The Chevy Bolt is already a great enough deal to get our Electrek Vehicle of the Year award, but after the US Treasury delayed its guidance on battery sourcing requirements, that deal might be even better – but only for the next couple of months.
To qualify for the new credit, cars need to be assembled in North America (see a list here). But that’s not all – cars also need to have their battery components manufactured or assembled in the US, and have their critical battery minerals sourced from the US or from countries with which the US has a free trade agreement. If the battery only fits one of those two battery requirements, it only qualifies for half of the credit.
Previously, GM has stated that once these requirements phase in, the Bolt would likely qualify for $3,750 in credits from the government.
And those requirements were set to phase in by the end of the year, when the Treasury department issues full guidance on how those rules will work.
But yesterday, the Treasury announced that they’ll need a little more time to prepare specific rules around these battery sourcing requirements, and that they’ll be ready “sometime in March.” This may give some cars a “brief window of eligibility” for the full credit that they wouldn’t get otherwise.
However, other provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act still go into effect on January 1. Namely, the lifting of the per-manufacturer cap on credits. This is what formerly had disqualified Tesla and GM from getting credits since those two companies had hit the cap, but starting January their credits will be refreshed.
What this means is that between January 1 and “sometime in March,” the Chevy Bolt may qualify for an additional $3,750 in credits that it won’t qualify for after March. Giving it access to the full $7,500 in tax credits.
While this is true for some other vehicles as well (Tesla Model Y and low-optioned Model 3s), the Bolt occupies the unique space of being the lowest-priced EV out there, and going from zero credit availability to full $7,500 credit availability on January 1, and being well below new price caps (starting January 1, cars over $55K and SUVs/trucks over $80K MSRP don’t qualify), and potentially losing half of that credit after March (though that depends on the details of the Treasury’s guidance).
This means that a base model Bolt, assuming it can be purchased at MSRP, and assuming the buyer can take full advantage of the tax credit, could be had for the price of $18,100 – or even less, if you take into account state and local incentives. Potentially, this could be the cheapest new car in America for the right buyer.
Bonus: There are also almost $4000 worth of stackable deals that may or not be phasing out on January 3rd including:
Even if you just parked this thing in your garage with an EVextend V2L adapter and a cheap inverter, the 65kWh battery pack can provide more backup power than 4 Tesla Powerwalls (4×14.4kWh, $33,000).
There are a lot of assumptions there, especially at a time where it’s hard to find any car for MSRP, but even at full price a Bolt is still a good deal. We genuinely love the car, and not just because it’s cheap, but because it’s a well-made EV with a 5-star-safety-rating, premium features like Wireless CarPlay/Android Auto – though of course we would like it more if it had faster DC charge speed.
Nevertheless, it looks like the Bolt is about to be even more of a screaming deal, but potentially only for a few months until the Treasury gets its guidance out. So if you’ve been thinking about getting an EV, reach out to your local dealers and see if you can find a Bolt at near MSRP. You just might end up with the best deal on the road. And regardless, always consult a tax professional first, to make sure that you’ll qualify for these credits.
If you’d like, you can use our links to contact your local dealers about the 2023 Chevy Bolt EV or 2023 Chevy Bolt EUV, and see if they have any in stock for delivery before “sometime in March.”
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Most Wall Street analysts covering Tesla’s stock (TSLA) badly misread the automaker’s delivery volumes this quarter. Some of them have started releasing notes to clients following Tesla’s production and delivery results.
Here’s what they have to say:
According to Tesla-compiled analyst consensus, the automaker was expected to report “377,592 deliveries” in the first quarter.
Truist Securities maintained its hold rating on Tesla’s stock, but it greatly lowered its price target from $373 to $280 a share. They insist that while their earnings expectations have crashed because they overestimated deliveries, investors should focus on Tesla’s self-driving effort, which they see as “much more important for the long-term value of the stock.”
Goldman Sachs lowered its price target from $320 to $275 a share. The firm expected 375,000 deliveries from Tesla in Q1 and therefore had to adjust its earnings expectations with almost 40,000 fewer deliveries.
Wedbush‘s Dan Ives, one of Tesla’s biggest cheerleaders, called the delivery results “disastrous”, but he reiterated his $550 price target on Tesla’s stock.
UBS has reiterated its $225 price target which it had lowered last month after adjusting its delivery expectations in Q1 to 367,000 – one of the more accurate predictions on Wall Street.
CFRA‘s analyst Garrett Nelson reduced his price target from $385 to $360 a share.
Electrek’s Take
I find it funny that most of them are maintaining or barely changing their expectations after they were so wrong about Tesla in Q1.
If you were so wrong in Q1, you should expect to be incorrect also for the rest of the year, and readjust accordingly.
But Cantor is invested in Tesla, and the firm is owned by Elon’s friend, who happens to now be the secretary of commerce. Truist still believes Elon’s self-driving lies, Goldman Sachs overestimated Tesla’s deliveries by the equivalent of $2 billion in revenues, and Dan Ives is Dan Ives.
