Book Notes #126: Inevitable by Mike Colias

Title: Inevitable: Inside the Messy, Unstoppable Transition to Electric Vehicles
Author: Mike Colias
Year: 2025
Pages: 325

The question is no longer if electric vehicles will happen, or even when they’ll happen, but how.

Veteran automotive reporter Mike Colias takes you inside the transformation in this thoroughly reported profile of the hard pivot in the car business, a $2 trillion industry undergoing the biggest change in its 120-year history–a change that is already sending ripples across the entire global economy.

But ff you’ve ever wondered what’s really happening behind the scenes of the electric vehicle revolution, Inevitable takes you deep inside the automotive industry’s most dramatic transformation in over a century.

Through vivid stories of industry giants like Ford, GM, and Volkswagen struggling to catch up to Tesla, along with ambitious startups like Rivian facing the brutal reality of manufacturing, the author of Inevitable paints a clear picture of the messy, complicated shift to electric mobility.

The challenges aren’t just technological—they’re also cultural, financial, and deeply human, affecting everyone from CEOs and dealers to engineers and everyday drivers.

As a result, I gave this book a rating of 7.0/10.

For me, a book with a note 10 is one I consider reading again every year. Among the books I rank with 10, for example, are How to Win Friends and Influence People and Factfulness.

3 Reasons to Read Inevitable

Book Overview

Have you ever wondered what it really takes for the car industry—an industry that’s spent over a century mastering gasoline-powered engines—to shift gears and embrace electric vehicles?

At first glance, it might seem straightforward: build some electric cars, set up chargers, and convince people to buy them.

But as Inevitable makes clear, this transformation is anything but simple.

It’s messy, expensive, and deeply human.

One of the most compelling things about Inevitable is how vividly it brings to life the struggles and triumphs of major automakers like Ford, GM, and Volkswagen as they scramble to catch up to Tesla’s commanding lead. It’s like watching giants stumble as they realize their old playbooks no longer work.

Ford’s CEO Jim Farley sums it up perfectly when he admits that Tesla isn’t just ahead—they’re playing an entirely different game. Farley is refreshingly honest, acknowledging the painful truth: Ford’s initial electric offerings were inefficient and costly compared to Tesla’s sleek, streamlined designs.

This moment of humility sets the stage for Ford’s ambitious reinvention, including massive investments like the BlueOval City megafactory in Tennessee, where the future of American electric vehicle manufacturing is literally being built from scratch.

Then there’s General Motors, whose electric journey has been a rollercoaster of bold promises and frustrating delays. GM’s CEO, Mary Barra, made ambitious commitments about becoming fully electric, but when reality set in, it became clear that promises alone wouldn’t cut it.

Dealers across America faced difficult choices: invest huge sums of money to adapt their dealerships for EV sales or walk away from longstanding partnerships. This tension is captured perfectly through the personal story of Claude Burns, a dealer torn between tradition and a costly electric future.

His struggle reflects a broader uncertainty that runs throughout the industry—can traditional dealerships survive in an electric world where service visits drop dramatically and customers increasingly buy online?

But perhaps most fascinating is the rise of newer players like Rivian. On the surface, Rivian seemed poised to dominate the electric truck market with impressive funding and sleek marketing.

However, Inevitable illustrates how manufacturing at scale brought unexpected hurdles. Simple tasks turned into major obstacles, underscoring how profoundly challenging it is to transform good ideas into reality—especially in the complex world of automotive production.

Rivian’s journey is a reminder that innovation alone isn’t enough. You have to execute, and execution is much harder than it looks.

Beyond cars and factories, Inevitable dives into the infrastructure challenges of going electric, capturing stories of entrepreneurs like David Jankowsky, who builds fast chargers in rural Oklahoma, and Carter Li, who installs chargers in multi-unit buildings.

These stories highlight an overlooked aspect of the EV revolution: infrastructure.

Without widespread, accessible charging, even the best electric cars remain impractical for many people.

Inevitable makes a convincing case that the future of EV adoption hinges as much on chargers as on the cars themselves.

The geopolitical dimension is another strength of Inevitable.

It reveals China’s remarkable rise as an EV powerhouse, leading the world not just in electric cars but in the critical battery supply chains that power them.

While American automakers struggle with transitions, China moves rapidly, turning EVs into an economic and strategic advantage. This contrast is eye-opening, illustrating how quickly global power can shift when an industry transforms.

Ultimately, the heart of Inevitable isn’t just about cars—it’s about change itself. It explores the discomfort, resistance, and excitement that come with any major transformation, whether in industry or our own lives.

The real-world implications are powerful.

Automakers must reinvent their entire business models. Dealers face tough personal decisions about their livelihoods.

Engineers must learn entirely new skill sets. And consumers grapple with whether electric cars really make sense for their lives and budgets.

As Inevitable comes to an end, it leaves readers with a thoughtful reflection. Change is rarely smooth or painless. It challenges long-held assumptions and disrupts comfortable routines.

But as the auto industry—and perhaps our own experiences—show us, adapting is no longer optional. It’s necessary.

The question Inevitable poses is not whether electric cars are coming—they’re already here—but how prepared we are, as companies and as individuals, to embrace the changes they bring.

The EV story doesn’t have a clear ending yet—it’s still unfolding, and it’s messy.

While places like China are moving fast (nearly 40% of cars sold there are electric or plug-in hybrids), other regions like the U.S. are moving much slower—except for California, which is ahead of the curve.

Europe is somewhere in the middle, and even within Europe, progress varies a lot.

Many car companies that once boldly declared they’d go all-electric by 2030 are now softening their stance. Turns out, not everyone is ready to fully switch.

People still want options, and hybrids—cars that mix electric with gas—are making a big comeback.

Drivers like the idea of using electricity but still having the safety net of a gas engine.

