Have you thought about how big the electric vehicle segment really is? Today, less than one in ten new vehicles sold in the United States is a BEV. Now start thinking about what type of buyer each electric vehicle attracts: you have high-ranking executives buying Porsches, glamping enthusiasts looking at Rivian and then there’s someone not looking at a Tesla who is interested in GM and VW. Niches exist, and that’s exactly what Rivian’s CEO is banking on, what differentiates his customers from others and allows the brand to coexist.

Welcome back to Critical materialsyour daily digest of everything related to electric vehicles and automotive technology. Today we discuss Rivian and Scout’s budding bromance, Lucid mocking the EV tax credit mess, and Lotus abandoning its EV-only plan in favor of EREVs. Let’s go

30%: Room for two: Rivian and Scout can coexist

Photo by: InsideEVs

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe was surprisingly cool as Volkswagen put together its rugged new brand. You see, Scout is really Rivian’s first real competitor – sure, other electric vehicles exist, but Scout is the first brand to offer a powerful, robust battery in the form of a truck. And mix the lifestyle component with it.

The threat of competition, however, did not make Scaringe back down. In fact, during a recent media roundtable, the CEO even endorsed the idea of ​​a seamless coexistence of the two brands. Why, you might ask? Well, according to ElectrekScaringe says there are “fewer than five” compelling electric vehicles in the sub-$50,000 price range, which should make differentiating from the competition simply by creating a better product surprisingly easy.

You may have noticed that Rivian and Scout have become awfully comfortable lately. You can thank Rivian’s partnership with Volkswagen for this, as the move allowed Scout to take advantage of new technology coming from Rivian…namely zonal architecture…which is available as part of the agreement. While this is great news for everyone involved, technology sharing has somewhat blurred the line between brands, which means we should once again shout it from the rooftops: Rivian and Scout are not the same.

Not the same brand, not the same chassis, not even the same foundations apart from the zonal architecture and certain software. Hell, despite some overlap, the two brands don’t even target the same target audience. Rivian is marketing to electric vehicle enthusiasts with active, outdoor lifestyles, while Scout is banking on nostalgia to sell an efficient blue-collar work truck. It’s like a Patagonia jacket versus Carhartt overalls – and It is why they can coexist.

Scaringe’s optimism is not unfounded. The electric vehicle segment still represents less than 10% of new vehicle registrations in the United States, making it still quite small. And with the threat of repealed electric vehicle tax credit erodes adoption ratesThis gives brands enough time to start filling the market with their own battery-powered cars, trucks, and other travel vehicles. In case you forgot, the Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevy Silverado EV, and Tesla Cybertruck also exist. Again, each of these overlaps to some extent with Rivian and Scout, but still caters to a specific customer.

So, at least for now, the segment looks harmonious. Both brands live in their own corner and attract their own customers, fully aware that the other exists and indifferent to the existence of the other. But will this friendly competition last if one or the other brand starts to expand and offer more “standardized” versions of its cars for the mass market? Only time will tell.

60%: Lucid doesn’t care about the disappearance of the electric vehicle tax credit

Photo by: American Armored Group

It seems the entire auto industry is holding its breath over the future of the $7,500 EV tax credit — everyone except Lucid, of course. Lucid’s attitude is apathetic at best, with CEO Peter Rawlinson throwing a big shrug in the face of the unknown rather than questioning whether or not Lucid’s future depends on the new Trump administration. eliminate the tax credit for electric vehicles.

“Lucid, of all the electric vehicle manufacturers, is really the most immune to this,” Rawlinson said in an interview with Bloombergreferring to the possible revocation of the $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicles.

You see, Lucid is in a unique position: it doesn’t need credit. In fact, the only vehicle it sells today – the $69,900+ Lucid Air – doesn’t even qualify, as the cheapest model starts above the $55,000 threshold for electric sedans. Lucid didn’t say whether or not it’s its next Gravity model (which technically begin up to $80,000 for SUVs) qualifies for the tax credit, but judging by Rawlinson’s comment, that doesn’t seem to matter:

Rawlinson believes Lucid’s vehicle technology will be available soon. vehiclesspeaks for itself and will help guide the automaker into the next phase of its gravity-fueled growth. The CEO believes the EV startup has even surpassed Tesla in terms of peak efficiency, so having Elon Musk in the president-elect’s ear for favorable treatment seems to do very little to scare Lucid’s business:

“We’ve really taken over from Tesla in terms of technology leadership right now, and that’s not really recognized enough,” Rawlinson said. “So I think we are in a very strong position to weather such a storm.”

