Federal Tax Credits Will Soon Expire for Tesla and GM Electric Cars
Buyers of electric cars and plug-in hybrids can get up to a $7,500 federal tax credit as long as the manufacturer hasn’t sold more than 200,000 qualifying vehicles. That means come Jan. 1, 2019, for Tesla buyers, and July 1, 2019, for GM buyers, the federal tax credits will be cut in half, to $3,750. And then a year later, they will expire completely.
“I would imagine that most people truly waiting for that base model should not count on getting the tax credit—or at least no more than a quarter of it,” a Tesla spokeswoman said.
Read the report at Consumer Reports.
Autonomous Cars Would Transform Accidents Into Errors
The U.S. saw 7 million traffic collisions in 2016 - reported crashes, that is. An extensive survey from the NHTSA found that drivers admitted failure to report their collisions at a rate of 29%.
Autonomous cars would replace human drivers, the most complicated variable of a crash assessment. A year spent enduring a 0% improvement in collisions could yield more valuable data on road design flaws, mechanical faults and maintenance needs than has ever been collected previously.
Read the article at Forbes.
Trump’s Tariffs Threaten 20,000 Jobs at Hyundai’s Alabama Plant
The Trump administration’s proposed tariffs, citing a national security risk, have been opposed by many, including the Association of Global Automakers which represents Toyota, Volkswagen, BMW and Hyundai.
“If South Korean car exports to the U.S. get blocked and hurt sales, the U.S. factory in Alabama that went into operation in May 2005 could be the first one to be shut down, putting some 20,000 American workers at risk of layoffs,” the statement from the Hyundai labor union reads.
Read the article at The Detroit Bureau.
Disruptive Leadership: A New Requirement for Business Success
By John Wysseier, President and Chief Executive Officer, The CEI Group, Inc.
I’m pleased to introduce a new blog, which is entitled “Disruptive Leadership.”
This theme is prompted by the fact that technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace and making sweeping changes to society, markets, and leadership. These changes are creating new competitive and leadership challenges and opportunities every day.
While my perspective reflects my personal and professional experience within the insurance and automotive fleet industry segments, the power of technological advances including but not limited to Big Data, Data Visualization, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Cognitive Natural Language is like a tidal wave. It can either inundate and drown decision-makers or deliver a treasure trove of newfound actionable intelligence from which to create sustainable competitive advantage.
Elon Musk says ‘Car Biz is Hell’
Elon Musk initially promised as many as 200,000 Model 3s by the end of 2017, but mass-producing cars may be the one challenge that defies him. Tesla ended 2017 having made not quite 2,700 Model 3.
He set out to teach the world that consumers would pay for zero-emissions cars in huge numbers. Whatever happens to Tesla, he’s succeeded in that. Tesla is, as Musk says, “a real car company.”
Read the article at Bloomberg.
