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Just right morning! It is Monday, April 14, 2025, and that is The Morning Shift — your day-to-day roundup of the highest car headlines from around the globe, in a single position. That is the place you can in finding an important tales which might be shaping the best way American citizens pressure and get round.
On this morning’s version, we are having a look into the results of price lists on automobile costs, in addition to Polestar’s reprioritization clear of China. We will additionally check out the potential for a renewed semiconductor scarcity, and the bizarre story of French motorcyclists panic-buying Harley-Davidsons.
1st Equipment: Professionals be expecting price lists to push new-car consumers out of the marketplace
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Vehicles are too dear, however price lists are about to make the entirety a complete lot worse. It is nonetheless now not transparent precisely how dangerous issues gets, for the reason that the Trump management adjustments its thoughts on price lists each and every quarter-hour, however the newest phrase is that auto price lists are right here to stick — and right here to boost costs on all the new marketplace. Automobile Information has the main points:
Lots of the lowest-priced cars bought within the U.S. are assembled in different international locations, making them specifically liable to new price lists of 25 % on imported automobiles.
That has sellers similar to Lance Iserman involved.
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“That is not going to assist our new-car quantity,” mentioned Iserman, CEO of Morrie’s Auto Team in Minneapolis, with 31 dealerships within the higher Midwest. “That is going to position other people again at the sidelines or transfer them to used cars.”
Extra consumers being driven into the used marketplace approach an build up on costs for used vehicles — it is an build up in call for on stagnant provide. That offer will best drop in future years if those price lists persevere, as fewer new vehicles turn into used, and the issue will simply worsen.
2d Equipment: Polestar scales again China operations
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Polestar is in a peculiar position at this time, status neither as a efficiency providing nor a Volvo offshoot for EV trying out. It is simply kind of a obscure, vague factor, that helps to keep making gorgeous vehicles with out doing a lot to give an explanation for why the ones vehicles are not badged as Volvos. Now, the corporate is rethinking its method to the Chinese language marketplace, to provide itself a little of monetary respiring room because it hones in on positioning in Europe. From Bloomberg:
Electrical car logo Polestar is scaling again its presence in China, operating down its retailer community and exiting a gross sales and advertising three way partnership with a neighborhood corporate.
Polestar Leader Govt Officer Michael Lohscheller mentioned the Swedish-origin carmaker, which is a part of billionaire Li Shufu’s auto empire, has made up our minds on a distinct arrange on the earth’s greatest car marketplace.
With the entire “by-product logo for EVs” factor reputedly off the desk, for the reason that Volvo is bullish on EVs itself, in all probability Polestar must return to its efficiency roots. Give me amped-up EVs in Swedish Racing Inexperienced with that lovely styling. Move after Porsche. You’ll be able to do it, Polestar.
third Equipment: Our previous pal the chip scarcity may just forestall by way of once more to mention hello
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Keep in mind our previous pal from a couple of years again, Chip Scarcity (emphasis on the second one syllable, comfortable G)? We have not heard from Mr. Scarcity in a minute now, with provide chains in the end restabilizing after everybody simply kind of gave up on combatting COVID-19 in any significant method, however it sort of feels he would possibly make any other shuttle stateside quickly. This time, although, Chip has a brand new raison d’etre: Price lists. From Reuters:
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday mentioned he could be saying the tariff charge on imported semiconductors over the following week, including that there could be flexibility with some firms within the sector.
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“We’re looking at Semiconductors and the WHOLE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY CHAIN within the upcoming Nationwide Safety Tariff Investigations,” he posted on social media.
This most likely may not finish with a full-blown scarcity like we noticed in 2020, however it’s going to indubitably carry costs on semiconductors. Keep in mind paying above MSRP for a graphics card? Smartly, do not be stunned if that begins to occur once more — best the inflated value may not be a markup, simply the fee at the record at NewEgg.
4th Equipment: The French are panic-buying Harley-Davidsons
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Yeah, I did not assume I might ever see a sentence like that both. The French — with their striped shirts and lengthy cigarettes and fancy little Ecu scooters — are procuring Harley-Davidson bikes. In a panic. This industry battle has completed greater than mess with our financial system, it is thrown us into some kind of bizarro parallel truth. From Reuters:
Gross sales are brisk on the Villiers-Sur-Marne Harley-Davidson dealership outdoor Paris, the place French bikers reckon that they had higher hurry if they would like the American bike in their goals prior to industry battle places them out of achieve.
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Bikes have been on an inventory of American items because of be hit by way of EU price lists introduced this week in line with Trump. After Trump rowed again on a few of his price lists, the EU suspended its levies however mentioned they might nonetheless kick in if negotiations fail.
This, greater than anything, tells me we are within the Terran Empire universe. That is the type of off-the-wall decision-making of a author’s room brief on concepts or even shorter on time, and there is not any method it ends smartly for somebody. My apologies upfront to the Orions.
Opposite: Smartly, excellent factor that is over with
A laugh reality: The Mud Bowl was once the closing primary local weather disaster to have an effect on American home meals provides, and not anything like it’s going to ever occur once more! Simply do not learn the scoop. Any information.
On The Radio: Django Django — ‘Shake And Tremble’
“Shake And Tremble” is the primary observe in my summer-vibes playlist, as it should be titled “And The Residing’s Simple.” Elegant does now not characteristic within the playlist. Actually, maximum of my playlists are named after songs that are not within the playlist — my “songs about seasons of tv” playlist is entitled “Footage That Give Excitement To Your Eyes,” in spite of now not containing “2112” by way of Rush, and my “songs about radiation remedy for most cancers” playlist is titled “Ash And Mud” with out being besmirched by way of in truth containing Believe Dragons. My mind is very large and my playlists are too tough for you, traveler.
