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With “tremendous growth” expected for its EVs, Volvo CEO Jim Rowan says the brand is outpacing rivals. Rowan claims Volvo has “much more pricing power” as it rolls out its cheapest EV so far, the EX30, starting at $35,000.

Volvo CEO boasts pricing power for EVs

On Wednesday, Rowan told Reuters at the Global Markets Forum that Volvo sees a growth opportunity in the EV segment.

Volvo’s leader explained, “We have much more pricing power, and people have got more disposable income, so they can afford it if they want to drive an EV.” The comments come as several automakers, like Ford and GM, have scaled back EV investments.

After selling a record 113,419 EVs in 2023 (+70% YOY), Volvo expects to build on its momentum this year.

Volvo’s EVs accounted for 16% of its total sales last year, higher than most rivals and up from 10.9% in 2022.

Rowan has stood by his stance despite others claiming a slowdown in the EV market. When asked about the reported slowdown last month, Rowan said, “We are not seeing any order cancellations or any slowdown in order intake.”

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Volvo CEO Jim Rowan during the EX30 reveal (source: Volvo)

An affordable EV for everyone

The brand’s leader confirmed orders for the electric C40 and new EX30 are strong, even in the US. Volvo’s new EX30, starting under $35,000 (36,000 euros), is one of the most affordable EVs on the market. It’s also Volvo’s cheapest (and quickest) vehicle yet.

The electric SUV will be available in two versions: A single-motor extended range and a twin-motor performance model.

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Volvo EX30 (Source: Volvo Cars)

The extended range version includes up to 275 miles of range. Although the performance model sacrifices 10 miles range (265 miles), it packs 422 hp and 400 lb-ft torque for 0 to 60mph in 3.4 seconds.

Volvo calls the EX30 a “cornerstone” of its EV plans. The automaker expects the new EV to become one of its “best sellers in the coming years.”

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Volvo EX30 interior (Source: Volvo Cars)

Meanwhile, Volvo is also launching its first three-row electric SUV, the EX90. Volvo’s EX90 will start at $76,695 in the US to rival the Rivian R1S and Mercedes EQS.

Volvo was one of the first legacy automakers to commit to an all-electric lineup by 2030. Rowan believes the automaker is “on course” to hit its goal of going all-electric. By 2025, Volvo aims for around 50%, or about 600,000 in sales, to be electric as a halfway target.

Electrek’s Take

Despite a slight slowdown in EV sales last month, Volvo will likely turn things around (quickly) in 2024.

Volvo is rolling out EVs in key segments, including an affordable model (EX30), a three-row electric SUV (EX90). It even launched its first electric minivan in China (EM90). These models will join the already popular C40 and XC40 Recharge in Volvo’s all-electric lineup.

The brand will continue to be one to watch as the market shifts to EVs. Volvo’s early commitment to electrification is already paying off.

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Tesla wipes odometer on Cybertruck in service, scratches it, and returns it to owner

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Tesla wipes odometer on Cybertruck in service, scratches it, and returns it to owner

Tesla has wiped off the 26,000 miles on the odometer of a Cybertruck in service, scratched the vehicle, and then returned it to the owner like nothing happened.

A Tesla Cybertruck owner in Oregon was quite surprised when he went to pick up his Cybertruck, which was in service to install a new lightbar, fix some panel gaps, and figure out an ABS alert that wouldn’t go away.

According to a thread on the Cybertruck Owners Club, Tesla had wiped the odometer clean on the Foundation Series ‘Cyberbeast’, which had over 26,000 miles on it.

The owner shared a video of the Cybertruck’s odometer going from 0 to 1 mile for the second time:

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The odometer on the vehicle was wiped and both the app and service many also showed the same mileage.

The owner shared a screenshot of the app after 15 miles:

He went to the online forum for advice:

Anyone else have their odometer Thanos-snapped after a controller swap? Can Tesla unsnap it or am I forever “True Mileage Unknown”?

Interestingly, Tesla is currently being sued for allegedly messing with the odometers of its vehicles. However, the lawsuit is for accelerating the mileage, not reducing it, like in this case.

It was not the only surprise from this service visit for this Cybertruck owner.

The owner was not satisfied with the lightbar installation, which he claims has a half-inch gap on the passenger side while it is flush on the driver side. He wrote:

It’s basically smiling sideways at everyone.

It’s also unclear why Tesla was messing with the vehicle’s tailgate, but it ended up having a bolt moving around it, causing scratches and Tesla left a bolt unbolted:

At this point, the truck was returned with more problems than it had when it entered service.

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Ray Dalio says the risk to U.S. Treasuries is even greater than what Moody’s is saying

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Ray Dalio says the risk to U.S. Treasuries is even greater than what Moody's is saying

Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates LP, speaks during the Greenwich Economic Forum in Greenwich, Connecticut, US, on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023.

