Joseph White

Volkswagen is sticking with plans to launch 25 electric vehicle models in North America across its group brands by 2030, but is ready to adjust as the market shifts, Pablo Di Si, head of Volkswagen's North American business, told Reuters on Thursday.

This was the year the auto industry’s race toward an all-electric future took a detour.

Ford Motor’s <a href=“https://www.reuters.com/markets/companies/F.N” target=“_blank”>(F.N)</a> decision to hit the brakes on a planned $3.5 billion battery plant in Michigan highlights a challenge for Tesla’s growing crowd of rivals in the U.S. market: Tesla is pushing most of them into unprofitable, low-volume niches.

BMW is once again turning to the “Neue Klasse” brand - this time as an electric vehicle - as the German automaker seeks to replicate past successes to catch up with trailblazer Tesla.