So now, companies like Ford and Toyota are doubling down on hybrids, realizing that they’re a more comfortable step for many buyers.

At the same time, the competition is heating up—especially from China. Chinese EV makers are growing fast, offering cheaper and well-designed cars.

That’s making the U.S. and Europe nervous, leading to tariffs and trade barriers to protect local industries.

In the end, what’s becoming clear is that most people who try an EV end up loving it—they don’t want to go back. But the full switch to electric won’t happen overnight.

For now, we’re in a transition phase, where people want choices that fit their lives. And that’s okay.

The future of cars might not be 100% electric just yet—but there’s no doubt it’s heading in that direction.

The big story behind Inevitable is this: It’s the inside account of how the auto industry—slow, proud, and built on gas—was forced to face a future it wasn’t ready for.

From boardroom debates to factory floors, the book shows how traditional automakers like Ford, GM, and VW scrambled to catch up with the electric revolution. It’s a story of bold bets, internal resistance, political tension, and startup pressure—all colliding as the world starts to move beyond combustion engines.

At the center is a messy, uncertain transition: not just about building EVs, but rethinking what a car company is, how it makes money, and who it serves.

It’s not a victory lap. It’s a look at the chaos, courage, and conflict that come with real change—and why the road to the electric future is anything but smooth.

Chapter by Chapter

Chapter 1 – GM’s Last Stand

Inevitable opens with a dramatic moment: President Biden behind the wheel of the electric GMC Hummer, blasting it from 0 to 60 mph with a grin.

It’s November 2021, and this isn’t just a publicity stunt—it’s a major symbol for GM.

The Hummer, a massive, over-the-top, $113,000 electric truck, is being used to show the world that GM is serious about electric vehicles.

Even though it’s not expected to be a best-seller, it’s meant to make a statement: GM is back in the EV game, and this time it’s doing it with flair.

CEO Mary Barra beams in the back seat during Biden’s ride. For her, this isn’t just about one truck. It’s a turning point. GM has a complicated history with electric vehicles. Their past attempts—like the EV1, Volt, and Bolt—didn’t exactly excite people. They were practical but far from stylish.

The Hummer, with its flashy features like “Crabwalk mode” and “Watts to Freedom,” was everything those older models weren’t.

But GM’s EV journey has been a rollercoaster.

Back in the 1990s, they actually made one of the first real EVs, the EV1. It was a hit with early adopters and environmentalists—but GM pulled the plug, literally.

They refused to renew leases and even crushed the cars, turning a moment of innovation into a PR disaster. That decision haunted the company for years.

Then came Bob Lutz. Known as “Maximum Bob,” he was the kind of bold, risk-taking executive who believed in doing things big. He didn’t buy into climate change, but he hated how Toyota’s Prius was stealing the spotlight.

When he caught wind of Tesla’s electric Roadster, he saw the future.

He and his team came up with the Chevy Volt—an extended-range EV that could run on battery power but had a gas backup. It was GM’s moonshot.

The Volt’s journey was full of compromises. The original design was sleek and exciting, but the final product looked plain. Still, it impressed the press and earned praise for its technology.

It wasn’t a commercial smash, but it proved that GM could build a serious electric car. Then Tesla launched the Model S—and the bar was raised.

The chapter then shifts to Mary Barra’s rise. She started at GM as a teenager and worked her way up through the ranks. Known for her calm and practical leadership, Barra took over as CEO and started making big changes.

She shut down underperforming international operations and refocused GM’s attention on electric and autonomous vehicles. It was a bold move in a company known for playing it safe.

In early 2020, just before the pandemic hit, GM revealed its Ultium platform—the foundation for a new generation of EVs.

A dozen future models were shown off under one roof, from SUVs to luxury cars. It was an unprecedented move for an automaker. Even when COVID forced factory shutdowns, Barra didn’t back down.

She doubled down on electric investments, choosing to cancel some gas-powered projects instead.

By late 2020, GM’s strategy seemed to be paying off. EV stocks were booming, Tesla’s value had skyrocketed, and investors finally started paying attention to GM’s transformation.

The company announced plans to go all-electric by 2035 and ramped up EV investment to $35 billion. The stock surged. For once, Wall Street was impressed.

But that wave of optimism didn’t last. Delays, slow rollouts, and growing competition started to chip away at GM’s EV momentum.

The chapter ends with a hint of tension: GM’s long-time rival is about to steal the spotlight once again.

Chapter 2 – In China’s Rearview

In this chapter, we dive into China’s rise as a global powerhouse in electric vehicle (EV) production, starting with a personal story.

Bob Galyen, an American battery expert who once worked at GM, finds himself in Shenzhen, China, in 2011, where he meets Robin Zeng, the CEO of a relatively unknown company, Amperex Technology Limited (ATL).

Zeng had big plans to make EV batteries, and Galyen, despite his past experiences with GM’s EV efforts, was intrigued by the opportunity.

Galyen eventually accepts an offer to work with ATL, which would soon morph into Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL), the world’s largest EV battery producer.

The chapter underscores how China took a central role in the global EV market, going from a follower to a leader in less than two decades.

It highlights how, by 2022, China controlled 60% of the global EV market and dominated the battery industry.

The country’s aggressive investment in the electric vehicle sector made it the world leader, with companies like CATL and BYD, both homegrown giants, playing a huge part in this transformation.

This shift also reflects a broader economic and geopolitical change.

The author stresses that China’s rise is partly due to its government’s ability to support the industry through substantial investments, with companies like BYD leveraging these resources to become global players.

BYD, in particular, started as a battery company and soon expanded into electric vehicles.

Its success was due to a mix of innovative, cheap EVs and a strategic push into buses and other green technologies.

A key aspect of China’s success in the EV race is its role in the supply chain—especially its control over the materials needed for EV batteries.

As China now controls much of the global production of raw materials for lithium-ion batteries, it has created a kind of monopoly that gives it a massive edge in the EV industry.

