What a curious year it’s been. I suppose I really mean crazy. Change is so often heralded as being for the good, in the long run; it’s hard to see that sometimes, especially as violence continues to shape our societies.

International strife continues to disrupt lives and economies, while divisive politics foster the differences between people rather than seeing opportunities to take advantage of similarities. Growth is hard to spot, no matter which direction you seek it. Arms sales, for sure have hit new heights – no irony there!

We sometimes rush to change when a more studied approach would serve to bring betterment; electric vehicles are a fine example. Manufacturers look cool with new fandangle designs and machinery, politically correct too. The inevitability of the demise of the internal combustion engine is assured but the pace of the shift doesn’t match the convenience of the message.

The government dreams up some convenient date to achieve reduced emissions, more to ameliorate global public opinion than to realistically achieve the same goal with the conviction of the affected audience. For the time being I’d rather order a Cadillac CT5 Blackwing V8 than a Lyriq.

Stocks of electric vehicle variants are piling up as sales slow. What looks good to the manufacturers’ shipping volumes does nothing for the lack of confidence shared by buyers’ concerns for recharging these cars on the road. 

I’m sure we’ll see all kinds of incentives but they’ll have to come in clear, understandable packages; unlike the government or state rebate schemes, which are as clear as Obamacare! Dealers will be screaming for floor-plan financing assistance when weeds start growing through the hoods of their stockpiles.

Other concerns are being realized by early adopters of EVs; tire wear is a major consideration – a mere 20,000 miles being reported as being about normal. The weight of the engines, combined with the enormous torque peal rubber from the surfaces of tires. Wheelies without the thrill, just the bill!

No doubt technological development will take care of weight issues in the future – but that’s my point; development is still in its baby stages for this new vehicle frontier. Political posturing will have a rebound effect on long-term quality and sustainability. Does Elon Musk look like a billionaire genius to a man and his family stuck in Podunk, Idaho waiting for a battery charge, if he can find one?

Natural market economics will eventually take care of how to value used EVs; a whole new set of condition guidelines will have to come into play. What do we do with used batteries? Remanufacture? Landfill? Warrantees? What will the consumer be charged (sorry!) for a battery’s disposal? Pose those questions to some government panjandrum but don’t expect a sensible reply that you can exert on our multibillion-dollar marketplace. Let’s be careful – decisions made in ignorance will be costly.

Outside influences like California’s ban on gas-powered vehicles by 2035 will, no doubt, accelerate the course and pace of change. Let’s hope the infrastructure is there to meet the changes.

I’m sure that today’s auto auctions will accommodate the changes; they’re like chameleons, reflecting the different environments in which they can happily survive. Under today’s leadership, the industry is sure to adopt new rules and adapt new techniques to the fair-value marketing they do every day.

Let’s hope next year will bring peace to countries and level thinking to societies in an environment that fosters informed growth for change.

Merry Christmas!