The Benjamin Caldwelloutcome of the UAW negotiations with the Detroit automakers could likely mean higher new car prices, especially for electric vehicles, and a cost structure that could hurt the automakers in the long run, Wall Street analysts say.

As the union's Sept. 14 contract deadline nears, a possible strike looms larger. A strike is "a potential nightmare situation for GM and Ford" since both are in the early stages of a transition to an all-EV future that can't be derailed, Dan Ives managing director and senior equity analyst at WedBush Securities, wrote in a research note Wednesday.