Americans already losing jobs to tariffs – 900 laid off as Stellantis idles plants
Stellantis has paused production at two assembly plants in Canada and Mexico in response to tariffs, leaving thousands of Americans and Canadians out of their jobs while the company figures out what to do next. The idled plants produce both the Dodge Charger Daytona EV and Jeep Wagoneer S EV, among other vehicles.
In the aftermath of yesterday’s Inflation Day announcements by Mr. Trump, the fallout has been swift – and perhaps swifter than expected.
To set the stage for this article: tariffs do not work. There are some potential benefits or situations that they can be used in, but when they are decided on haphazardly, not targeted towards any particular industry or country, not accompanied by onshoring incentives, and not done in concert with allies to produce a desired effect, they tend to just be bad for the country imposing them.
Instead, what they do – particularly when implemented in the idiotic way that these have been announced – is push ally countries away, encourage countries to find other global consumers for their exports, induce retaliation, and cause inflation for the country imposing them.
That last inflation point is especially direct and easy to understand, so lets explain how it works.
Imagine that you are one of two companies making a product, which you can sell profitably for $11, but your overseas competitor can sell for $10. Then, your country adds a 50% tariff to your competitor in order to make your product more competitive. Now, your competitor sells their product for $15 – but you’re a business, and your interest is in making money, and you now know that nobody can compete with your $11 price… or $12, $13, or even $14 for that matter.
So you set your price to $14.50, still undercutting your competition, making yourself more profit, and causing 45% inflation for everyone who had previously bought your competitor’s $10 product.
In this way, tariffs are a direct shock to prices for consumers. And when those tariffs are broad across all industries, they mean that consumers will pay more for everything.
This is just an extremely simplified example of only one way in which tariffs negatively affect consumers in the country implementing them, but it is widely held by anyone who studies economics that tariffs are generally harmful.
It is possible for tariffs to reduce offshoring of jobs, or at least, those who believe in their use tend to consider this as their primary purpose. This is why labor unions generally support protectionist policy, as they generally consider that free trade agreements have resulted in offshoring of jobs from advanced economies, and therefore a lowering of overall global labor standards as companies flee countries with higher wage or labor standards.
But we’ve seen attempts at protectionist tariffs in the auto industry fail before when we tried to implement tariffs on Japanese steel and autos in the 1970s, and all it did was give 50 years of global export dominance to the Japanese (as I went over in this article, or you can read about in this union publication).
More proximately, the last round of tariffs implemented by the exact same person who has somehow been allowed to wander into the White House for a second time (despite there being a clear Constitutional remedy for this crisis) were shown to harm the US economy. Mr. Trump’s tariffs didn’t lead to an increase in American jobs in targeted industries, and retaliatory tariffs led to great harm for American industry, especially farmers, due to targeted retaliatory tariffs by China.
But now, not content to just harm the US economy and instead apparently wanting to destroy it wholesale, Mr. Trump’s new tariff announcement yesterday is much broader than his comparatively small-scale tariffs of yesteryear. The previous salvo just managed to shatter the US soybean industry, whereas this one stands to harm all US industries and consumers.
And today we’re already seeing the first effect: job losses in American manufacturing, the very sector that Mr. Trump’s lies claim he’s trying to save.
Stellantis announced today that it will idle some plants in Canada and Mexico, leading to job losses for Americans. It directly implicated the tariffs as its reason for these plant idlings.
Those job losses total 4,500 for our erstwhile Canadian allies, and 900 for workers in the US in associated plants. A Mexican plant will be idled, but due to the strength of the Mexican workers’ contract, Mexican auto workers will still report to work and be paid while the plant is idle.
The plants chosen for idling produce several vehicles, including the Dodge Charger Daytona EV and Jeep Wagoneer S EV, but also the Chrysler Pacifica and Jeep Compass. They are supported by US plants that provide parts for those vehicles.
US workers at stamping plants in Michigan and transmission and casting plants in Indiana will be the ones to lose their jobs during the pause.
Stellantis said that it is still figuring out what the long-term effects of the tariffs will be, but that these immediate actions are a direct response to the tariffs while they figure things out. It will continue to determine if further action is necessary.
