Technology

If memory serves me well, Yugos were made in former Yugoslavia and were known for being extremely cheap and dangerous for everyone in and around them. Am I correct?

But this makes me scratch my head.

American manufacturers exist in Europe today and regardless of not being a fan the cars sell, regardless the constant attempts to introduce pure US models, like the F series.

Ford may be the most widespread manufacturer but I've seen a few Dodge, Chevrolet (but GM officially pulled from the market after a 3 years run, stating it wasn't willing to remain in a market where a minimum 25% of market share wasn't attainable; competition sucks, apparently!), JEEP and Chrysler.

What is stopping these brands to import back the technology being used here, on their european models, back to the home country? It's already owned here!

I remember reading an article on a joint project between GM and FIAT to develop a new and shared platform. After X number of years and a gross amount of money invested, GM drops the project, FIAT finishes it and starts building an entire new generation of cars, still being built today.

Why put time, money and effort into a project to just drop it? Having a shared platform, capable of being used to assemble vehicles on both sides of the ocean makes sense.

No. They deal with the fact that they didn't start the technological race until it was too late (and haven't fully committed themselves even nowadays) and that they strongly build their sale strategy on the Chinese market - which nowadays is basically an EV market and one where German cars are now seen as either preposterous or "Grandfathers car".

This comes together with a price hike (not only on EVs but also across their fleet - starting long before EVs were common and affecting the combustion fleet as well; see the price of the Golf or Passat compared to an average worker wage over the last 20 years + it's resale value), a major lack of quality control since COVID and a lack of financial planning for this upcoming storm.

In other words: Their problem was not the end of the subsidies (which basically only affected the ID3 anyway as neither VW nor BMW or MB had any other models below the maximum price threshold for the subsidy) but their lack of management flexibility in time with a rapidly changing market.

No,but Musk has already stated that he actually wants that bonus gone because his own margin is high enough to keep the prices nearly the same while it will (quote) "destroy the remaining car industry".

Yes but you only get the subsidy if you buy Melania's book

It's worse than that. Trump is a danger for the environment and climate. And the whole world will suffer consequence.