Show Notes with links:
It's looking like 2030 might not be as electric as the government once said, as the Biden administration plans to relax its ambitious EV transition goals. Here's why the pace is slowing down
- The EPA will reduce the speed of proposed yearly emissions requirements through 2030, making EVs less than 60% of total production as opposed to the initial higher target of 67% by 2032
- Automakers, Dealers, and even the UAW argue that EV technology costs and infrastructure development need more time, prompting a reevaluation of the original aggressive targets.
- John Bozzella of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation emphasizes the importance of allowing the market, supply chains, and public charging infrastructure to develop to support the EV shift, proposing a 40-50% target is more realistic
- Current production sits at around 8%
In his Automotive Ventures Weekly Intel Report, Steve Greenfield added additional context to the EV market citing a Cox Automotive Report that indicated
- New EV incentives have tripled in many cases
- Even California EV sales dropped substantially in Q4...for the first time in a decade
The era of free shipping and no-cost returns in online shopping is coming to an end, with retailers tightening policies to cut costs.
- Consumers accustomed to the convenience of home-trial shopping face new charges for returns and stricter policies, affecting even habitual returners.
- Retail giants like H&M, Zara, and Amazon are leading the charge, introducing fees for returns, setting shorter return deadlines, and eliminating some return options altogether.
- With retail margins becoming tighter, investors want to see actual profits instead of lofty promises. environmental impact of careless consumption.
- One customer mentioned in the article was banned from online shopping at Urban Outfitters after returning items once a month since high school.
- The same customer faced shopping restrictions from Saks for returning $15,000 worth of merchandise as well as beginning with retailer ASOS for reinstatement after returning 99% of 172 purchases within a single year
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