Rivian Automotive's stock soared 6% after analysts predicted strong third-quarter deliveries and highlighted the company's improving margins and solid demand for its electric vehicles.
Electric vehicle stock Rivian (NASDAQ:RIVN) received positive news from analysts, with Baird marking it as a "fresh pick" likely to beat delivery projections, resulting in a 6.5% increase in shares; additionally, reports of a lifted version of the Rivian R1T have further augmented its appeal to pickup enthusiasts.
Despite electric vehicle (EV) sales hitting records in the U.S., concerns arise as EVs are selling slower than expected due to excess inventory and weaker demand in regions like Michigan and Ohio, which could be attributed to cold weather impacting EV range, requiring smarter marketing and incentives from manufacturers like Ford and GM to drive adoption.
Electric Drive Transportation Association President Genevieve Cullen believes that the future of electric vehicles (EVs) is promising, as three factors - technology, policy, and markets - are driving the adoption and expansion of EVs. Despite concerns from autoworker unions about potential job losses, the rise of EVs is unstoppable, with increasing sales and government support.
Rivian experienced explosive growth in the first half of 2023 in California, with a nearly 200 percent increase in new vehicle registrations and a 156 percent growth in registrations for the second quarter alone, making it a popular alternative to Tesla among consumers.
Rivian reported record third-quarter electric vehicle deliveries, exceeding Wall Street estimates, and remains on track to produce 52,000 EVs in 2023.
Rivian reported higher-than-expected Q3 production and delivery numbers, putting the company on track to surpass its annual estimates and produce 52,000 vehicles in 2023.
Ford's third quarter EV sales surpassed 20,000 vehicles, with the Mustang Mach-E leading the way, although electric models make up just over 4% of the company's overall sales, and it still trails behind Rivian in terms of EV sales.
US electric vehicle (EV) sales reached over 313,000 in Q3, a nearly 50% increase from a year ago, with Tesla accounting for 50% of total sales, but its market share is decreasing; meanwhile, the overall EV market share reached 7.9%, driven by higher inventory, more product availability, and downward pricing pressure, according to Kelley Blue Book.
Tesla, along with General Motors and Ford, is cautious about expanding electric vehicle production capacity due to economic uncertainties and fears of a slowdown in demand, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk expressing concerns about higher borrowing costs and their impact on affordability.
Automakers are offering significant discounts on electric vehicles, particularly luxury models, as competition in the market grows and consumer interest in hybrids outweighs that in EVs.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk expressed concerns about the challenges of bringing electric pickup trucks to market and warned that volume production of the Cybertruck would not be reached until 2025, while Ford and GM are also facing demand issues for their EV pickups due to high costs and limited functionality compared to traditional trucks.
Investors are realizing that electric vehicles are not a guaranteed source of profit, as evidenced by Tesla's disastrous third-quarter earnings, prompting skepticism from Toyota's chairman Akio Toyoda and other automakers who advocate for investing in a variety of eco-friendly vehicles.