The chapter also contrasts China’s rapid rise to the traditional Western approach, which was slower to embrace electric vehicles.

This has had major geopolitical consequences, with China’s dominance in EVs posing challenges to Western auto giants and reshaping the automotive industry’s future.

The author uses these examples to argue that China’s government-backed approach to EV manufacturing has placed it in a strong position to lead the global transition away from internal combustion engines—an advantage that has already had far-reaching effects on global trade and politics.

Chapter 3 – Internal Combustion Busts

In 2021, Lem Yeung, a longtime engineer at Ford specializing in internal combustion engines (ICE), faced an important decision: accept an early retirement offer or stay on as the company shifted its focus to electric vehicles (EVs).

Yeung had spent over thirty years at Ford, developing a range of engines, including the powerful V-8 diesel engine used in Ford’s Super Duty pickups.

For Yeung, the world of engine development had always been exciting—complex, hands-on work that involved problem-solving, creativity, and constant tinkering. However, over the years, the industry was slowly moving away from gas-powered vehicles.

As Ford began its major shift towards EVs under CEO Jim Farley, engineers like Yeung, who had spent their careers perfecting combustion engines, found themselves sidelined.

Farley, pushing for bold moves, brought in new talent from Silicon Valley and Tesla, leading to a decrease in resources for traditional power-train engineers.

The company’s future, it seemed, was moving away from gas engines to electric drivetrains, which were simpler but less engaging for engineers like Yeung.

This chapter highlights the challenges faced by engineers who had grown up in an era where the internal combustion engine was the heart of the car. Yeung, despite his love for engine innovation, finds himself disillusioned with the shift.

He compares the exciting world of ICE engineering to the much simpler world of EVs, which require less complexity.

He admits that the instant acceleration and smooth performance of electric motors are fun, but from an engineering standpoint, EVs lack the depth and challenge he thrived on.

As Ford, GM, and other car companies pour billions into developing electric cars, the shift marks the end of an era.

No longer is the internal combustion engine the defining element of a car’s identity.

Yeung’s story serves as a reflection of the larger automotive industry’s transition.

Long-standing auto giants, like Ford, are now competing against newcomers—Tesla, BYD, and other Chinese companies—that don’t have the baggage of legacy technology.

Ultimately, Yeung accepts the buyout, signaling not just the end of his career in engine development, but also the broader shift in the auto industry from mechanical expertise to a focus on software and battery technology.

His exit marks the loss of an era of skilled power-train engineers in a world where the barriers to entry have disappeared, and the car industry is increasingly dominated by tech companies and innovators from outside the traditional auto world.

Chapter 4 – Hippie Power

In 2016, electric cars were still just getting started. Tesla was small, Rivian was practically unknown, but Volkswagen was quietly getting ready for something big.

Behind closed doors at VW, designers and engineers were working on a new electric platform that would shape the company’s future.

One of these designers was Felipe Montoya, a Brazilian who previously helped create the VW Golf.

Montoya had an exciting task: to reimagine the iconic VW microbus as a modern electric vehicle.

The original VW bus became legendary in the 1950s and ’60s, loved especially by hippies and counterculture enthusiasts.

Montoya’s team wanted to capture that nostalgic charm and combine it with a fresh, electric twist.

With VW’s new electric platform, they could finally return the microbus to its classic shape—something later models couldn’t achieve due to traditional engine constraints.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen was trying to recover from the massive Dieselgate scandal. In 2015, it was discovered that VW used software to cheat emissions tests for its diesel cars.

The scandal resulted in huge fines, damaged VW’s reputation, and forced the company to rethink its entire future.

New leadership under Herbert Diess, who joined VW shortly after the crisis, saw electric vehicles as VW’s best way forward.

Diess had experience with electric cars and was convinced EVs could help VW rebuild trust with customers. He even set a bold goal: surpass Tesla and become the world’s leading EV maker.

By 2017, VW unveiled its electric microbus concept—the ID Buzz.

The ID Buzz instantly drew attention with its familiar yet futuristic look.

It wasn’t just a flashy concept car; it symbolized VW’s full commitment to an electric future, backed by promises of major investments in EV infrastructure.

But moving from ambitious ideas to reality wasn’t easy. In 2020, VW faced delays and software issues with its first new electric model, the ID.3.

At the same time, Tesla was rapidly pulling ahead, causing Diess genuine concern about VW’s ability to catch up.

He openly admitted Tesla’s progress kept him awake at night and even sought advice from Elon Musk himself.

This chapter highlights how tough the switch from gas to electric can be for established carmakers. For Volkswagen, the move from diesel to electric wasn’t just about innovation—it was about survival.

The ID Buzz was VW’s bold attempt to reinvent itself, representing both the challenges and opportunities of the electric era.

And as the competition with Tesla heated up, the stakes were clear: adapt quickly or get left behind.

Chapter 5 – Charging Up the Heartland

This chapter switches focus from big car companies to the people building the hidden backbone of electric vehicle (EV) adoption: charging stations.

It starts with David Jankowsky, a lawyer who became an entrepreneur, driving through small towns in Oklahoma looking for spots to install high-speed EV chargers.

At first glance, Jankowsky’s plan seems strange.

Oklahoma is known for oil, conservative politics, long drives, and hardly any electric cars.

But Jankowsky saw something most didn’t—potential.

His company, Francis Energy, wasn’t installing slow, ordinary chargers.

Instead, they invested in powerful Level 3 chargers that could recharge a vehicle in about half an hour.

These cost around $150,000 each—pretty steep, especially in places where EVs were rare.

But Oklahoma had a secret advantage—a tax program covering 75% of the installation cost for chargers.

That made Jankowsky’s pitch appealing, even in small, rural towns.

The mayor of Wagoner, Oklahoma, agreed to install chargers after a casual lunch meeting.

