Cars
The Year’s Hottest New Cars Just Got Cold as Ice
Some of the most anticipated vehicles of 2020 were built for pre-coronavirus times. Now that no one is buying, that spells trouble for automakers.
At least three years and about $1 billion. That’s roughly what it takes to make a new vehicle, from drafting table to dealerships.
Car companies live and die by that long-range gamble—but every once in a while, the bet coincides with an economic disaster. The coronavirus pandemic and its attendant recession may be the worst time to launch a car since, well, since we’ve had cars. Selling a Model A was a tough task during the Great Depression, but at least dealerships were open and some assembly lines still humming.