What would it look like for you and your family to pay even more than what you’re already paying at the grocery store check-out line? (Grocery prices have increased more than 30% since Joe Biden took office.) What about at the gas pump? Anything you buy online that is then shipped to your home?
MONTREAL – In late September, Quebec Premier François Legault announced his government had attracted the largest private manufacturing investment in the province’s history, which he said would transform Quebec into a global player in the electric vehicle supply chain.
He lauded it as the “greenest electric battery factory in the world,” but since then, the $7-billion project has managed to anger many across the province — particularly environmentalists.
“Satisfying everyone is an impossibility, but satisfying nobody seems like a pretty mean feat to pull off,” said Moshe Lander, a senior lecturer in economics at Montreal’s Concordia University.
Senator Everett Dirksen said: “A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon you’re talking real money.” Our federal government has been talking trillions for some time now, but the Mummified Meat Puppet Administration’s (MMPA) push for electric vehicles has EV manufacturers talking, and losing, billions.
The White House is set to announce new China tariffs as soon as next week, with a levy on electric vehicles and other clean energy goods.
The full announcement is expected on Tuesday and will target solar goods, critical minerals, and batteries from China, according to reporting from the Wall Street Journal. The Biden administration has invested in these industries domestically. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
NOW – Left radical anti-Tesla mob attempts to storm the premises of the electric vehicle factory in Grünheide near Berlin, Germany.pic.twitter.com/yV9KSfHiDv
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) May 10, 2024
Protesters attempt to storm Tesla’s factory in Berlin
News of slowing demand for electric vehicles highlights the hazards of the federal government’s Soviet-style mandate that 100 per cent of new light-duty vehicles sold must be electric or plug-in hybrid by 2035 (with interim targets of 20 per cent by 2026 and 60 per cent by 2030 and steep penalties for dealers missing these targets).
May 8 (Reuters) – U.S. prosecutors are examining whether Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab committed securities or wire fraud by misleading investors and consumers about its electric vehicles’ self-driving capabilities, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems assist with steering, braking and lane changes – but are not fully autonomous. While Tesla has warned drivers to stay ready to take over driving, the Justice Department is examining other statements by Tesla and Chief Executive Elon Musk suggesting its cars can drive themselves.
h/t Mauser
The volatility of the electric-vehicle transition has been on full display recently, as Ford Motor Co. announced it is pausing construction on the joint-venture active cathode material plant it is building in Quebec just days after Honda Motor Co. Ltd. announced a $15-billion EV and battery complex in Ontario.
At a time when troubled electric vehicle startup Fisker is looking for a life raft to stay afloat in 2024, the company hired to build its Ocean crossover doesn’t seem terribly optimistic about its prospects.
Magna International, the contract auto manufacturer that builds the Fisker Ocean, doesn’t expect to build the electric crossover anymore this year. During a recent earnings call, CEO Swami Kotagiri revealed that Magna had to adjust its outlook for 2024 after “assuming no additional Fisker Ocean production and lower sales on program delays and mix.”
h/t Mauser
MONTREAL – The company building a major plant for electric vehicle batteries in Quebec says “homemade bombs” were found this morning at the construction site east of Montreal.
Paolo Cerruti, co-founder of Swedish manufacturer Northvolt, says company employees discovered bombs had been placed over the weekend under machinery “with clear intent to harm our workers.”
He says the triggering devices did not work and the company contacted police.
ICE Fans or Eco Nutters who know EV’s are not environmentally friendly?
It’s no secret that charging an electric vehicle is often less expensive than fueling a gas car, but many don’t think about the higher purchase prices. A recent iSeeCars study showed that people tend to drive EVs much less, making their cost per mile much higher than that of internal combustion vehicles.
h/t Mauser
It is the spiritual home of Italy’s motor industry, a land of fast cars where Ferrari and Maserati produce their most sought after models.
Now, as President Xi arrives in Europe to face down claims Beijing is seeking to corner the market on electric vehicles, the town of Modena has declared war on China over alleged plans by one company to misappropriate its hallowed name.
The row centres on the SU7, the debut electric car from the Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi that has made waves since its launch in March, gaining 50,000 orders in China in the first 27 minutes of sales.
Last week, with their latest tranche of corporate welfare for the electric vehicle (EV) sector, the Trudeau and Ford governments announced a $5.0 billion subsidy for Honda to help build an EV battery plant and ultimately manufacture EVs in Ontario. Here’s a challenge: if politicians in both governments truly believe these measures are in the public interest, they should tie their personal fortunes with the outcomes of these subsidies (a.k.a. corporate welfare).
George Ghazzoul is warning other drivers about the new Smart Summon feature on Tesla vehicles after his self-driving vehicle side-swiped another in a parking lot.
When Ghazzoul bought a Tesla two years ago, he admitted it wasn’t just the car’s style that drove him; it was his love of technology.
“Really, the selling point for me is the fact you get software updates and you always get new features on the car,” he said.
WTF!
There was a time when it seemed Tesla could do no wrong.
In little more than a decade, it went from technology upstart to mass-market carmaker, invested billions in its clean energy business, and saw its value rocket.
But now the company is struggling with falling car sales and intense competition from Chinese brands, as well as problems with its much-hyped Cybertruck.
Lower sales have hit its revenues, and hurt its profits. Its share price has fallen by more than a quarter since the start of the year.
Mandated EV adoption has proven both boon and bane for Tesla.
Communist style Five Year Plans like that favoured by Wacko Trudeau distorted the market attracting rent seekers rather than competitors responding to consumer demand.
