Shouldn't it be up to the private automaker to make decisions about the economy of scale of its products or what is better for the private company's future? Why

Shouldn't it be up to the private automaker to make decisions about the economy of scale of its products or what is better for the private company's future? Why would the government get involved in securing the future of its automakers by taxing a class of products? The only legitimate argument for taxes might be reduced safety features. Does the US government do something like this? Imagine it adding a tax on Apple products or even American cars because of a sales demographic issue?