Posted at 11:45 a.m.
A few days, a week, a month. Pandemic and shortage of semiconductors have in turn (sometimes simultaneously) shut down assembly plants. Dealers are having the worst difficulty filling orders. In the absence of a delivery date, the consumer waits. Especially if it is an electric vehicle.
The new World
PHOTO PROVIDED BY RIVIAN
Rivian (pictured) and several other new brands will hit the Canadian market over the next year.
The emergence of new car brands will undoubtedly have the effect of a lifeline in the eyes of these consumers who can no longer wait. While certain historical signatures are wavering in the face of the industrial, technological and labor challenges posed by electrification, other manufacturers are springing up. These recently born brands believe that the redistribution of cards linked to future developments could well give them a chance to shine. Like Tesla.
Often cited as an example, Elon Musk’s firm is now leading companies like Lucid Air, Rivian, Imperium, Polestar, Vinfast and, who knows, the creator of the PlayStation game console, Sony. The electric revolution offers them a favorable opportunity to assert themselves. Among these recent signs, some have more legitimacy than others. But all intend to develop various strategies to emerge from anonymity.
These young shoots will not be the only new players to upset the automotive landscape. Historical brands will also play a role. They already advertise specific names (e-Tron, EQ, ID., Ioniq, etc.) to enable consumers to clearly identify their range of clean vehicles. However, they do not make a clean sweep of their past.
The durability of sports antennas such as AMG (Mercedes), M (BMW) or RS (Audi), for example, is in no way threatened by the electric revolution. Quite the contrary. “Traditional” manufacturers rely on these hypertrophied versions to stand out from young shoots which, for the time being, have no story to tell and whose customer experience is unknown.
Ah! the subsidies
PHOTO OLIVIER PONTBRIAND, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Financial assistance to consumers for the purchase of an electric vehicle should continue in Canada.
China is slashing financial assistance to consumers for the purchase of an electric vehicle. Germany extends it. The United States improves it. And Canada? Everything indicates that the country will maintain the status quo for the next year.
That said, a reassessment of the criteria in the coming months should not be ruled out. Some environmental lobby groups seek to exclude certain thrusters (plug-in hybrids) from the list of eligible models. Others, including some automakers, are imploring Ottawa to expand the rebate program to new vehicles over $45,000.
Decision to be made
PHOTO PROVIDED BY LAND ROVER
Many automakers will phase out unpopular, fuel-intensive models.
After having reigned – unchallenged – for more than a century, the internal combustion engine (gasoline or diesel) is about to pass the torch. By 2030-2040, it will no longer be possible to market a new car emitting CO2 in several countries2. Some, but not all. It will survive in South America, India, Africa and some other parts of the world.
Faced with this deadline, many established car manufacturers have already programmed the end of the combustion engine. So unless there is a breakthrough in the development of synthetic fuels, there is no chance of survival.
In concrete terms, this will mean, among “traditionalist” firms, always a reduction in their range and the gradual elimination of models that are not very popular and that consume too much fuel. The withdrawal of these vehicles will make it possible to improve the carbon footprint of the brands with regard to the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards which determine CO2 reduction targets.2 calculated on all manufacturers’ products. Already, they are at work. The Jaguar company, to name but one, is currently closing the era of the internal combustion engine and promises to switch its entire portfolio to all-electric in three years.
Time to rethink your mobility
PHOTO PROVIDED BY AUDI
One or two days a week, you can swap the car for walking, cycling, electric scooter or public transport.
The shortage of semiconductors is coming to an end. The pandemic too, hopefully. The health crisis – we had to talk about it – will, hopefully, encourage the population to think about their mobility. The traffic flow of the last 22 months was just a thinning, a sham. Just like the price of gasoline which, over the next few months, is set to reach new heights (nearly $2 per litre).
Until the factories are running at full capacity again, the consumer will for some time still be forced to wait for the delivery of the new vehicle of his choice. Naturally, the individual room for maneuver differs greatly depending on whether one lives in a large center or in a remote region.
One or two days a week, you can swap the car for walking, cycling, electric scooter or public transport. For those who have to travel long distances, carpooling can reduce its footprint (by two-thirds with three occupants), while saving money and decongesting the road network. For occasional use, a self-service vehicle or a specialized company (the big van needed to pull the boat, for example) can be hired on a short-term basis. Every gesture counts!