EVs Embody the Flaws of US Industrial Policy: Scott Lincicome

Almost five years after the start of the US’s big experiment with industrial policy, we can begin to assess the results. Zeroing in on electric vehicles, the results are not good – losses have mounted, American tech supremacy has slipped and “ghost factories” are proliferating.

Perhaps worst of all, the wreckage was entirely predictable. Large industrial investments need multi-decade stability, but modern US politics makes that almost impossible. EVs exemplify the disconnect.

Political instability has long been a challenge for industrial policy. Congressional seats flip every two years; the presidency every four; and America is a 50/50 ...