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☆ Rivian is forcing some customers to wait years for their vehicle deliveries — and it risks alienating them at a critical time in its fight to become the next Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Nora Naughton | Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Rivian runs the risk of alienating customers who have been waiting years for their vehicles. He's hedged his bet on Rivian with orders for the Tesla Cybertruck and the electric Ram 1500. Some feel embarrassed by their early support of Rivian while their wait times increase to nearly half a decade. Rivian has previously said timing of deliveries is "based on a number of factors, including delivery location, configuration and original preorder or reservation date." Are you a current or former Rivian employee, Rivian vehicle owner, or Rivian order holder?

☆ How Rivian went from Wall Street darling to another struggling EV startup
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Alexa St. John | Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Another Rivian customer told Insider they placed a reservation last July. A Rivian spokesperson told Insider that timing is "based on a number of factors, including delivery location, configuration and original preorder or reservation date." The Rivian spokesperson told Insider Scaringe's language refers to "how we deliver over the long term." An employee laid off in Rivian's first round of cuts last summer told Insider it felt like growing pains many other companies have experienced. Are you a current or former Rivian employee, Rivian vehicle owner, or Rivian order-holder?

☆ Meet the typical electric-vehicle buyer: A wealthy millennial trading in a luxury gas-powered car
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Non-luxury EVs are attracting former luxury buyers. As more electric vehicles have hit the market, the buyer base for them is continuing to skew younger. Since 2019, Gen X has overtaken the Boomer generation as the second-largest pool of EV buyers in the U.S., J.D. Only 28.5% of EV buyers in 2022 were women, compared to 29.1% in 2019. For the Kia brand more broadly, only about 6% of buyers are trading in luxury vehicles.

☆ Tesla is losing its most loyal customers — and that’s bad news for Elon Musk.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Plus, it's even more gross, since this generation obsession appears to be a capitalism-fueled strategy to get our money. They stuck with Elon Musk along a bumpy ride: "production hell," multiple federal investigations, and other catastrophes. Meanwhile, the company keeps losing its edge elsewhere. Nora breaks down how Musk keeps Elon-ing, while Tesla keeps getting beat down. It's part of the multi-day Mobile World Congress — the largest mobile telecommunications event in the world — in Barcelona, Spain.

☆ How Elon Musk Ruined Tesla, Let Other Car Companies Catch up on EVs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

"I feel stupid driving around with my brand-new Tesla Model Y," Mark told me. Tesla spent the past two decades defying expectations and disrupting the automotive industry, but in 2023 the once revolutionary car company did the seemingly unthinkable: It turned fanboys against it. But after years of rocketing ahead of legacy car companies' tech, the futuristic guts of Tesla's vehicles have started to go stale. Companies like Ford and Audi are changing their sales strategies to model Tesla's innovative direct-sales style. These companies have something Musk doesn't: nationwide networks of brick-and-mortar locations where customers can have their vehicles serviced and repaired.

☆ Former Wall Street darling Rivian suddenly has a lot to prove
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Alexa St. John | Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

☆ From battery health to tax credits, there's a lot to consider when buying a used electric car. Here's how to shop smart.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Tim Levin | Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Driving habits can also impact which type of used EV you should shop for. Aside from wondering which car to buy, used EV shoppers might be wondering if their (used) battery can die. The good news is that an EV's battery is unlikely to fail completely or render the car useless. The used EV tax credit is your friendAt the start of the year, a new used electric vehicle tax credit went into effect as part of a larger EV incentive program in the Inflation Reduction Act. Vehicles that qualify for the used EV tax credit must have a sale price of $25,000 or less and must be at least two model-years old.

☆ Why Silicon Valleys massive layoffs haven't hit Detroit automakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Nora Naughton | Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The auto industry could benefit from tech layoffs. But the auto industry doesn't need to undergo massive cuts — mostly because they already have over the past few years. Tech companies, meanwhile, had enjoyed a decade of unmitigated growth thanks to low interest rates and a flood of new investor money. "Legacy auto is underpopulated in order to fully go after the future of mobility — primarily, electrification, batteries, and software." The auto industry could benefit from tech layoffsWhile tech sheds thousands of jobs, automakers are desperate for workers.

☆ Behind the EV price war is an all-out battle for the future of customer loyalty in the car business — and it could mean more discounts on the horizon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ceding profits to market share is an expensive game of chicken, analysts warn. This will be a 'pivotal year' for establishing customer loyalty in the EV market. Chasing market share over profitsBoth companies are opting to cede profits for market share in a pricey game of chicken, analysts said. GM – opting out of the pricing war for now – is going after customer loyalty with an EV helpline open to all electric car owners. But if history is any guide, more companies will join in the price slashing if their market share starts to slip.

