Californians Dreamin’

Californians Dreamin’

This week, I was looking for an excuse to include the fantastic ad VW ran during the Superbowl featuring the SNL characters from The Californians. youtube.com, youtube.com, youtube.com

Then I read in the New York Times that The Donald’s administration plans to repeal a longstanding waiver allowing California to set state-specific pollution standards for itself — putting the Californian's dream of driving a neo-hippie electric van at risk. nytimes.com

In 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order to ban the sale of ICE vehicles in California starting in 2035. theverge.com

On his first day in office, The Donald signed an executive order to “unleash American energy” and remove “state emissions waivers that function to limit sales of gasoline-powered automobiles.” whitehouse.gov

California is the leading US state for EV sales. visualcapitalist.com

Local policymakers have invested heavily in charging infrastructure and other programs to bolster EV adoption. veloz.org

In 2024, one in four vehicles sold in the state was electric. However, year-over-year sales have flattened out substantially.

With demand slowing, California dealers want the 2035 ICE ban reconsidered. “Aside from Tesla, which sells only EVs, no other major manufacturer will meet the state’s 35% threshold for zero-emission vehicles in the upcoming 2026 model year, said Brian Maas, president of the California New Car Dealers Assn.” latimes.com

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) isn’t sure they agree with Mass calling a recent ad requesting a more “fair and balanced” approach a “misleading attempt to create an artificial crisis that undermines California’s public health goals.”

But Mass isn’t prepared to “throw the baby out with the bathwater.” He suggests that CARB could adjust its rules to include more vehicle types like traditional hybrids. They could also increase the allowed percentage of Plug-in hybrids. Or the state could adjust the timeline to ensure consumers, dealers, and OEMs are ready for the change. politico.com

However, California’s EV rules are the linchpin for all EV-related legislation in North America. driving.ca

If CARB’s rules are removed, it will become more challenging for US states and Canadian provinces to justify any level of green energy transition that includes further adoption of electric vehicles.

China’s Automotive Expansion

GAC launches the new Aion UT EV with a 420 km range and sells in China for under USD 10K. carnewschina.com

Aito starts pre-sales of the M5 Ultra SUV, including Huawei's ADAS LiDAR system. cnevpost.com

Chinese analysts predict that Nio’s battery-swapping business will break even in 2026. cnevpost.com

BYD’s exports soar 188% in February. carnewschina.com

Must Know Musk News

Tesla seeks permit approval to launch EV robotaxi service in California. reuters.com

Elon tells Joe Rogan he's 'not a Nazi'. businessinsider.com

The FAA plans to cancel Verizon's contract to overhaul air traffic control communication systems and assign the work to Starlink. Elon claims that the Verizon system “is not working and so is putting air travelers at serious risk.” washingtonpost.com, techcrunch.com

Elon appears to confirm the birth of his 14th child. independent.co.uk

Tesla partners with Steak' n Shake to expand its Supercharger network to locations where you also “want fries with that.” theverge.com

Tesla’s market cap drops below $1 trillion, making the richest man in the world a little less rich. cnbc.com

Rise Of The Machines

Avride launches sidewalk robots in Tokyo, delivering restaurant orders and groceries in partnership with e-commerce giant Rakuten. techcrunch.com

RAI Institute uses reinforcement learning to teach Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot how to run faster. spectrum.ieee.org

Unitree trained their humanoid robot in martial arts, turning it into a Kung Fu fighter. interestingengineering.com

Energy

Oil companies operating in the Gulf (of whatever we’re calling it today) sit on hundreds of untapped oil leases across millions of acres — challenging the validity of The Donald’s “drill baby, drill” plans even more. lailluminator.com

BP drops green energy goals and goes hard to the net on fossil fuels. reuters.com

Westinghouse thinks it figured out how to build cheaper nuclear plants. cnbc.com

German firm Voodin now makes wind turbines out of wood. goodnewsnetwork.org

Chinese team develops a method to revive lithium batteries to extend their usage. tomshardware.com

BYD signs a deal to build the largest BESS project on the planet for Saudi Arabia. newatlas.com

But Wait, There’s More

Car and Driver describes the all-new 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander as “one of the nicer interiors in its class” and “among the least expensive three-row SUVs you can buy,” even if it is “not exciting to drive.” caranddriver.com

Kia unveils the all-new EV4 electric sedan that will be available for sale in the US. theverge.com

GM says it is increasing its quarterly dividend by 25% and announces a $6 billion stock buyback program. cnbc.com

Stellantis prioritizes ICE over EV production of Jeep Compass at Brampton Assembly Plant, causing further delays in retooling. autonews.com

Stellantis hopes for great things in 2025 after kinda shitty 2024. cnbc.com

BMW builds a new electric drive with 800V technology, which they intend to use in future Neue Klasse models. press.bmwgroup.com

VW’s ID.4 tops Tesla’s Model Y in becoming the best-selling EV in the EU. electrek.co

Polestar secures additional loan funding of up to $450 million and delays releasing fourth-quarter results. reuters.com

Lucid CEO steps down. techcrunch.com

The European Commission assembles measures to boost demand for EVs in the EU. reuters.com

A new AAA study suggests that most Americans aren’t fans of self-driving vehicles and would prefer a focus on overall safety features. newsroom.aaa.com

Waymo doubles its weekly robotaxi rides in less than a year. techcrunch.com

Canada’s zero-emission vehicle adoption falls by nearly a third in January after the termination of the federally funded incentive program. autonews.com

Carvana goes all IRL and buys a franchise dealership, Jerry Seiner Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram, in Casa Grande, Arizona. autoremarketing.com

ICYMI: Canadian online car retailer Clutch raises $50 million in CAD series D funding and plans to return to previously retracted regional expansion. clutch.ca

I did a podcast recording with Ian Cruickshank at his desk (virtually).

I’ll be in Edmonton later today and will stay until Wednesday, March 5th. If you want to meet or chat, reply to this email, and we’ll make it happen.

Check out my podcast on Spotify, Apple, YouTube or wherever else you get your podcasts.

You read to the bottom. Amazing! I appreciate you.