into a tizzy as they rejigger operations to mitigate the effects of potential Trump-induced price hikes.

Hyundai seems to be the latest one. It unveiled a $21 billion plan to invest in the U.S. Part of that is boosting production of vehicles and partnering with American companies, but a $5.6 billion plant dedicated solely to making steel.

The steel plant should have an output of up to 2.7 million tons per year, which should help keep costs in check for Hyundai EVs that would be affected by the Trump administration’s new steel tariffs. Still, Reuters expressed some skepticism over the deal: 

“Analysts have, however, expressed concerns about how Hyundai Steel, which has billions of dollars in debt, would fund the construction of the factory. There are also execution risks associated with the new technology of using electric furnaces to produce automotive steel, they said.

“It is not clear whether the investment will benefit Hyundai Steel in the future,” said Lee Tae-hwan, an analyst at Daishin Securities.

Hyundai Steel said it will cover half the costs, with the remainder invested by its parent company and other investors.”

This is clearly a move meant to placate Trump himself while sidestepping any tariffs. Be that as it may, the plant won’t be running until 2029. The latest round of tariffs is expected to go into effect on April 2. It’s pretty unlikely that this investment will help prices or the prospect of American jobs for a long, long time.

100%: Are Automakers Finally Realizing They Need To Pick Up The Pace?

Photo by: CarNewsChina

Mostly, my coverage here at InsideEVs has revolved around the fast-moving Chinese car market. It’s not uncommon for brands to introduce, facelift, or even cancel cars within 18-24 months. Before any automaker (or consumer, I’d wager) can get their bearings on what the market is doing, it’s changed again.

Perhaps moving at the speed of the Chinese market is not necessarily healthy or viable for non-Chinese brands. However, it seems that the three brands here are realizing on some level that they need to get products out on the roads, and pronto. Nissan’s plans seem vague, but promising. Hyundai’s investment in the U.S. may take a while to pay off, but it seems smart to at least get the ball rolling so they’re in a good place four years from now. Toyota’s reneging on its battery promises seems out of step, though, and I can’t help but wonder: Is this wise?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

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