☆ Rivian orders placed after 20% price hike appear to jump the line, angering early order-holders
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Alexa St. John | Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Some R1S SUV orders placed after March 2022 — when Rivian hiked prices about 20% — are now slated to be filled before less-expensive orders placed earlier, according to customer posts on Twitter and in company forums, and orders reviewed directly by Insider. This is at least the second time Rivian has faced backlash from its early customers over changes to their orders. When Rivian announced the price hike, the move originally included customers with pre-existing configured orders and deposits in place. Now it appears that the orders placed after the price hike are getting priority. That means that quad-motor R1S orders, placed before the price hike, cost less than dual-motor R1S orders placed after it.

☆ Ford hits back at Tesla's price cuts by lopping nearly $6,000 off the Mustang Mach-E
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The price reductions for the Mustang Mach-E vary by trim level and performance package. At the highest end, the Mach-E GT with extended range now goes for $63,995, a $5,900 reduction from the previous price. Elon Musk's long-term play on the price cuts, which Deutsche Bank estimates could cost the company $7 billion in profits this year, could protect its customer base amid rising competition and increase its market share. Gjaja would not say how the price cuts impact Mach-E's profitability, only saying it would vary by trim level. Ford CEO Jim Farley has publicly set his sights on Tesla, vowing last spring to unseat Musk's car company as the top seller of electric vehicles.

☆ Ford and Tesla slashed car prices — but only one is giving customers who missed out their money back
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ford is working to refund Mach-E owners after cutting prices. Ford, the first to hit back against Musk's price war, is taking a different approach with its price cuts. "We want our customers to know they made the right decision by choosing a Mustang Mach-E," Gaja said. Ford hitting back at Tesla's EV price war is the company's latest move to compete directly with Musk's electric car company. Are you a Mustang Mach-E owner or a Tesla owner impacted by price cuts?

☆ Tech giants have cut tens of thousands of jobs. Automakers are ready to hire them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Nora Naughton | Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But the auto industry doesn't need to undergo massive cuts — mostly because they already have over the past few years. Tech companies, meanwhile, had enjoyed a decade of unmitigated growth thanks to low interest rates and a floor of new investor money. As these companies enter a new phase and a different economy, the tech industry is experiencing its first real belt-tightening. The auto industry could benefit from tech layoffsWhile tech sheds thousands of jobs, automakers are desperate for workers. "The war for talent in the automotive industry is still raging and the talent pool is still relatively small."

☆ Elon Musk is the 'enemy' inside Tesla, a top Wall Street analyst warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Houchois called Musk "the enemy" inside of Tesla, in an interview with Yahoo Finance. "We've published research many times in the past where we say the enemy is inside of Tesla," Houchois said in an interview with Yahoo Finance after the carmaker's earnings call. So he is the person who is going to decide, can I do SpaceX, Tesla, Twitter?" Some Tesla investors have also been critical of Musk as Tesla's stock has plunged over 20% since the Tesla CEO took Twitter private in late October. Last month, Tesla investor and former self-proclaimed "Elon fanboy" Leo Koguan said on Twitter that Musk has "abandoned" the company and Tesla needs a new CEO.

☆ How to calculate if an electric car will save you money
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

This article is part of a series called Getting Ready for Electric, a practical guide to buying your next EV. Here are all the points to consider when calculating whether an electric vehicle will save you money in the long run. The cost of charging versus gassing upThe other piece of the EV cost-savings equation is whether having a battery-powered car will really save you money on fueling up. While gas prices remained low and car makers tuned engines to get better gas mileage, EVs were a tough sell to the average buyer. Charging at homeMost electric vehicle owners do most of their charging at home, and most EVs come with a cord that plugs into any standard 110-volt home outlet.

☆ Elon Musk calmed anxious Tesla investors by acting like a normal CEO for once
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Investors went into Tesla's earnings announcement Wednesday feeling trepidation, especially given signs the CEO was distracted by a series of gaffes at Twitter. But Musk quelled these fears with solid fourth-quarter results, a confident outlook for the year, and a dose of normalcy. Musk addresses demand worriesOn a call with investors following fourth quarter results, Musk addressed the demand worries head-on. "Tesla investors were worried that Musk wasn't focused," Beck told Insider. But investors left the earnings call yesterday reassured that Musk can manage both companies at once, said Darrell Martin, CEO of Apex Trader Funding.

☆ Tesla's demand problem may turn into a key advantage — if Elon Musk's 'strategic poker move' pays off
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Nora Naughton | Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Price slashes and piled up inventory at Tesla pose a big problem for rival startups. The electric-vehicle company is grappling for the first time with a bloated inventory and softer demand for its cars. Tesla's move "represents a significant setback" for the company's EV competitors, Garrett Nelson, a vice president and senior equity analyst at the investment-research firm CFRA, said in a January 13 note. "This move from Tesla is going to have a huge impact on the EV market but especially on the startups." "Instead, we believe this likely is a bold offensive move, which secures Tesla's volume growth, puts its traditional and EV competitors in great difficulty, and showcases Tesla's considerable pricing power and cost superiority."

