Stories To Follow In 2017: Donald Trump and the automobile industry

Why should we care what Donald Trump does in 2017? Because this colourful character has promised some pretty interesting things concerning cars!

First and foremost, the Donald, as he is affectionately known, has told American automakers that they had better keep their manufacturing plants within the country. When he said this, he was targeting Ford, which relocated its small car production to Mexico and plans to build the 2018 EcoSport SUV in India.

• Also: Trump Wins: Ford Cancels the Construction of a New Plant in Mexico
• Also: Is Donald Trump endangering the Canadian auto industry?

To remedy this situation and create jobs, Mr. Trump plans to slap serious duties on Ford products made abroad and re-entering the U.S., to the tune of 20% or more. Would you pay more than $20,000 for a basic Ford Fiesta?

The people at Ford have no intention of allowing this to happen. They’re hoping to strike an agreement with Mr. Trump. Let’s wish them the best of luck!

Besides that, Mr. Trump also promised to revise the role of the Environmental Protection Agency—and maybe even shut it down. If that happens, automakers in the United States would no longer be legally obligated to improve their vehicles’ fuel consumption ratings. As a result, engine developers may shift their research away from reducing emissions and instead focus on producing more performance-oriented mills.

We can only speculate what would be the consequences of all this, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’re still working on assumptions, but it would nonetheless be surprising to see manufacturers do an about-face on the environment after so many years of hard work for the good of the planet. This is definitely an issue we’ll be keeping an eye on!