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Automotive tooling spend forecast to rebound in 2026, long-term growth remains limited
According to new analysis from Wipfli, automotive tooling expenditures are expected to climb in 2026 to $5.6 billion, up from an estimated $4.3 billion in 2025. The increase in tooling spend is a result of all-new truck launches from Ford, General Motors and Stellantis.
About this update from General Motors Company
[{"type":"text","content":"MILWAUKEE, Nov. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- According to new analysis from Wipfli, automotive tooling expenditures are expected to climb in 2026 to $5.6 billion, up from an estimated $4.3 billion in 2025. The increase in tooling spend is a result of all-new truck launches from Ford, General Motors and Stellantis.","length":316,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"image","alt":"Wipfli LLP (PRNewsfoto/Wipfli LLP)","displaySize":"","headline":null,"caption":"Wipfli LLP (PRNewsfoto/Wipfli LLP)","className":"","disableSlideshowImg":false,"size":{"original":{"width":400,"height":129,"url":"https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/24ed702caa61876bf9a731692968adce"},"resized":{"url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/LhY_F5BkQaMYcPhTnAl8IQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTIyNztjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/24ed702caa61876bf9a731692968adce","width":400,"height":129}},"href":"https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2611743/Wipfli_LLP_Logo.html","hrefExternal":true,"rel":"nofollow"},{"type":"text","content":"While the near-term outlook shows some positive momentum, the long-term trajectory suggests the automotive tooling industry has plateaued. Wipfli forecasts that through 2035, tooling spend will peak at approximately $6.2 billion, indicating that the industry is unlikely to return to the high levels seen in the mid-2010s.","length":322,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":""The North American automotive industry is facing many challenges, including cost pressures, tariff and trade uncertainty, supply chain fragility, labor issues and vehicle affordability," said Laurie Harbour, partner at Wipfli. "All these pressures are forcing the automakers to make decisions to drive costs out of vehicle development with fewer trim levels and reduced complexity, which reduces the number of tools required across the industry."","length":467,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"In 2020, the automakers' product development focus shifted from ICE to BEV, which resulted in a drop in vehicle launches. Ongoing adjustments in the automotive landscape, including fluctuating EV demand and broader economic uncertainty, forced the industry to shift new EV products back and delay production. Today, an estimated $3.4 billion in BEV-related tool spend has been removed from automaker plans, with an additional $1.3 billion ...