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Bridgewater Associates founder and billionaire Ray Dalio warned Monday that Moody’s downgrade of the U.S. sovereign credit rating understates the threat to U.S. Treasuries, saying the credit agency isn’t taking into account the risk of the federal government simply printing money to pay its debt.

“You should know that credit ratings understate credit risks because they only rate the risk of the government not paying its debt,” Dalio said in a post on social media platform X.

“They don’t include the greater risk that the countries in debt will print money to pay their debts thus causing holders of the bonds to suffer losses from the decreased value of the money they’re getting (rather than from the decreased quantity of money they’re getting),” the Bridgewater founder said.

Moody’s on Friday cut the U.S. credit rating one notch to Aa1 from Aaa, citing the federal government’s ballooning budget deficit and soaring interst payments on the debt. It was the last of the three major credit agencies to downgrade the U.S. from the highest possible rating.

U.S. stocks fell on Monday as the 30-year Treasury bond yield jumped to 4.995% and the 10-year note yield climbed to 4.521% in response to Moody’s downgrade.

“Said differently, for those who care about the value of their money, the risks for U.S. government debt are greater than the rating agencies are conveying,” Dalio said.

Bridgewater’s assets under management dropped 18% in 2024 to some $92 billion, Reuters reported in March, down from a recent peak of $150 billion in 2021.

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Nissan may have just found its saviour… Toyota?

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Nissan may have just found its saviour… Toyota?

Nissan is on the brink of collapsing. After the Honda deal fell through, it looks like another Japanese automaker is tossing it a lifeline. As Nissan struggles to stay afloat, Toyota is emerging as a potential “backer” in a new tie-up.

Are Toyota and Nissan partnering?

“If we don’t take action now, the situation will only get worse,” Nissan’s President, Ivan Espinosa, said during a press conference on May 13.

Facing falling sales, ballooning debt, and slumping profits, Nissan introduced a new recovery plan last week, “Re:Nissan.” The struggling automaker aims to cut costs by 250 billion yen to return to profitability by FY 2026.

As part of its efforts to turn the business around, Nissan will cut 20,000 jobs by FY2027. It’s also abandoning plans to build a new EV battery facility in Japan. Seven other plants will be closed, including one in Thailand and two in Japan.

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After its planned EV merger with Honda fell through in February, rumours surfaced that Nissan was scrambling to find another partner.

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(Source: Nissan)

According to a new report from Japan’s MainiChi, a Toyota executive recently reached out to Nissan about a potential partnership. The tie-up could involve Toyota acting as Nissan’s “backer” to support it while it restructures.

Nissan and Toyota both unveiled a wave of new electric vehicles set to roll out over the next few years. The upgraded Nissan LEAF EV will arrive in the US and Canada later this year with more range, an NACS port, and a new crossover style. It will be one of ten new Nissan or Infiniti models to arrive by 2027.

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Nissan’s upcoming lineup for the US, including the new LEAF EV and “Adventure Focused” SUV (Source: Nissan)

In Europe, Nissan will launch the next-gen LEAF later this year, followed by the new Micra EV and Qashqai electric crossover. In 2026, the new Nissan Juke EV will join the lineup.

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Nissan’s lineup for Europe. From left to right: The new Nissan Qashqai, LEAF, and Micra EV (Source: Nissan)

Meanwhile, Toyota’s upgraded bZ electric SUV (formerly the “bZ4X”) will arrive at US dealerships in the second half of 2025.

In 2026, the smaller C-HR electric SUV and rugged bZ Woodland EV will follow. By the end of the year, Europe will see three new Toyota electric SUVs: the C-HR+, Urban Cruiser, and upgraded bZ4X.

Electrek’s Take

Toyota already has a stake in several Japanese automakers, including Subaru (20%), Mazda (5.1%), Suzuki (4.6%), and Isuzu (5.9%), so backing Nissan wouldn’t come as a shock.

Espinosa said Nissan was open to new partnerships. Nissan’s chief said the company will continue collaborating with others, including Mitsubishi, which will use the upcoming LEAF as the basis for its new EV for North America.

Japanese carmakers have been notoriously slow in shifting to all-electric vehicles, which is now costing them in key overseas markets like Southeast Asia, Central and South America, and others.

Chinese EV leaders, like BYD, are quickly expanding overseas to drive growth this year. Next year, it will launch its first kei car (see the first spy shots), or mini EV, which is already being called “a huge threat” to Japan.

Pooling resources and teaming up may be the best (or only) option at this point. Can Toyota help Nissan turn things around? Or will it be too little, too late? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Check back soon for details. This is a developing story. We’ll keep you updated with the latest.

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