The only consistency has been inconsistency for the U.S. automotive industry during the first half of this decade — a trend that’s expected to continue amid challenging market conditions in 2026. The U.S. auto sector — a crucial driver of the economy estimated around 4.8% of America’s gross domestic product — has endured rolling crises since the Covid-19 pandemic shuttered U.S. assembly plants in early 2020. The global health crisis was followed by yearslong supply chain issues, semiconductor chip shortages, political whipsawing, tariffs and other challenges for all-electric and autonomous vehicles. Automakers have ... (full story)