Jankowsky’s story is part of a bigger issue: America’s EV charging network is messy and unreliable compared to China or Europe.

In fact, China installs more public chargers in one day than the U.S. does in months.

While most Americans prefer to charge at home, reliable fast chargers on highways are essential for longer trips—and the U.S. just doesn’t have enough of them yet.

This gap is where Tesla stepped in early.

Unlike other automakers, Tesla built its own Tesla Supercharger network—fast, reliable, and exclusive to Tesla owners.

But things changed in 2023, when Tesla agreed to open up its chargers to Ford and GM after encouragement from the U.S. government.

Ford’s CEO, Jim Farley, even made the announcement live alongside Elon Musk on Twitter Spaces.

GM soon followed, and suddenly both companies had thousands of reliable chargers available to their customers.

It was humbling for Ford and GM—once industry giants—to celebrate gaining access to their rival’s charging network.

But it was also a major turning point for EV adoption in the U.S. Other automakers noticed, too.

Seven companies, including BMW and Honda, quickly teamed up to create their own fast-charging network, promising another 30,000 chargers nationwide.

The race to improve America’s charging infrastructure had officially begun.

The chapter also explores a different angle: how difficult charging can be for apartment dwellers or those living in older buildings.

Here, we meet Carter Li, a Canadian entrepreneur who got frustrated when his condo board wouldn’t approve installing his charger—even though he offered to pay for it.

Instead of giving up, Li turned this frustration into a business idea.

He founded SWTCH, a startup that makes it easy for apartments and condos to set up shared charging stations, handling installation, billing, and energy management.

Li’s company quickly took off, highlighting how solving one specific challenge can create a thriving business.

Both Jankowsky and Li represent everyday people filling the gaps big car companies have overlooked.

As federal investment flows into EV infrastructure, their roles become even more important.

Ultimately, the future of electric vehicles isn’t just about cars—it’s about ensuring people can conveniently charge them, whether they’re on a road trip through rural Oklahoma or living in a condo in downtown Toronto.

Chapter 6 – Lightning Strikes

In early 2020, Ford faced tough times. Its stock price had plummeted, and the entire auto industry was shaken by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yet, just two years later, CEO Jim Farley had led Ford to an impressive turnaround, driving the company’s stock price to new heights.

Investors suddenly took notice, excited by Ford’s ambitious plans to challenge Tesla and traditional rivals in electric vehicles (EVs).

A major focus in this chapter is the heated rivalry between Ford and General Motors (GM). GM’s CEO, Mary Barra, had long positioned her company as an EV leader.

Her bold vision—a future with zero emissions, zero crashes, and zero congestion—had boosted GM’s reputation and stock value for nearly a decade. But by December 2021, GM’s spotlight began to dim.

Ford’s electric F-150 Lightning pickup had captured everyone’s attention. Before GM could even officially unveil its electric Chevrolet Silverado, Ford’s Lightning was already making headlines and winning fans.

Ford’s aggressive marketing campaign made sure the world knew it was ahead of GM, promising more Lightning trucks on the road long before GM’s Silverado became available.

In January 2022, GM planned a big reveal for its Silverado EV at the CES conference. Unfortunately for GM, a COVID-19 surge forced Barra to deliver her keynote virtually, dampening the impact.

Meanwhile, Ford capitalized on the moment with a media blitz around the Lightning. Ford’s stock jumped 12% that very day, stealing the show from GM.

At the heart of Ford’s momentum was CEO Jim Farley, whose passion for cars defined his leadership. Farley had deep experience from his time at Toyota and Ford, and his love for restoring cars had given him unique insight into automotive culture. He closely watched Tesla’s rise and knew Ford needed to respond boldly.

Farley understood that Ford couldn’t just copy its rivals—it needed to build on what made Ford iconic. Instead of starting from scratch like GM, Farley combined Ford’s legendary brands—the Mustang and F-150—with electric technology.

This approach led to the creation of the Mustang Mach-E, a sporty electric SUV that captured public excitement.

But Farley faced challenges too. When he took on Ford’s global markets role, he saw firsthand that Ford’s initial EV efforts had been weak and uninspired.

Determined to drive real innovation, he created Team Edison, a group focused entirely on rethinking Ford’s electric strategy. With the Mach-E already underway, Farley began envisioning something even bolder: an all-electric F-150 pickup.

The chapter concludes with a memorable scene from May 2021, when Farley proudly introduced the F-150 Lightning. The truck’s incredible power and performance instantly captured public imagination, drawing thousands of preorders.

Yet, despite this success, Farley knew Ford still had ground to cover. Tesla and GM remained formidable competitors, and Ford’s EV capabilities still needed to grow.

But Farley’s clear vision, passion, and determined leadership left no doubt: he was ready to push Ford fully into the electric era, no matter how tough the competition.

Chapter 7 – The Race for Rivian

In this chapter, we explore the rise of Rivian, a young electric vehicle (EV) startup, and the fierce competition surrounding its early success.

Based in Normal, Illinois, Rivian grabbed attention by launching the R1T, the market’s first fully electric pickup truck.

By September 2021, Rivian was gearing up for its IPO, expected to hit a stunning $60 billion valuation. This was particularly remarkable since Rivian had never earned a profit and was losing about a billion dollars every quarter.

At the heart of Rivian’s story is RJ Scaringe, the company’s innovative CEO. Rather than chasing massive production numbers, Scaringe chose to target a niche market: electric trucks designed for adventure and outdoor enthusiasts.

His engineering background and keen interest in efficiency made him uniquely suited for this ambitious project. But more than his technical skills, it was his persistence and clear vision that caught the attention of the automotive world.

One standout moment is when Scaringe successfully impressed former GM CEO Rick Wagoner early on. Originally, Rivian planned a hybrid-diesel sports car, but as Scaringe sensed the rising wave of EV adoption, he pivoted boldly toward fully electric trucks designed for rugged adventures.

