Ripples in a pond are such a useful metaphor. What happens over here will in some way affect what happens over there.
India courting automakers could impact inventory, exports, and prices across the globe, self-driving tech may one day become as popular as power windows, and even well-established automakers are a few bad hands away from folding out of the game completely.
We prefer being in this pond with y’all, where most of the ripples are good things you’re doing in and around your store.
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India is merging into the global auto lane in a big way. With ~1.4B people spread across 1.2M square miles, they already buy and drive plenty of cars. But now, they are making regulatory moves aimed at enticing manufacturing giants to bring factories and infrastructure to the nation. Here are the deets:
Policy. India introduced a policy offering concessional tariffs for EV imports. It’s tied to a minimum investment of $500M and stringent localization requirements with goals set at 25% by year three and 50% by year five.
Reaction. The policy has attracted international companies like VinFast, which plans a $500M investment in Tamil Nadu to produce 150K vehicles annually.
Goal. The Indian government aims for 30% EV usage across all vehicle types by 2030, reflecting its commitment to sustainable transportation.
Stakes. India leads the global market in electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers, with significant growth in EV sales driven by government initiatives and rising consumer interest.
Hurdles. Despite facing issues such as insufficient charging infrastructure and range anxiety, India is actively enhancing its EV charging network, expecting substantial improvements within the next few years.
The NHTSA is investigating Ford's BlueCruise system after fatal crashes in San Antonio and Philadelphia. Like its competitors, Ford's hands-free driving system is under scrutiny for its alleged failure to ensure driver engagement. Ford is fully cooperating with the investigation.
Tesla recently issues a recall and fix for its Autopilot systems following an similar investigation. Now the NHTSA is investigating Autopilot again to see if the updates did anything for the ongoing concerns over driver engagement.
China is less worried? While the U.S. is investigating, China is accept-igating (not a real word). Tesla's stock surged on potential Chinese approval for its Full Self-Driving package. With so much global market in China, being able to upsell people there means being able to do a LOT of upselling.
These two investigations come just weeks after GM's Cruise says it will restart operations in Phoenix with a fleet of human-driven cars to map and gather road data following a pause caused by a safety incident. No word yet on when they expect to flip the robo-taxis back to robot mode.
Like a pirate in a duck-taped dinghy, Fisker is looking for any way to stay afloat. Following failed talks with Nissan, Fisker expanded its dealership network in the U.S. and Europe, cut prices on its 2023 Ocean EV, and is still looking for a partner to patch some of the growing holes in its boat. Here’s what we know of the company's situation:
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