A ‘Made in China’ Crisis Awaits Big Auto
The Asian nation’s EVs and exports, coupled with rising protectionism, promise a year of restructuring ahead.
A break with the past.
Photographer: Betty Laura Zapata/Bloomberg
When Jaguar’s “copy nothing” brand reboot hit late last year, one self-styled car enthusiast replied on X: “What the actual hell is this.” Jaguar’s response: “The future.” That remains to be seen. But the ad, unfamiliar and unsettling, does at least work as a portent of what’s coming for the global auto industry.
Jaguar, a storied but struggling British brand owned by India’s Tata Motors Ltd., shred its existing traditions with a 30-second video long on po-faced models but with no sign of an actual car. It all heralded a new direction — high-end electric vehicles — with a concept, the Type 00, revealed in Miami shortly thereafter. If the idea was to draw attention, albeit often apoplectic, it worked. Even Elon Musk reacted.