The chapter then dives into Rivian’s rocky early days. Funding was difficult, and building the right team was a challenge. But Scaringe’s persistence eventually attracted critical investors, including the influential Jameel family from Saudi Arabia, whose support significantly boosted Rivian’s early growth.

Meanwhile, Scaringe was actively seeking a partnership with an established carmaker to help scale production.

Soon, Rivian drew the attention of giants like Amazon, Ford, and GM. Amazon had a clear goal: it needed electric delivery vans, and Rivian seemed like the perfect partner. As Amazon stepped in, both Ford and GM saw Rivian as their chance to catch up with Tesla’s electric dominance.

Rivian’s discussions with Ford became especially intriguing. Ford executive Joe Hinrichs strongly pursued a partnership, eyeing Rivian’s technology for new electric vehicles, including a planned Lincoln SUV.

Not wanting to lose out, GM also aggressively chased Rivian, sparking an intense competition between these two traditional automotive powerhouses.

The tension peaked during dramatic negotiations. Just days after Rivian’s exclusivity agreement with GM expired, Scaringe and Hinrichs sealed a $500 million investment deal, firmly aligning Rivian with Ford.

The chapter wraps up with growing tension as Ford and GM each scramble to keep pace with Rivian and Tesla in the fast-moving EV market.

With major partnerships secured and a successful IPO, Rivian emerges clearly as a major force in the future of electric transportation.

Chapter 8 – Toyota’s Turn

This chapter dives into Toyota’s cautious stance on electric vehicles (EVs) and how it’s navigating a rapidly changing auto industry.

By 2022, EV sales were booming. Companies like Ford and Rivian were enjoying huge demand for their electric trucks. Yet Toyota, surprisingly, seemed indifferent to all the excitement around electric vehicles.

Jack Hollis, Toyota’s U.S. sales chief, faced questions about Toyota’s only EV at the time—the bZ4X. Though it had a decent launch, Toyota wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about promoting it.

Hollis quickly shifted conversations back to Toyota’s hybrids, especially the Prius. After all, hybrids were Toyota’s comfort zone, reinforcing the brand’s green reputation.

The chapter then explores Toyota’s history with hybrids. The Prius had become a global icon for environmental awareness.

But while competitors like GM and VW pivoted decisively toward electric vehicles around 2017, Toyota stayed committed to hybrids and plug-in hybrids. Toyota genuinely believed hybrids were more practical—especially in regions with weak power grids or poor EV charging infrastructure.

Toyota’s CEO, Akio Toyoda, led this cautious stance. He frequently argued that the rush to all-electric vehicles was premature and overly costly. Toyoda preferred hybrids and hydrogen fuel-cell technologies, seeing them as more balanced solutions.

But his views drew criticism from environmentalists and EV advocates, who felt Toyota’s hesitation was slowing progress against climate change.

Toyota’s careful approach also sparked controversy when the company supported the Trump administration’s rollback of stricter fuel economy regulations. Environmentalists were furious, branding Toyota as resistant to the shift toward greener technologies.

As the EV market grew, especially driven by Tesla’s rapid rise, Toyota’s position began to weaken. Toyota’s engineers, led by Shigeki Terashi, took a close look at Tesla’s operations. They discovered that Toyota had fallen significantly behind in nearly every aspect of electric vehicle development.

By late 2022, Toyota was at a crossroads. Their hybrid sales remained strong, but competitors who embraced EVs were quickly gaining ground. Toyota’s leadership finally acknowledged that change was necessary.

Despite his personal doubts, Toyoda stepped aside, handing leadership over to Koji Sato—a clear signal that Toyota needed to rethink its EV strategy.

Chapter 9 – The Dealer Turns Down a Deal

This chapter puts you right in the middle of a tough decision facing traditional car dealers: adapt to the electric future or walk away.

We meet Claude Burns, a third-generation dealership owner in South Carolina, who’s suddenly confronted with a costly choice.

General Motors tells him plainly—if he wants to keep selling Cadillacs, he needs to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in upgrading his dealership for electric cars, or else take a buyout and say goodbye to the brand he’s represented for years.

Cadillac is serious about going fully electric by 2030, and GM wants its dealerships to commit fully by installing expensive new equipment, such as reinforced lifts and charging stations.

But there’s another motive at play: GM also sees this as an opportunity to reduce the number of smaller, less profitable dealers in rural areas.

Burns feels deeply conflicted. His conservative, small-town customers aren’t exactly begging for electric vehicles. Many view EVs skeptically, as something forced on them by politicians.

Plus, the area lacks charging stations, making EV ownership less practical. But Burns can’t ignore what’s happening in the wider world—he’s noticed Teslas becoming increasingly common, and even his Uber drivers talk enthusiastically about their electric rides. He starts wondering if GM’s bet on electric might be right after all.

The pressure intensifies during a heated call with a GM rep who hints that GM could pull Burns’s franchise entirely if he doesn’t comply.

Frustrated and feeling cornered, Burns makes a quick, emotional decision: he’ll take the gamble, spend the money, and upgrade his dealership.

He bets on Cadillac’s revival and the gradual acceptance of electric cars, even though deep down he still has doubts.

But Claude isn’t alone in his struggle. The chapter widens the view, showing thousands of small, family-run dealerships across the country facing similar dilemmas.

Electric vehicles threaten more than just car sales—they disrupt the whole dealership business model.

EVs require far less maintenance—good news for customers, bad news for dealerships relying on routine services like oil changes and repairs for steady income. With software updates happening remotely, visits to the dealership become rare.

Companies like Ford are even exploring direct-to-consumer sales online, cutting out dealerships completely. It’s every dealer’s worst fear.

This seismic shift threatens the legacy dealership model—a system built on personal relationships, local trust, and family businesses handed down through generations. Dealers still have legal protections, but automakers see EVs as a perfect chance to reshape an outdated business model.

