Summary3 min read

Becker Business: "Will EV Companies Bounce Back?" (March 25, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this succinct episode, host Scott Becker examines the current state of major electric vehicle (EV) companies—Rivian, Tesla, and Lucid Motors—focusing on their recent stock performance, car sales, and the crucial future role of autonomous driving technologies. Becker explores whether these companies are poised for a rebound, ultimately tying their fate to advancements in self-driving and robo-taxi innovations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Recent Stock Performance of Major EV Companies

Rivian: Down about 20% year to date
Tesla: Down about 16% year to date
Lucid Motors: Down about 2.5–3% year to date
- Notably, despite Lucid’s relatively small drop this year, “over the last five years, [it is] down something like 96%.” (Scott Becker, 01:05)
- Short-term improvement shouldn’t be viewed as a clear positive given long-term declines

2. Current Sales Numbers

Tesla: Selling approximately 1.6 million cars annually
Rivian: Approximately 42,000 to 50,000 cars annually
Lucid Motors: Significantly lower at about 16,000 cars annually

3. The Strategic Pivot Toward Autonomous Driving

The “real story” behind these companies isn’t just vehicle sales, but their advancements in:
- Technology
- Autonomous driving systems
Key growth lever: The potential for these companies to lead through self-driving and robo-taxi solutions
- “Where that really ends up being the growth lever for them.” (Scott Becker, 01:34)
- Tesla and Rivian: “Rolling this out very aggressively”
- Lucid: “A little bit behind, but moving in that direction too.” (Scott Becker, 01:53)

4. The Path to a Comeback

A rebound in EV company fortunes will likely depend on:
- Success in autonomous and robo-taxi vehicle development
- Outpacing or differentiating from traditional gas motor cars
As Becker summarizes:
- “If they do so, it's largely going to be based on autonomous driving and robo type driving.” (Scott Becker, 02:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“Lucid, just for the record, even though they're only down 3% this year… is down something like 96% over the last five years.”
— Scott Becker, 01:05
“The real story with these electric car companies is… how strong they are in technology and how much they're developing the autonomous driving systems…”
— Scott Becker, 01:29
“This concept of essentially them selling robo taxis, Tesla's rolling this out very aggressively. Rivian's rolling it up very aggressively. Lucid's a little bit behind, but moving in that direction too.”
— Scott Becker, 01:46
“If they do so, it’s largely going to be based on autonomous driving and robo type driving.”
— Scott Becker, 02:10

Key Segment Timestamps

00:12–01:05: Year-to-date and five-year performance of Rivian, Tesla, and Lucid
01:05–01:29: Deeper perspective on Lucid’s long-term losses
01:29–01:53: Technology focus: autonomous driving as the growth driver
01:53–02:10: Aggressive moves toward robo-taxi rollouts by Tesla and Rivian
02:10–Close: Closing thoughts on the EV industry’s future and comeback potential

Tone & Style

Scott Becker’s tone is analytical yet accessible, providing context for both investors and lay listeners. The episode is brisk, data-driven, and speculative—focused on market trajectories and technological developments rather than hype.

This summary captures all the important topics and perspectives discussed in the episode and provides clear context for those who haven’t listened.

Loading summary

Transcript1 lines

[00:00]
A
This is Scott Becker with the Becker Business, the Becker Private equity podcast. Today's discussion is will the electric vehicle companies bounce back? So here's the discussion. Year to date, the three big electronic vehicle companies are down as follows. Rivian down about 20%, Tesla about 16%. And Lucid Motors, the smallest of three, is down about two and a half to 3%. Now, in terms of car sales, Tesla's still at about 1.6 million a year. Rivian about 42 to 50,000 a year, and Lucid, way down at about 16,000 cars a year. Lucid, just for the record, even though they're only down 3% this year, 230% this year is down something like 96% over the last five years. So I wouldn't view this year's uptick or not going down as much. Is that positive news? Now, the real story with these electric car companies is, is really how strong they are in technology and how much they're developing the autonomous driving systems, where that really ends up being the growth lever for them. And whether it ends up being with electric vehicles, which I think it will be, versus gas vehicles, but this concept of essentially them selling robo taxis, Tesla's rolling this out very aggressively. Rivian's rolling it up very aggressively. Lucid's a little bit behind, but moving in that direction too. And that might be the pure wave that these companies have to ride to make a comeback into sort of leading versus lagging the traditional gas motor cars. We'll see how it goes. I find it fascinating to watch. And again, today's discussion is will the electric vehicle car companies make a comeback? If they do so, it's largely going to be based on autonomous driving and robo type driving. We'll see how it goes. Thank you for listening to the Becker Business and the Becker Private Equity podcast. Thank you very much.