Those are bold words for an automaker that’s only expected to sell half a percent (yes, 0.5%) as many cars as the company it claims to have stolen the tech crown from. Rawlinson seems confident that people will line up to buy a Lucid because it’s a Lucid, not because it’s the best deal on the market due to a measly $7,500 discount.

But then again, if Rawlinson is right, it might finally be Lucid’s time to shine among the luxury nameplates. The automaker still needs to overcome its currently unprofitable car manufacturing business before all of its investors’ funds dry up (again), which appears to depend on Gravity’s help. But the tax credit? Not so much.

90%: Lotus jumps on the EREV bandwagon and abandons the EV-only plan

Lotus has always been the brand that cares more about corners than cup holders. The driver-centric approach was Lotus’ niche, but with years of mediocre sales among other premium brands, the same technique would also almost be its coup de grace. Luckily, Chinese automaker Geely extended a lifeline that would transform the brand into an all-electric lifestyle brand, or so we thought.

The British racing brand previously pledged to electrify its lineup by 2028, and it seemed well on its way to doing just that as it introduced its Eletre SUV. But now Lotus appears to be taking the same path as other brands and abandoning plans for an electric-only future. But rather than commit to a new ICE powertrain, Lotus is instead looking to the specter of hybridization in Geely’s parts bins. Now, it could soon offer plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and extended-range electric (EREV) options.

“At Lotus, we have always chosen the best power technology available, whether it is pure gasoline, pure electric, hybrid or extended range (EV),” said Feng Qingfeng, CEO of Lotus, in an interview with the The Wall Street Journalaccording to AutoCar.

Feng said Lotus had previously rejected plug-in hybrids because they were a compromise compared to pure electric vehicles. Although Lotus appears to have rethought this for future models, the brand isn’t completely convinced. only electric vehicles or only PHEV. Instead, it will also turn to EREVs, that is, an electric vehicle equipped with a combustion generator to charge the battery as Scout’s Harvester and that of Ram Ramloader-to complete its range.

It’s hard not to ignore that this goes against everything Lotus stood for in its early days in racing. I can’t help but think of that famous phrase uttered by founder Colin Chapman: “simplify, then add levity.” Maybe it’s the purist in me, but it sounds more like “complicate, then add compromise.” But again, purist financiers are clearly not on Lotus’s side.

So mock this direction if you must, but for Lotus, the decision here is less about tradition and more about staying afloat in a market where Chinese smartphone makers can build 1,548-horsepower electric vehicles that destroy Nürburgring records for breakfast. Stay tuned to see how this chapter for Lotus plays out in the long term.

100%: What was the last gasoline car that you replaced with an electric vehicle?

Photo by: Porsche

New car buyers quickly find themselves faced with options that never existed before. Electric vehicles are starting to penetrate the market and offer very competitive performance compared to gasoline cars. Think: more seats, more cargo space, better acceleration. It’s a compelling argument if you don’t mind the slightly high cost or range anxiety.

I always find myself window shopping for gas cars and electric vehicles (which is impractical, if I’m being realistic with myself). And with limited options, it’s easy to start crossing segments and comparing models that aren’t even available yet. For example, the GR Corolla versus the upcoming Rivian R3X: one of them won’t hit the streets for years and the other will surely undergo a refresh or be discontinued by the time it launches.

The luxury and truck segments are more realistic. For example, the Porsche Taycan versus the BMW 5 Series, or the F-150 versus the F-150 Lightning. A more practical example would be the Chevrolet Blazer EV and Mazda CX-50.

There are many options here, and I want to know which gas car you last purchased with an electric vehicle. Let me know in the comments.