Finally, we meet Claude’s cousin, Gary McWhirter, who runs a nearby Cadillac dealership that’s stood in their family for nearly a hundred years. Facing the same tough choice, Gary makes the opposite call—he decides to accept GM’s buyout.

He sees slow local EV adoption, low Cadillac sales, and costly upgrades as clear signs to step away while he still can.

On the very last day, he calls GM and walks away, placing his trust in his Chevrolet business instead.

Claude and Gary symbolize two different approaches to the same uncertain future—one choosing to embrace the risks of the electric revolution, the other deciding it’s safer to step aside.

The chapter leaves us reflecting on how the EV shift isn’t just about technology or business models; it’s deeply personal, about family legacies and the tough choices people make when the ground beneath their feet starts shifting.

Chapter 10 – Farley Channels Elon

This chapter puts us right in the shoes of Ford CEO Jim Farley as he faces a tough reality: Tesla isn’t just winning the electric car race—it’s miles ahead.

Farley got a clear wake-up call when Ford engineers took apart their Mustang Mach-E to compare it side-by-side with Tesla’s Model Y.

The difference was shocking.

Tesla’s car wasn’t just smarter and simpler—it was also cheaper to build and brought in double the profits of Ford’s gas-powered vehicles.

Farley realized Ford wasn’t just lagging behind Tesla; it was barely even playing the same game.

Instead of hiding these uncomfortable truths, Farley openly confronted them. He invited Ford’s entire board of directors to see the teardown, delivering a blunt message: Ford had to drop its pride and start learning quickly.

Tesla had set a new standard for engineering and efficiency, and Ford had to match it—not by making small improvements, but by fundamentally changing how they built cars.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk was celebrating Tesla’s huge success at their new factory opening in Berlin.

Tesla wasn’t just expanding; it was reshaping what people expected from car companies, blending tech culture and automotive manufacturing in ways Detroit had never seen. Farley watched closely, taking mental notes and understanding the urgent need for Ford to change.

To close the gap, Farley hired Doug Field—a Silicon Valley star who’d worked for Tesla, Apple, and even Ford in the early days of his career.

Field brought a fresh perspective focused on simplicity, efficiency, and constant innovation, much like Apple’s approach with the iPhone.

Instead of spending money on superficial redesigns, Field wanted cars to improve through software updates, creating a better user experience over time.

But Field’s approach clashed with Ford’s deep-rooted traditions. Many veteran engineers struggled to accept these radical new ideas, and internal resistance grew.

To manage this tension, Farley took a bold step, splitting Ford into separate divisions: Model E for electric vehicles, Ford Blue for traditional gasoline cars, and Ford Pro for commercial vehicles.

This division allowed Field’s team the freedom and speed they needed, away from the slow-moving culture of Ford’s past.

Field quickly started recruiting talent from places like Tesla, Apple, and Google, creating a tech-focused team within Ford.

The goal was clear: build electric vehicles that were smarter, simpler, and globally competitive.

Farley didn’t stop there—he carefully studied Musk’s strategy. Tesla had thrived with fewer, simpler car models, direct online sales, and a software-driven customer experience.

Farley understood Ford couldn’t succeed by doing everything for everyone anymore. Simplifying their lineup and cutting unnecessary complexity would save billions, money Ford desperately needed to fund its expensive shift to electric vehicles.

Still, even as Ford began to succeed—becoming America’s second-largest EV seller in 2022—the competition grew tougher. Tesla started a price war, forcing Ford to cut prices too, even though each price cut meant losing money on every car sold.

Perhaps Farley’s toughest moment came during a visit to China in 2023.

There, he saw a BYD electric car being taken apart by Ford’s Chinese partners.

It was as advanced and elegant as Tesla’s, with engineers bluntly saying they no longer needed Ford.

Farley faced a tough question: with competitors around the world matching Tesla’s quality and efficiency, what made Ford special?

Was it their famous brand, their dealer network, or their heritage? Farley knew these alone wouldn’t secure Ford’s future.

The chapter ends with Farley feeling the intense pressure not just to catch up—but to survive.

Ford needed to clearly prove its value in this new electric world. The challenge wasn’t about winning the race anymore—it was simply about staying in the game.

Chapter 11 – From Pistons to Pickaxes

In this chapter, the author takes us on an unexpected journey to California’s Salton Sea—a place that was once a vibrant tourist destination but has now become known mostly for its toxic dust storms and abandoned shores.

But beneath this troubled landscape lies something incredibly valuable: lithium, an essential material used in electric car batteries, which has become one of the most sought-after minerals in the world.

We’re introduced to Eric Spomer, a former oil and gas engineer from Denver who pivoted to renewable energy projects in the early 2000s.

Initially focused on geothermal energy, Spomer built one of the few successful geothermal plants in the Imperial Valley, near the Salton Sea. Yet, by 2015, he realized geothermal energy alone wasn’t enough to sustain the business.

That’s when he discovered the hidden potential beneath his feet—the geothermal brine was rich with lithium.

Spomer’s shift from energy producer to lithium miner wasn’t easy.

While extracting lithium from brine wasn’t a new idea, traditional methods were slow, costly, and environmentally problematic.

Spomer’s company quickly got involved in developing a more efficient approach known as Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE). DLE promised a faster, cleaner, and more sustainable method of extracting lithium, turning the Salton Sea’s geothermal brine into a goldmine for the EV industry.

What makes this story even more fascinating is how it fits into a much larger picture: the intense global race to secure supplies of lithium and other critical minerals.

As car manufacturers like GM and Ford accelerate their electric vehicle plans, they’re scrambling to secure reliable sources of lithium. That’s where projects like Spomer’s come into play.

Suddenly, the Salton Sea is not just an overlooked, toxic wasteland—it’s a strategically important location attracting investment from some of the world’s most powerful figures, including Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and Jeff Bezos.