An email sent by North American COO Antonio FIlosa said “We understand the current environment creates uncertainty. Be assured that we are very engaged with all of our key stakeholders, including top government leaders, unions, suppliers and dealers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, as we work to manage and adapt to these changes.”
Uncertainty is something that all businesses, but especially the auto business, abhors. Automotive manufacturing is a complex process requiring coordination of suppliers across thousands of parts produced across many countries.
Cars are planned and produced on long timelines, with lead times of some ~7 years on average from concept to production. As a result, tariff policy that changes day by day can make it difficult for any complex manufacturing, especially automotive, to plan around.
In those situations, sometimes a manufacturer will just throw their hands up and say “we give up, we’ll find someone else to sell to instead.”
And it looks like today’s move by Stellantis is just the first company to do that. Expect more.
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On today’s budget-conscious episode of Quick Charge, we’re building up to the reveal of a new, more affordable Tesla Model Y tomorrow that will almost definitely not be a cheap pile of misaligned plastic body parts with inconsistent panel gaps that’s utterly incapable of turning the tide on Tesla’s global decline.
Plus, we’ve got news that Tesla is in hot water with California over its alleged mishandling of its insurance business, revisit the lies told about Cybertrucks drag racing Teslas, and look at the incredible 110% increase in EV sales over at GM that’s driving Cadillac’s renaissance.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Climate XChange, a nonpartisan nonprofit working to help states pass effective, equitable climate policies. The nonprofit just kicked off its 10th annual EV raffle, where participants have multiple opportunities to win their dream model. Visit the site at CarbonRaffle.org/Electrek to learn more.
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Waev Inc. has just unveiled the GEM eX, a new electric utility vehicle designed to bridge the gap between street-legal low-speed vehicles (LSVs) and true off-road work machines. The company calls it the most versatile electric work UTV yet.
Unlike most golf cart–based UTVs or high-speed recreational rigs, the GEM eX is purpose-built for commercial, industrial, and government fleets that need to move between city streets, job sites, and rough terrain, all while staying emissions-free.
The vehicle features a top speed of 25 mph (40 km/h) and is said to be DOT street-legal as an LSV on roads up to 35 mph (56 km/h), giving it a clear advantage over most off-road-only competitors.
Power is provided by a 6.5 kW motor in a rear-wheel drive setup with a limited-slip rear differential. An 8 kWh battery provides enough juice for a claimed maximum range of 85 miles (137 km).
The eX comes with several fleet-focused safety and utility upgrades, including 3-point seat belts, roof crush protection, backup camera, mirrors, pedestrian noise emitter, and a robust bumper system. It rolls on street, winter, or all-terrain tires, and the chassis features 9.5 inches (24 cm) of ground clearance, 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) of suspension travel, and a 50-degree approach angle for climbing curbs or crossing uneven work terrain.
Hill-hold assist and single-pedal descent control make it easy to handle on slopes, while a limited-slip differential helps maintain traction without chewing up turf.
In the back, a 1,250 lb (567 kg) composite dump box can fit a full-sized pallet and comes with gas-assist or electric lift options, while towing capacity matches that at 1,250 lb (567 kg). Optional hard doors, roll-down windows, and HVAC with heat and A/C turn it into a true all-weather workhorse.
The lithium iron phosphate battery pack is said to provide a long lifespan for extra durability in extreme climates from –20°F to 140°F (–29°C to 60°C). Charging is flexible via 120V, 240V, or J1772 public stations, and Waev backs the battery with a 7-year warranty – on par with many passenger EVs.
“We field-tested the GEM eX everywhere from Arizona deserts to Minnesota winters,” said Sven Etzelsberger, Waev’s Director of Engineering. “Every piece of customer feedback went back into this vehicle. The result is a work UTV that’s refined, reliable, and ready to go.”
The GEM platform has expanded significantly over the years, from its humble beginnings as a simple people mover to more recent adaptations into everything from ambulances and emergency vehicles to the new GEM eX electric UTV.
