Double the Love: Ride for Dad
It's time once again to double the love. Donate to the Adult Fun Superstore's charitable campaign and AFS will match your donation, supporting Ottawa's Motorcycle Ride for Dad
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Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
A Little Bad News for Rivian and Lucid
Rivian (NASDAQ: RIVN) and Lucid Motors (NASDAQ: LCID) entered 2025 in different gears. Rivian was entering a year with no major vehicle launch, stagnating deliveries, and a lack of any visible catalysts, while Lucid has strung together six consecutive quarters of record deliveries and is ramping the production of its new Gravity SUV. One thing they both have in common is a growing, albeit more slowly than hoped, electric vehicle (EV) market. Here's the bad news: Some recent data says that the EV market sentiment looks to be souring. Survey says Tesla changed the game when it made EVs "cool" for the first time. Since then, the hype surrounding EVs as the future of transportation has swept the globe, in some countries (like China) faster than in others. But according to a recent survey, that hype could be in decline in the U.S. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Interest in EVs spiraled to its lowest level since 2019, according to a consumer survey commissioned by AAA. Only 16% of respondents reported being "likely" or "very likely" to purchase an EV as their next vehicle, signaling consumer caution. The percentage of respondents who indicated they would be "unlikely" or "very unlikely" to purchase an EV as their next vehicle jumped from 51% to 63%, the highest mark since 2022. The percentage who believe that most cars will be electric within the next decade fell from 40% in 2022 to 23% this year. Not only is interest in EVs down, there's also the lingering pessimism surrounding battery repair costs, total costs, and charging infrastructure -- a story as old as EVs themselves. More specifically, 62% of respondents noted high battery repair costs as a main reason for avoiding going electric, while purchase price was cited by 59% of respondents. The hesitation when it comes to purchase price is understandable. The average transaction price for a new EV in March was $59,205, far higher than the overall average transaction price of $47,462, according to data from Cox Automotive. As far as consumer concerns go, 56% of respondents had the fear of running out of charge while driving, and 55% noted a lack of convenient public charging stations. Pulling support The waning consumer sentiment goes hand in hand with the Trump administration's effort to pull support from the EV industry. House Republicans passed a budget bill on May 22 that will reduce federal incentives for battery manufacturing, as well as other clean energy projects. If the Senate approves it, it would cut the section of the bill that provides the $7,500 EV tax credit. The administration took it a step further, as the bill also institutes a new tax of $250 for EV owners and $100 for hybrid owners. The tax contributes to the Highway Trust Fund to support infrastructure. What it all means Investors would be wise to temper growth expectations for the EV industry this year, especially with tariff uncertainty hanging over the automotive industry. That's especially true considering that first-quarter data could give a different impression. EV registrations grew 16%, according to S&P Global Mobility, and market share rose from 6.9% to 7.7%, year over year. There was a demand pull-ahead effect due to people predicting that the tax credit would soon disappear. Rivian, which is currently waiting anxiously for the R2 launch, lacks momentum in 2025 and could use broader industry strength to boost its stock price. Investors who believe in Rivian long-term should keep their eyes open for a buying opportunity this year. For Lucid investors, while this decline in consumer sentiment isn't ideal, the company has plenty of self-driven momentum thanks to quarters of record deliveries. The company is currently ramping up production and deliveries of the new Gravity SUV EV, which will continue driving total deliveries higher throughout the year. For these two young automakers, the broader industry's health is important. The simple truth is that people aren't taking to EVs in the U.S. as quickly as investors had hoped. Should you invest $1,000 in Rivian Automotive right now? Before you buy stock in Rivian Automotive, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Rivian Automotive wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $669,517!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $868,615!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is792% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to171%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 2, 2025 Daniel Miller has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Tesla. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Globe and Mail
5 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Road lines fading faster after environmental rule, say local politicians – raising costs and safety concerns
Municipalities across the country say a government regulation that limits a group of chemicals used in painting road lines is hitting their budgets hard. Without the chemicals, they say, road lines fade more quickly, putting drivers at risk and forcing municipalities to repaint them more often. 'It seems like something small but it's actually something that affects every municipality across the country,' said Tim Tierney, vice-president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and an Ottawa city councillor. The federal regulations limit the allowable concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) − chemicals in paint products used for road markings − to 150 grams per litre in those products from 450. VOCs are also found in nail polish and hairsprays. The lower limit is required only from May 1 to Oct. 15, when the weather is mild and air pollution is a concern. These are the months during which most municipalities paint their road lines. The regulations by Environment and Climate Change Canada were put forward because VOCs contribute to the formation of both particulate matter and ground-level ozone, which are the two main components of smog. 