The chapter leaves us with a sense of excitement and urgency. For Spomer and his team, the mission now is to convince investors to pour billions into scaling their lithium extraction operation.

What started as an energy project has become part of a global rush for minerals critical to the electric future. In a strange twist, the Salton Sea, long forgotten and abandoned, is now at the center of the race to shape the future of transportation.

When the author uses the phrase “from pistons to pickaxes,” they’re highlighting how the automotive industry’s shift toward electric vehicles is forcing companies to move beyond simply building cars.

Traditionally, car companies focused on engines—represented by pistons. Now, as they depend more and more on electric batteries, they’re forced to dive into mining and extraction—symbolized by pickaxes—to secure essential minerals like lithium.

This catchy phrase captures the huge shift automakers face: instead of just assembling vehicles, they’re stepping directly into mining and mineral extraction, industries historically unrelated to car manufacturing.

It’s a vivid way of saying that to succeed in this new electric age, car companies must now master areas they never imagined entering.

Chapter 12 – Southern Hospitality

The author explains how Haywood County, Tennessee, transformed from a quiet, struggling rural area into the center of one of America’s biggest automotive projects.

They highlight the significant efforts by local officials, especially Mayor Franklin Smith, who tirelessly worked to attract Ford’s massive electric vehicle factory, BlueOval City.

One of the most interesting parts of this chapter is how the community overcame major challenges in securing the megasite.

For instance, tense negotiations with local landowners illustrate how complicated it was to acquire the necessary land.

Instead of simply choosing an easier site, the local leaders stayed committed, eventually turning this quiet farmland into a place of enormous economic promise.

A big takeaway from this chapter is the importance of perseverance and dedicated local leadership in bringing about significant change.

The story of Mayor Smith, who passed away shortly after achieving this victory, challenges our assumptions about what small towns can accomplish.

Rather than accepting economic decline, Haywood County embraced ambitious projects, demonstrating that determined communities can shape their own futures.

In short, this chapter beautifully illustrates the broader impact of the electric vehicle revolution—not just on major automakers, but on the small towns and everyday people who help make it possible.

It reminds us that successful transformation starts with local vision, commitment, and resilience.

Chapter 13 – Battery USA

The author explains that Ford’s huge investment in BlueOval City represents one of the company’s boldest moves toward electric vehicles.

They argue that the success of this massive facility, overseen by Ford veteran Eric Grubb, could determine the company’s role in the future of car manufacturing, challenging Ford’s traditional reluctance to invest heavily in new factories.

One of the most interesting parts of this chapter is how Grubb’s experience highlights the enormous complexity of transitioning to electric vehicle production.

Instead of simply upgrading existing facilities, Ford is building entirely new factories—including high-tech battery plants—showing that the shift to EVs requires fundamentally different approaches.

This ambitious strategy not only allows Ford to compete better with companies like Tesla but also positions them at the forefront of a broader American manufacturing revival.

A big takeaway from this chapter is that the shift toward electric vehicles is deeply tied to reshaping global supply chains.

This challenges our usual assumption that manufacturing can continue relying on overseas production and sourcing, particularly from China.

Rather than making incremental changes, the author argues for a larger transformation in how the U.S. approaches industrial production, supply chains, and self-reliance.

In short, this chapter sets the stage for understanding just how high the stakes are in the electric vehicle revolution.

It clearly shows that if American automakers like Ford want to succeed, they’ll need to embrace major investments and fundamental changes, starting with ambitious projects like BlueOval City.

Chapter 14 – Making Cars Is Hard

This chapter takes you behind the scenes at Rivian, an electric vehicle startup famous for its stylish R1T pickup and R1S SUV.

We meet Tim Fallon, the manufacturing boss tasked with turning Rivian’s exciting ideas into real, drivable trucks—at scale. While Rivian has plenty of eager customers and eye-catching designs, actually making thousands of trucks is proving much tougher than expected.

The heart of the story unfolds in Rivian’s high-tech factory in Normal, Illinois.

On the surface, the facility is sleek, modern, and futuristic, clearly influenced by Silicon Valley style.

But underneath that polished appearance, things aren’t going as smoothly. Despite all the advanced robotics and cutting-edge tech, production lines run slowly, often coming to a halt due to missing parts or quality checks.

Workers frequently find themselves waiting around while bottlenecks get sorted out, highlighting how difficult it is to move from prototype to mass production.

Adding to the complexity is Rivian’s CEO, RJ Scaringe. He’s deeply involved in every aspect of his company, sometimes a little too involved. Scaringe’s desire for perfection can lead to decisions that seem puzzling, like spending a million dollars just to repaint factory equipment because the original white didn’t match his vision.

While attention to detail is valuable, this level of micromanagement can slow things down, causing frustration among his team.

Like many automakers, Rivian also faces big global challenges. Supply chain disruptions, especially shortages of essential parts like computer chips, have hit everyone hard.

But Rivian’s smaller size puts them at a disadvantage—they simply can’t compete with giants like GM or Ford when it comes to securing supplies, leaving them at the end of the line and slowing their growth even further.

Despite these issues, Rivian still has plenty of positives. Demand for electric vehicles remains strong, and customers continue lining up for their trucks.

But the company’s struggle to produce vehicles quickly has forced them to increase prices, upsetting many loyal customers who had already reserved their vehicles at lower prices.

Facing backlash, Scaringe publicly apologized and agreed to honor the original prices—but the damage to customer trust was already done.

As the chapter wraps up, we’re reminded of the bigger picture. Tesla has grown into an unstoppable force in the EV industry, showing just how challenging it is to move from an exciting startup to a profitable, mass-market carmaker.

Rivian—and many others like it—are discovering the hard way that building vehicles at scale involves more than great designs and enthusiastic supporters.

It’s a complex, messy, and often frustrating journey.

