Automobiles
Automakers Rethink E.V. Investments as Higher Labor Costs Hit
President Joe Biden's support for the United Auto Workers might have harmed his push for a faster transition to electric vehicles.
Starting Next Year, You Can Buy a Car on Amazon
While the partnership between Hyundai and Amazon is a good first step, states should get rid of laws that mandate franchise dealerships.
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences (Vol. 13): Gun Buybacks, Poppy Payday, CAFE Standards
Good intentions, bad results
Essentials for Van Life
How do you build a bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a workspace in a van?
Will Electric Cars Disappoint Environmentalists?
Mark Mills and Rosario Fortugno debate the future of electric vehicles.
Americans Learned a Lesson About Interest Rates. Washington Has Not.
Higher rates lead to more debt, and more debt begets higher rates, and on and on. Get the picture?
Gas Cars vs. Electric Vehicles: A Soho Forum Debate
Will electric cars disappoint environmentalists? Mark Mills and Rosario Fortugno debate.
A Raise for Auto Workers May Imperil Biden's Electric Vehicle Ambitions
The president voiced support for the union's goals on the picket line but companies are already struggling to build fuel-efficient cars that Biden wants to prioritize.
Gasoline Engines and Sex Changes for Kids
Plus: Minimum wage laws, space exploration, that time when North Africa was less dysfunctional than California, and more...
Biden Is Pandering to the 1 Percent: Union Manufacturing Workers
Less than 1 percent of American workers are union members in manufacturing jobs. But you'd never know that by watching our politics.
Are Government Shutdowns Good for Limited Government?
Plus: A listener asks whether younger generations are capable of passing reforms to entitlement spending.
Tim Scott Invokes Ronald Reagan and Says UAW Strikers Should Be Fired
"He said, you strike, you're fired. Simple concept to me. To the extent that we can use that once again, absolutely."
Biden, the 'Most Pro-Union President,' Reaps What He Sows
Labor actions largely respond to policies that cause widespread pain.
Politicians Say They Want To Fight Climate Change. So Why Are They Fighting China on Electric Vehicles?
Rather than posing a national security threat, the growth of China's E.V. industry is an opportunity for global innovation.
China Is No Economic Model for America
The country's current struggles show the problems of the Beijing way—and make the case for freedom.
Season 1, Episode 5 Podcasts
Why We Can't Have Nice Things: The 'Chicken Tax' That Makes Pickup Trucks More Expensive
"It's not easy to make one of these rules, but it's a thousand times harder to get rid of one."
Giving Away Taxpayer Money Is Not the Best Way To Attract Investment
State and countries should make their business climates more attractive to investment, not just dole out taxpayer money.
Automotive Lobby: EPA's Vehicle Emission Standards 'Neither Reasonable Nor Achievable'
The group stresses that it supports the government's ultimate goal of electrification, but the method of achieving that goal should be realistic.
Oregon Partially Repeals Ban on Adults Fueling Their Own Cars
After many failed efforts at reform, the Oregon Legislature has passed a bill allowing gas stations to designate up to half their pumps as self-service.
The Absence of a 'Carmageddon' After the Philadelphia Bridge Collapse Doesn't Prove Highways Are Useless
The closure of I-95 is a teachable moment. But highway critics are learning the wrong lesson from it.
Florida Doubles Down on Anti-Competitive Car Dealership Law
Automobile dealers say the law will preserve and protect the "competitive nature" of the business, by removing their competitors.
U.K. Think Tank Warns Government Not To Get Into E.V. 'Subsidy Race'
Rather, Downing Street should prioritize "stability in government policy," cautions Policy Exchange's Geoffrey Owen.
Michigan Has Given the E.V. Industry $1.4 Billion and Counting
Carmakers don't need a crony-capitalist slush fund.
Fast X Is a Loud, Obnoxious, Campy Bore
The 10th entry in the muscle-car series is loud, ugly, and all too self-aware.
Rivian Continues To Hemorrhage Money Despite $1.5 Billion in State Incentives
According to a new Bloomberg report, Rivian has lost 93 percent of its market value since November 2021. The state of Georgia is still on the hook for as much as $1.5 billion in state incentives.
Biden's 'Buy American' Electric Vehicle Tax Credits Go Into Effect
The credits may be well-intentioned, but they will distort the market and lead to a windfall for U.S. companies.
The EPA's Ban of Gasoline-Powered Cars Will Actually Slow Development of Electric Cars
The Biden administration wants as many as two-thirds of all new vehicles sold in the U.S. by 2032 to be electric. But the market should decide how to make that switch.
Georgia Is Shoveling Cash Into a Failing Electric Vehicle Company
In 2021, the state of Georgia made an expensive bet on an unproven company that could be headed for financial catastrophe.
The Inflation Reduction Act Is Screwing Up the Market for Electric Vehicles
Volkswagen unveiled a cheap new electric concept car, but protectionist policies mean it's not worthwhile for the company to introduce it in the U.S.
Kids Are Stealing Hyundais and Kias. Government Officials Blame Hyundai and Kia—and TikTok.
Federal, state, and local officials will always threaten to weaponize the state against private actors they don't like. The "Kia Challenge" provides the latest example.
The Luddites' Veto
Beware of activists touting "responsible research and innovation." The sensible-sounding slogan masks a reactionary agenda.
Innovation Drives Down the Cost of Powering Electric Cars
Americans are increasingly buying electric cars. Electrochemists and their innovations will drive down the cost of powering them.
Electric Truck Manufacturer Featured in Super Bowl Ad Got $186 Million in Taxpayer Subsidies
Stellantis, one of the largest automakers on the planet with billions in cash on hand, got a generous handout from the state of Indiana for choosing to build its battery manufacturing plant there.
Youngkin Nixes Ford Electric Vehicle Plant Over Anti-China Paranoia
The factory may have been a bad deal for Virginia, but tying the decision to Chinese aggression is the wrong move.
Will We Get Private Flying Cars Before the Pentagon Manages To Get This New Jet Off the Ground?
A Swedish company will soon be delivering electric single-person aircraft that can take off and land vertically, which the F-35B struggles with despite billions in funding.
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Antwerp Siege, Hearth Taxes, Cash for Clunkers (Vol. 9)
Good intentions, bad results.
Ohio Pledges Over $150 Million in Taxpayer Money for Honda Factories
Honda, one of the world's largest automakers, announced it would spend $4 billion building and upgrading factories in Ohio. The state is showering it with public funds anyway.
Ford Rolls Out Gas-Guzzlers To Fund Its Green Energy Ambitions
While that might seem backward, even the most worthwhile green energy goals will require some level of trade-off if they are to be achieved.
Ford's E.V. Charger Mandate Shows How Broken Dealership Laws Are
The current franchise dealership model does not benefit consumers. It also may not benefit dealerships.
The CHIPS Act Is Corporate Welfare Disguised as Industrial Policy
If you believe that moving most of our chip production onshore is good for national security, you should labor for regulatory reforms rather than subsidies.
Crony Capitalism Is Apparently Business-Friendly
North Carolina wins "America's Top State for Business" by picking winners and losers.
Some Countries Are Having Second Thoughts About Electric Car Mandates
The United States should consider adopting a market-based strategy for increasing electric vehicle usage.
Review: Gran Turismo 7
The video game serves as a fun reminder that free trade, not protectionism, makes us all better off.
