Counterfactual: Europeans pay far more for both their cars and fuel than Americans do. This historical disadvantage forced brutal competition in weight and fuel efficiency, making European cars technically far superior in those areas.
Furthermore, strict emission regulations and the influx of Chinese EVs have pushed the European auto industry into massive investments in electrification. Today, leaving Tesla, Korean, and Chinese automakers aside, the only legacy manufacturers with their entire structure transformed and dedicated platforms ready for the EV era are the Europeans: VW Group, BMW, Mercedes, Stellantis, and Renault.
That's the big problem for traditional American and Japanese automakers: they got comfortable relying on gas trucks and hybrids, respectively, and are falling way behind in the global race.
Furthermore, strict emission regulations and the influx of Chinese EVs have pushed the European auto industry into massive investments in electrification. Today, leaving Tesla, Korean, and Chinese automakers aside, the only legacy manufacturers with their entire structure transformed and dedicated platforms ready for the EV era are the Europeans: VW Group, BMW, Mercedes, Stellantis, and Renault.
That's the big problem for traditional American and Japanese automakers: they got comfortable relying on gas trucks and hybrids, respectively, and are falling way behind in the global race.