Chapter 15 – An EV for Everyone?

This chapter opens by showing how quickly things can change in the electric vehicle market.

We meet Chris Lemley, who runs a car dealership near Boston.

In the summer of 2023, he got a surprise call from Ford, offering extra units of the highly sought-after F-150 Lightning electric trucks.

Normally, Lemley’s customers would’ve jumped at the chance.

But suddenly, buyers weren’t lining up like before. The same early adopters who once eagerly paid premium prices started hesitating—understandably nervous about monthly lease payments that had soared as high as $1,700.

Some dealerships were even reluctant to tell customers the real lease costs, worried they’d scare them off.

This wasn’t just Lemley’s dealership—it was part of a bigger shift across the industry.

Electric vehicles that once had months-long waitlists were now gathering dust on dealership lots.

Customers weren’t only worried about high prices; servicing challenges and logistical headaches were making EVs tougher to sell.

Waiting times also got longer, jumping from a few weeks to over three months, signaling the excitement around EVs had cooled considerably.

Even Ford executives were noticing the slowdown. CEO Jim Farley openly admitted the electric vehicle transition wasn’t going as smoothly or quickly as they’d hoped.

High prices combined with uncertainty about whether people would actually buy into electric cars left automakers feeling anxious and unsure about the future.

Tesla responded quickly to these shifting market dynamics, aggressively dropping prices on their popular Model Y in early 2023.

Buyers like Stanly Tran found the lower prices irresistible—so much so that he canceled his Ford Mach-E reservation to buy a more affordable Tesla.

Tesla’s move triggered a price war, causing frustration among recent Tesla buyers whose cars suddenly lost value overnight.

Elon Musk didn’t apologize for the sudden cuts. He stood by his strategy, arguing his goal was always to make electric cars affordable to everyone.

But this shook up the market and sent a strong signal to competitors like Ford, GM, and Volkswagen: even after pouring billions into EVs, these established companies were still struggling to turn a profit.

The chapter also highlights the political friction surrounding electric cars. The Biden administration’s strong push toward electric vehicles—through initiatives like the Inflation Reduction Act—sparked intense debate, particularly among conservatives who felt forced into adopting EVs.

This political tension added another layer of complexity, especially for dealers in conservative regions, who increasingly viewed EV mandates as government overreach.

The chapter closes with a sense of uncertainty hanging in the air: automakers, dealers, and customers alike were left wondering whether the electric revolution would truly take off or sputter out amid high prices, political pushback, and cautious consumers.

4 Key Ideas from Inevitable

6 Main Lessons from Inevitable

My Book Highlights & Quotes

The car business is perhaps the highest-profile sector in a swath of industries navigating the ripple effects from electrifying the economy and the broader response to climate change.

Vehicles with internal-combustion engines emerged in the early 1900s as the mobility solution of choice for the world. Electric cars were an option then, too, which vied neck and neck with gas and diesel. The latter types won out in large part because Henry Ford’s combustionengine Model T took over the market—his design and manufacturing gave him the same kind of economic leg up that the Model Y seemed to have on the Mach-E. A global footprint of infrastructure sprang up around those fossil-fuel-propelled cars and trucks—highway gas stations, corner service centers, oil-lube shops. The technology was so dominant it hasn’t been challenged much for a hundred years.

Tesla rose from a few tech geeks strapping together laptop batteries in California to the ultimate industry disruptor.

Conclusion

In the end, Inevitable isn’t just about electric cars; it’s about the difficulty and necessity of adapting to big changes.

The automotive world’s shift to electric power is inevitable, but as these stories show, transformation is never easy.

For companies and individuals alike, success depends on a willingness to rethink old assumptions, embrace uncomfortable realities, and navigate uncertainty with courage and flexibility.

I am incredibly grateful that you have taken the time to read this post.

Support my work by sharing my content with your network using the sharing buttons below.

Want to show your support and appreciation tangibly?

Creating these posts takes time, effort, and lots of coffee—but it’s totally worth it!

If you’d like to show some support and help keep me stay energized for the next one, buying me a virtual coffee is a simple (and friendly!) way to do it.

Do you want to get new content in your Email?

Do you want to explore more?

Check my main categories of content below:

• Book Notes
• Career Development
• Essays
• Explaining
• Leadership
• Lean and Agile
• Management
• Personal Development
• Project Management
• Reading Insights
• Technology

Navigate between the many topics covered in this website:

Agile Art Artificial Intelligence Blockchain Books Business Business Tales C-Suite Career Coaching Communication Creativity Culture Cybersecurity Decision Making Design DevOps Digital Transformation Economy Emotional Intelligence ESG Feedback Finance Flow Focus Gaming Generative AI Goals GPT Habits Harvard Health History Innovation Kanban Large Language Models Leadership Lean Learning LeSS Machine Learning Magazine Management Marketing McKinsey Mentorship Metaverse Metrics Mindset Minimalism MIT Motivation Negotiation Networking Neuroscience NFT Ownership Paper Parenting Planning PMBOK PMI PMO Politics Portfolio Management Productivity Products Program Management Project Management Readings Remote Work Risk Management Routines Scrum Self-Improvement Self-Management Sleep Social Media Startups Strategy Team Building Technology Time Management Volunteering Web3 Work

Do you want to check previous Book Notes? Check these from the last couple of weeks:

• Book Notes #126: Inevitable by Mike Colias2025-03-24
• Book Notes #125: Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell2025-03-21
• Book Notes #124: Radical Candor by Kim Scott2024-09-04
• Book Notes #123: The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman2024-05-09
• Book Notes #122: The First 20 Hours by Josh Kaufman2024-05-02

Support my work by sharing my content with your network using the sharing buttons below.

Want to show your support tangibly? A virtual coffee is a small but nice way to show your appreciation and give me the extra energy to keep crafting valuable content! Pay me a coffee: