Europe's pumping the brakes on its aggressive electric-vehicle mandate—a move that's less about changing course and more about trying to save one of the continent's flagship industries from collapsing. The EU's stepping back, sure, but here's the thing: the pace of this retreat from net zero commitments might actually be too slow to prevent serious damage. When policy agendas clash with economic reality on the ground, the gap between intention and action tends to hurt the most. This shift matters beyond just automotive—it signals how climate policy frameworks might bend under pressure when they start hitting industry hard.