Fortune 500 CEOs often need to deliver tough messages to investors. Reflecting on why Ford Motor Company booked a US$19.5 billion write-down for electric vehicles (EVs), CEO Jim Farley recently concluded: “I think the customer has spoken.” But given recent events, they may soon change their minds. A sustained period of US$100 oil prices due to the Middle East conflict may accelerate EV adoption around the world. Since President Donald Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025, US$60 oil prices and lower EV incentives in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act have given gasoline-fuelled vehicles the economic advantage in ... (full story)