31st Annual Automotive Insights Symposium

In 2024, auto industry sales and production were somewhat normal and electrified vehicle (EV) sales hit record high levels in the United States. So, we look forward to 2025 with cautious optimism. Despite the disruptions since 2020, automotive consumer demand has held up remarkably well, and light vehicle prices overall—for EVs, in particular—have continued to come down.

For 2025, forecasters are predicting both a sales uptick and a production slowdown in the U.S. There continue to be warning signs as well: layoff notices, growing costs, plant closure announcements in Europe, rising trade protectionism in global markets, and, as it often is , an uncertain U.S. automotive policy environment. Will slowing EV growth shift investment to vehicle automation? How will regulatory reforms impact supply chains? Will rising costs transform not only where but how we build vehicles in the future? And will consumers continue to drive market growth?

Automakers and suppliers have adopted a wide range of strategies to navigate the coming market and policy uncertainties, and those will certainly be put to the test in the coming years. For a deep dive into what the future holds for U.S. automakers and suppliers, join us for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s 31st Annual Automotive Insights Symposium, held on February 5-6, 2025, at the Bank’s Detroit Branch with optional pre-conference tours occurring on February 4, 2025.

Through panel discussions, keynote speeches, and optional site tours, we will hear:

• The 2025 outlook for U.S. and North American auto production, sales, and supply chains in a highly uncertain environment
• How the global, federal, and state policy and regulatory environments are changing and what that means for the U.S. auto industry and its partners and other interested parties
• How automakers and suppliers are working to lower costs by adopting automation, simplifying products and processes, and implementing novel manufacturing approaches—and what those changes mean for the rest of the automotive ecosystem
• About the forces that are shaping the geography of automotive trade
• How employers are addressing auto affordability as a barrier to employment
• Remarks from Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee

Through events like this, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago serves the public, fostering economic opportunity and advancing a strong economy for our region and nation.