In 2025, as the Trump administration axed federal tax rebates for vehicle purchases, the U.S. electric vehicle (EV) sector swiftly descended into a harsh winter. On one front, EV sales took a nosedive. October witnessed a staggering 30.3% year-on-year decline and a 49% month-on-month drop, with only 91,000 units sold, and the market penetration rate plummeting to 5.8%. The downward spiral continued in November, with sales plummeting by 40% year-on-year and the penetration rate dipping further to 5.1%. On the other front, traditional automakers have been recalibrating their strategies. They're slashing or even halting EV model production, and instead, funneling capital and production capacity into hybrid and traditional fuel vehicles. Take Ford, for example. It declared it would cease manufacturing the all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck. Instead, it would produce extended-range hybrid models. Moreover, it repurposed a factory, initially earmarked for EV and battery operations, to churn out fuel-powered trucks. General Motors, too, took a significant hit, recording a $1.6 billion charge to write down its EV assets. It also abandoned its ambitious plan to achieve a fully electric product lineup by 2035. These successive shifts have laid bare the U.S. EV industry's heavy reliance on government support, as well as the deep-seated problems of a lack of policy consistency and foresight.