☆ Another Tesla Semi was spotted apparently broken down on the side of the road
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Images of another Tesla Semi on the side of the road are making the rounds on Twitter. Since Tesla started delivering its long-awaited Class 8 electric truck to customers last month, several of the vehicles have been spotted on the side of the road, apparently broken down. The sightings have called into question the reliability of Tesla's new electric semi, which started production at the company's Nevada manufacturing facility in October after years of delays. Yet another apparently stranded Tesla Semi was making the rounds on Twitter Thursday. Following Guillen's departure and a series of supply chain issues, Tesla pushed back the start of Semi production to 2022.

☆ Tesla's price cuts have triggered a serious surge in buyer interest
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Interest in Teslas on car-shopping website Edmunds surged after last week's price cuts. Tesla's price cuts also come at a time when shoppers are still struggling to find good deals on new vehicles, making discounts like Tesla's all the more appealing, Caldwell wrote. No longer priced as luxury vehicles, Tesla's cars will now compete with EVs marketed to mainstream buyers. The price cuts also allow Tesla's vehicles to qualify for an additional $7,500 tax credit on new EVs as part of the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act, another draw for shoppers. "Price cuts of 20% or more, with incentives, nationwide don't come around often, so acting now is in your best interest before any corrections in the opposite direction."

☆ Tesla just started an electric car price war, and it's bad news for Ford and GM
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla has discounted its Model 3 and Model Y cars by up to 20% in a bid to goose sales. The starting price of a Model S also dropped nearly 10%, while the Model X is down 9%. Once a luxury item, Tesla's vehicles will now compete with EVs marketed to more average car buyers. Ford recently hiked the starting price on its F-150 Lightning electric truck to $56,000, up from the original starting price of $40,000. The electric car company has long resisted traditional auto industry discounts, and Musk has even criticized the practice in the past.

☆ Rivian and Lucid's Q4 struggles signal an even tougher 2023 for EV startups
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Nora Naughton | Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The results from Rivian and Lucid signal a tough year ahead for EV startups, said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting for AutoForecast Solutions. "As an investor you're going to be watching for every sign of trouble because you're now expecting a larger return on your investment." Rivian and Lucid's results came just after Tesla also missed analyst expectations for its fourth-quarter delivery results — and it has investors concerned. Previously, Rivian delivered more vehicles than it built in Q2 (accounting for vehicles built before the quarter that didn't make their way to customers), but only delivered about 89% of what it built in Q3. "With newcomers like Rivian and Lucid, that is going to be a warning sign for some people to begin with."

☆ Electric cars are killing the car dealership as we know it
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The dealership model, in which retailers buy from automakers and sell vehicles to consumers, has been protected for nearly a century by robust franchise laws. Thanks to the disruption caused by EVs, car shoppers of all kinds can expect to spend less time wandering dealership lots, talking with salespeople, and haggling over pricing. Companies like GM and Ford are trying to strike a balance between direct sales and the dealership model. Still, two-thirds of Ford dealers have signed on for the program, according to CEO Jim Farley. With the launch of the Cadillac Lyric, GM used a digital retail network that allows car shoppers to complete transactions entirely online, in the dealership, or a hybrid of both.

☆ Elon Musk's Twitter chaos has investors asking Tesla to act like a basic automaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla investors think Elon Musk's Twitter controversies are hurting the automaker's value. Tesla shares dropped 65% in 2022, and are still sliding. While Tesla deals with these time-worn industry problems, Musk has courted controversy at Twitter, and Tesla investors are tiring of the potential effect on Tesla's value. Shares of Tesla dropped 65% last year, and continue to slideBut investors have reason to worry. Shares of Tesla dropped 65% in 2022, with much of that slide happening after Musk took over Twitter in October.

☆ It's becoming increasingly clear Tesla is just another car company
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Tesla has been resorting to the same tricks car companies use to paper over their problems. Tesla cuts pricesAt the end of 2021, rental-car giant Hertz said it had ordered 10,000 Tesla Model 3s for its fleet. The announcement was met with excitement from EV boosters, but automotive industry experts and executives wondered at the time if this was an early sign of over-building at Tesla. Experts think discounts will continueMeanwhile, Tesla's stock price is plummeting amid Musk's controversies at Twitter and worries from analysts that the car company is essentially operating without a CEO at the moment. Experts and analysts will be watching to see if the electric car company returns to its no-discount way of life, or continues to pull from old industry playbooks.

☆ 2023 will make or break Tesla wannabes like Rivian and Lucid. Here's what they need to do if they want to survive.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Alexa St. John | Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"As the pressure on the supply chain eases, investors can point to a General Motors and say, 'They're building without a problem, why can't you?'" During quarterly earnings calls, executives at Rivian and Lucid cautioned investors of more trouble heading into 2023 as they raced to ramp up production and their logistics processes in hand. Accordingly, stock prices have been sinking from blockbuster IPO and SPAC highs, with many EV startups' shares down as much as 80% from earlier last year. Rivian reported Tuesday it fell a few hundred vehicles short of its goal to build 25,000 electric cars in 2022. If the startups want to succeed and regain investor faith, they have to get closer to meeting their numbers in 2023.

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