Priced at $24,955, the higher purchase price may be one of the few downsides to the quieter, cleaner, and easier to maintain alternative to traditional gasoline-powered UTVs.
Electrek’s Take
Waev’s new GEM eX seems to hit a sweet spot that’s been missing – a street-legal, electric work UTV tough enough for real jobs yet affordable and easy to maintain. For fleet managers juggling both paved and off-road environments, this could be a serious game-changer.
While the price is high, it comes in at significantly less than other well-known models like Polaris’ Zero-powered electric RANGER UTV.
At the same time, there are still more affordable options like those from KANDI that offer more power for a lower price. However, without GEM’s storied brand legacy and increased national support, cheaper options may not have the staying power to compete.
So sure, it’s expensive, but at least I’m glad to see more options coming to the market, especially from brands that have been around for years. Here’s to hoping for more affordable options in the future.
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Solar and wind power aren’t just keeping up with global electricity demand anymore – they’re pulling ahead. According to a new analysis from energy think tank Ember, solar and wind combined outpaced global electricity demand growth in the first half of 2025. That shift led to a drop in both coal and gas generation compared to the same period last year. For the first time ever, renewables generated more power than coal globally.
“We’re seeing the first signs of a crucial turning point,” said Małgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, senior electricity analyst at Ember. “Solar and wind are now growing fast enough to meet the world’s growing appetite for electricity. This marks the beginning of a shift where clean power is keeping pace with demand growth.”
Solar leads the charge
Global electricity demand rose 2.6% in the first half of 2025 – an additional 369 terawatt-hours (TWh) year-over-year. Solar met a stunning 83% of that increase, growing by 306 TWh, or 31% year-over-year. Combined with steady wind expansion, renewables were able to meet rising demand and start displacing fossil fuels.
Coal generation fell 0.6% (-31 TWh), gas dropped 0.2% (-6 TWh), and overall fossil generation declined 0.3% (-27 TWh). As a result, global power sector emissions fell by 0.2%.
Renewables supplied 5,072 TWh of electricity in the first half of 2025 – up from 4,709 TWh a year earlier. Coal, by comparison, generated 4,896 TWh, down 31 TWh year-over-year. It’s the first time on record that clean energy has overtaken coal.
A global turning point
Ember’s analysis shows this is more than a blip. Solar and wind are now growing fast enough to meet new demand and begin cutting into fossil generation. As deployment accelerates, Ember expects clean power to outstrip demand growth for longer stretches, pushing fossil fuels into permanent decline.
But progress isn’t uniform across the globe. Among the world’s four biggest power markets – China, India, the US, and the EU – two saw fossil generation fall, while two saw it rise.
China remains the global clean energy powerhouse, adding more solar and wind capacity than the rest of the world combined. Its fossil generation fell 2% (-58.7 TWh) in the first half of 2025.
In India, clean power growth outpaced demand threefold. With electricity demand rising just 1.3% (+12 TWh) – far below the 9% surge seen last year – fossil generation dropped sharply: coal fell 3.1% (-22 TWh) and gas plunged 34% (-7.1 TWh).
In contrast, fossil generation rose in the US and EU. In the US, demand grew faster than renewables could keep up, leading to higher fossil fuel output. In the EU, weaker wind and hydro performance meant more gas and coal were needed to fill the gap.
What comes next
With half the world already past the peak of fossil fuel generation, Ember says the trend is clear: Clean power can keep up with rising electricity demand. But to lock in progress, deployment of solar, wind, and batteries needs to accelerate.
“Solar and wind are no longer marginal technologies – they’re driving the global power system forward,” said Sonia Dunlop, CEO of the Global Solar Council. “The fact that renewables have overtaken coal for the first time marks a historic shift. But to secure it, governments and industry must step up investment in clean energy and storage so affordable, reliable power reaches everyone.”
Ember’s Wiatros-Motyka added, “With technology costs continuing to fall, now is the perfect moment to embrace the economic, social, and health benefits that come with increased solar, wind, and batteries.”
Read more: FERC: Solar + wind made up 90% of new US power generating capacity to July 2025
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