Covering Tesla over the last 15 years has confirmed to me that most Wall Street analysts have no idea what they are doing – or at least not when it comes to companies like Tesla.
Do you know any who have been consistently good lately? I’d love suggestions in the comment section below.
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The global market rout on Thursday, sparked by President Donald Trump’s announcement of widespread tariffs, had an outsized effect on fintech companies and credit card issuers that are closely tied to consumer spending and credit.
Affirm, which offers buy now, pay later purchasing options, plunged 19%, while stock trading app Robinhood slid 10% and payments company PayPal fell 8%. American Express and Capital One each tumbled 10%, and Discover was down more than 8%.
President Trump on Wednesday laid out the U.S. “reciprocal tariff” rates that more than 180 countries and territories, including European Union members, will face under his sweeping new trade policy. Trump said his plan will set a 10% baseline tariff across the board, but that number is much higher for some countries.
The announcement sent stocks reeling, wiping out nearly $2 trillion in value from the S&P 500, and pushing the tech-heavy Nasdaq down 6%, its worst day since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
The sell-off was especially notable for companies most exposed to consumer spending and global supply chains, including payment providers and lenders. Fintech companies that rely on transaction volume or installment-based lending could see both revenue and credit performance deteriorate.
“When you go down the spectrum, that’s when you have more cyclical risk, more exposure to tariffs,” said Sanjay Sakhrani, an analyst at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, citing PayPal and Affirm as businesses at risk. He said bigger companies in the space “are more defensive” and better positioned.
Dan Dolev, an analyst at Mizuho, said bank processors such as Fiserv are less exposed to tariff volatility.
“It’s considered a safe haven,” he said.
Affirm executives have previously said rising prices might increase demand for their products. Chief Financial Officer Rob O’Hare said higher prices could push more consumers toward buy now, pay later services.
“If tariffs result in higher prices for consumers, we’re there to help,” O’Hare said at a Stocktwits fireside chat last month. Affirm CEO Max Levchin has offered similar comments.
However, James Friedman, an analyst at SIG, told CNBC that delinquencies become a concern. He compared Affirm to private-label store cards, and pointed to historical trends in credit performance during downturns, noting that “private label delinquency rates run roughly double” in a recession when compared to traditional credit cards.
“You have to look at who’s overexposed to discretionary,” he said.
Affirm did not provide a comment but pointed to recent remarks from its executives.
Wait, Mazda sells a real EV? It’s only in China for now, but that will change very soon. The first Mazda 6e built for overseas markets rolled off the assembly line Thursday. Mazda’s new EV will arrive in Europe, Southeast Asia, and other overseas markets later this year. This could be the start of something with a new SUV due out next.
Mazda’s new EV rolls off assembly for overseas markets
The Mazda EZ-6 has been on sale in China since October with prices starting as low as 139,800 yuan, or slightly under $20,000.
Earlier this year, Mazda introduced the 6e, the global version of its electric car sold in China. The stylish electric sedan is made by Changan Mazda, Mazda’s joint venture in China.
After the first Mazda 6e model rolled off the production line at the company’s Nanjing Plant, Mazda said it’s ready to “conquer the new era of electrification with China Smart Manufacturing.”
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The new global “6e” model will be built at Changan Mazda’s plant and exported to overseas markets including Europe, Thailand, and other parts of Southeast Asia.
Mazda calls it “both a Chinese car and a global car,” with Changan’s advanced EV tech and Mazda’s signature design.
Mazda 6e electric sedan during European debut (Source: Changan Mazda)
Built on Changan’s hybrid platform, the EZ-6 is offered in China with both electric (EV) and extended-range (EREV) powertrains. The EV version has a CLTC driving range of up to 600 km (372 miles) and can fast charge (30% to 80%) in about 15 minutes.
Mazda’s new EV will be available with two battery options in Europe: 68.8 kWh or 80 kWh. The larger (80 kWh) battery gets up to 552 km (343 miles) WLTP range, while the 68.8 kWh version is rated with up to 479 km (300 miles) range on the WLTP rating scale.
At 4,921 mm long, 1,890 mm wide, and 1,491 mm tall, the Mazda 6e is about the size of a Tesla Model 3 (4,720 mm long, 1,922 mm wide, and 1,441 mm tall).
Mazda said the successful rollout of the 6e kicks off “the official launch of Changan Mazda’s new energy vehicle export center” for global markets.
The company will launch a new SUV next year and plans to introduce a third and fourth new energy vehicle (NEV).
Although prices will be announced closer to launch, Mazda’s global EV will not arrive with the same $20,000 price tag in Europe as it will face tariffs as an export from China. Mazda is expected to launch the 6e later this year in Europe and Southeast Asia. Check back soon for more info.
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