Category: Aaron On Autos Substack

In the United States, we currently have two things that are holding our automotive market aloft: trucks and small crossover-sport utilities. In Europe, there are two things holding the automotive market up: robust export pathways and a fast-growth electric vehicle market. In the U.S., we are seeing pickup trucks and …

This year alone, more than 650 new or completely redesigned models have been introduced into the Chinese automotive market. Nearly all of those from domestic manufacturers both large and small. Some we’ve heard of, like Geely, Chery, and Galaxy. Others are much more obscure like Byton, HiPhi, and Yudo Auto. …

Ahhh, government. Always there to make things more complicated and costly. Even for established automakers like Mercedes-Benz, which has built vehicles in Alabama for over thirty years. A new bill in Washington might shut that down. Legislation advancing in congress would ban any automaker that has Chinese ownership from selling …

Potential buyers of the Slate pickup/SUV, which has a starting price somewhere in the mid-$20,000s, are getting annoyed by the mandatory $1,450 shipping and destination charge that adds to the cost. Many who live near the factory in Indiana are wanting to know why they’re paying that much or why …

There’s a big gap between how much depreciation a gasoline or diesel vehicle loses over time and how much a battery-electric vehicle loses. The average internal combustion engine (ICE) car or truck loses about 45 percent of its value in its first five years. That includes luxury models, pickup trucks, …

As of right now, auto loan balances are at about $1.7 trillion, the average new car purchase is about $51,000, and automotive loans are spreading past a 5-year average. These are all indications that the automotive market, and the market on the whole, is beginning to become untenable. From Pinboard