'Health impacts from smog include irritated eyes, nose and throat. Smog can worsen existing heart and lung problems or may cause lung cancer with regular long-term exposure,' spokesperson Brandon Clim said in a statement. Gary LeRoux, president of the Canadian Coatings Association, said a steep drop in VOC concentration results in 'inherent issues with adhesion and durability.' Councillors across the country say the regulations overlook safety concerns on roads. They say municipalities now require multiple rounds of repaints a year as fading road lines continue to put drivers, pedestrians and motorists' lives at risk. Clark Somerville, councillor for the Town of Halton Hills and the region of Halton, said the regulation is ultimately costing Canadian taxpayers more, with their money being spent 'unnecessarily.' 'As the road painting is disappearing quicker, we are now spending taxpayers dollars to go out and repaint the roads more than what we had to before,' Mr. Somerville said. Rural municipalities say it's particularly an issue for them because their roads are darker and more dangerous at night. 'Anyone that gets behind a vehicle knows how important and key it is to have those lines on the road,' said Kara Westerlund, president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta and councillor for Brazeau County. 'Especially when you're in rural areas where we don't have [adequate] street lighting.' Ms. Westerlund, who represents 69 rural municipalities in Alberta, said it's not just councillors or elected officials who have been raising this issue. She said first responders, police services and volunteer firefighters are pointing to disappearing road markings to explain some road accidents. 'It's really tough because everyone wants to be a good steward to the environment, but I just think we have to pick and choose our battles,' said Mr. Tierney, the Ottawa councillor. 'And safety is a real one.' While councillors such as Mr. Somerville are calling for more funding to cover the cost of keeping up road lines, arguing that municipalities do not have the necessary 'wiggle room' in their budgets, Ms. Westerlund said more attention should be paid to the paint. 'Before throwing more funding at crews to paint the lines, let's get to the root of the issue and that is the paint itself,' Ms. Westerlund said. 'Let's find solutions there and move forward from there.' Mr. Clim, the Environment Canada spokesperson, said other factors also determine how long road markings last – traffic volume, weather conditions and how snow and ice are managed. The department 'has not received any technical information indicating that the VOC limits for traffic markings affect the product's performance,' Mr. Clim said. David Saucier, director of issues management at the Canadian Coatings Association, said the federal government should go back to the drawing board and consult industry experts. 'What are we compromising here?' Mr. Saucier said. 'If we're going to compromise health and safety for pedestrians and motorists, what are we saving?' Mr. Tierney said the regulation has had a positive impact when applied to products such as hairsprays or nail polish, 'even wall paint.' 'But when it comes to road painting specifically there doesn't seem to be a magic formula to make it work yet.'
CBC
5 hours ago
- CBC
For $3.4M, you could own this southern Ontario drive-in movie theatre
After 37 years of showing movies under the stars, owner John D'Addetta of the Mustang Drive-In just outside Guelph, Ont., has decided it's time to sell. "I'm reaching 74 years old now and I think it's time to pretty well pack it in," said D'Adetta. "I enjoyed every minute of it. You know, I loved going out there, fresh air, you get to see a lot of people, a lot of friends." The Mustang Drive-In is one of 16 remaining drive-ins in Ontario and a total of 37 across Canada. The nearly five hectare property on Jones Baseline just east of Guelph is listed for $3.4 million. Robert Dickinson, a sales representative for Coldwell Banker Commercial Integrity Real Estate, says the location has been a cornerstone of community entertainment for many years. "It's just an opportunity for a new buyer to take over and operate a beloved business that's still well used by the community," Dickinson said. "You know there are not that many types of entertainment where you can bring the whole family and for an affordable price." Flicker of memories D'Addetta was already in the theatre business in the 1980s. He owned a movie theatre in downtown Oshawa when he had the opportunity to purchase the Mustang Drive-In and another drive-in movie theatre in Cobourg, east of Oshawa D'Addetta says since he took over, there have been a lot of technical changes at the Mustang. "We finally got rid of the outside speakers there, which were a pain in the you know where. People forgot that they had them on their windows, they'd drive off, ripping them off," D'Addetta said adding that resulted in "a lot of maintenance." "We finally got rid of that and we went and picked up our own FM frequency radio station, which improved the sound and everything else." D'Addetta says he was also happy to see the conversion from original film projectors, which made the change from what he calls the "fire hazard" Carbon Arc projector lamp to the Xenon bulb. Then that technology was replaced about seven years ago when movies went from film to digital. Now a feature-length film comes in a small hard drive that they ingest into the projector to show on the screen. Future of the property As more people move to communities throughout southern Ontario, including the Guelph area, there are questions about whether the drive-in could be converted into housing. But Dickinson says the property is currently zoned agricultural with a legal non-conforming use to operate a drive-in movie theatre. "Confirmation with the Township of Guelph/Eramosa would have to be undertaken by the buyer to any change of use," Dickinson said. "Its current use only states that a drive-in theatre can operate there. But there is opportunity to do other income streams including antique car shows, farmers markets and any sort of outdoor venue event permissible by the township." The Mustang Drive-In can fit between 400 and 500 cars on the property and it is currently open every weekend for the summer. D'Addetta says they've also worked to maintain a vibe that reminds people of when drive-ins were first introduced. "There's still the 1950s style diner. I have old clips at intermission of the bouncing hot dogs and all that stuff that's very cute," D'Addetta said. "Much more relaxed atmosphere. Again, you're in your own car. If you don't like the first movie, have a snooze and watch a second movie. We always show a double feature, long weekends or so, triple features."
