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Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Automakers Bet on Performance EVs to Revive Slowing Demand
The new Lyriq-V is the fastest Cadillac ever. It's also the first all-electric member of Caddy's high-performance V-Series – though it won't be the last, with the Optiq-V soon to follow. The General Motors luxury brand is just the latest in a growing list of automakers rolling out high-performance battery-electric vehicles which, in many cases, are the fastest products those automakers have ever brought to market, like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. "It really puts a halo around our Ioniq EV brand," said Olabisi Boyle, senior vice president of product planning and mobility strategy for Hyundai Motor North America. And, at a time when demand for EVs is slowing, that could continue to bring new buyers into showrooms, Boyle added. Related: Hyundai Ioniq 5 N First Drive Review: Mega fun everywhere, not just 0-60 While many folks still think of EVs as slow and stodgy, they've fallen behind the times. The reality is that electric motors can make gobs of wheel-spinning torque. More importantly, that torque comes on all but instantaneously, while even the most powerful internal combustion engines need to rev up before delivering maximum performance, explained Sam Fiorani, lead analyst with AutoForecast Solutions. And, when looking at the specs, it's not always an apples-to-apples comparison, Fiorani added. "There are more losses" when you're talking about gas-driven powertrains so an EV can often outperform a gas model with seemingly better specs. The 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V is a case in point. With 615 horsepower and 680 lb-ft of torque, the new EV package can launch from 0-60 mph in a mere 3.3 seconds, a tenth of a second faster than the Cadillac CT5 Blackwing – which is nearly 1,800 pounds lighter and punches out 668 horsepower and 659 lb-ftof torque. A lot has changed since the first mass market battery-electric vehicle, the Nissan Leaf, came to market in 2011. "EVs are no longer fancy golf carts," said Sam Abuelsamid, lead data cruncher for Telemetry Research. "It's been quite conclusively demonstrated EVs can be incredibly quick." Even base models often outperform the top-line gas packages in comparable product lines, the Ioniq 5 being a case in point. And when it comes to upper-end models, EVs are becoming increasingly difficult to beat. The Lucid Air Sapphire and Tesla Model S Plaid are good examples. Able to hit 60 in less than two seconds, they deliver the sort of off-the-line acceleration one might loosely compare to what it's like taking off from a modern aircraft carrier. Related: 2026 Lucid Air Gives Tesla More Reasons To Worry "From a technical perspective, it's easy to make a really fast EV – a lot easier than a really fast gas car," said Ed Kim, president of AutoPacific, Inc., an auto industry think tank. That's one reason why exotic brands like Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche have begun embracing battery-electric propulsion. The German marque recently launched its second EV, the Macan Electric SUV, with battery-powered replacements coming for both Boxster and Cayman – and more to follow. For its part, General Motors is adding high-performance versions of virtually all of its EVs, the new Chevrolet Blazer SS being one example. Like many of its competitors, GM is responding to the slowdown in EV growth by rethinking the commitment "to an all-electric future" CEO Mary Barra made around the beginning of the decade. But it is far from walking away entirely. If anything, it now plans to offer more "electrified" variants to its line-up, taking advantage of both the better energy efficiency and performance of electric motors. The Chevrolet Corvette is a good example. An all-electric version currently is on hold. But Chevy just debuted the most powerful version of "America's sports car" ever, the Corvette ZR1X. Making 1,250 from its hybrid drivetrain, the 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZRX1 will launch from 0-60 in "under 2 seconds," the bowtie brand told reporters during a background briefing in June. Related: Chevy Corvette ZR1X Leaves Nowhere for Hypercars to Hide And electrifying the Corvette doesn't just deliver straight line acceleration. For those pushing performance to the limit, whether on track or the street, "You can take advantage of the torque" said chief chassis engineer Cody Bulkley, "to dig you out of a corner." Critically, both Bulkley and Chief Engineer Josh Holder told Autoblog, it is becoming ever more difficult, if at all possible, to beat the performance of an all-electric or an electrified powertrain with a pure internal combustion package. Though Dodge is getting ready to launch a gas version of the all-new Charger, company officials say it won't come close to matching the performance of the all-electric Charger Daytona package. We'll be seeing plenty more EV performance packages coming to market over the next few years, even as automakers slow the overall roll-out pace for battery models. Hyundai, for one, is getting ready to launch production of the new Ioniq 6 N. The goal isn't to deliver a high-volume product, nor even to recoup the investment in the performance version of the sedan, according to Manfred Harrer, head of Hyundai's Performance Development Tech Unit. "Normally, you're always running the business case first, and the investment, and the material cost, and the volume behind it," he told "But here, it was clear if we have the ideas to improve the car, make it faster, increase the performance, make it easier to drive, do it." Hyundai planner Boyle put that another way: at a time when market sentiment, particularly in the U.S. has grown less friendly to EVs, it helps to downplay traditional selling points like energy efficiency and climate change, focusing instead on the things that auto buyers always seem drawn to. And performance has always been a great way to sell cars. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
3 Things to Know About Palantir (PLTR) Before It Reports Q2 Earnings
Key Points Palantir's Artificial Intelligence Platform is changing the way businesses and governments operate. The company is growing quickly but sports an outsized valuation. A slowdown in growth could have an impact on the Palantir stock price. 10 stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies › Perhaps the most interesting stock to buy in the market today is Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR). The company, which is using its artificial intelligence (AI) platforms to completely alter how governments and commercial businesses operate, is up roughly 480% in the last year alone. So far in 2025, the stock is up almost 110%. Along with that remarkable run-up is a story of obscenely high valuation. Investors are betting big on Palantir to the tune of some rarely seen valuations, such as a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) nearing 700 and a forward P/E of 270. Palantir has its second-quarter earnings call scheduled on Aug. 4, after the market's closing bell. If it can maintain its growth momentum, its stock will continue to soar. However, a slowdown in growth could be devastating and let the air out of the Palantir balloon. Here's what investors should be watching for as the company prepares its Q2 report. Palantir's growth numbers Palantir is seeing serious growth since it unveiled its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP) in the spring of 2023. AIP uses generative AI to allow users to input commands and lengthy prompts into Palantir's powerful network in order to get real-time insights and predict the outcomes of events. For government users of Palantir's Gotham platform, it's now much easier to command Palantir to tap into satellite networks to determine where opposing military assets are located, predict the results of operations, make recommendations, and offer insights as real-time battlefield situations evolve. Outside of the military aspect, Palantir's platform will be helping to optimize and orchestrate workflows so users can make better decisions throughout the government. Commercial users of Palantir's Foundry platform can use AIP to help them manage supply chains, optimize operations, crunch healthcare data, and reduce manufacturing costs. The company is seeing rapid growth in both platforms. While Palantir has long been recognized as a key government contractor, its commercial contracts in the first quarter were up 33% from a year ago, reaching $397 million. Much of that growth came from U.S.-based clients, where revenue jumped 71% from a year ago to reach $255 million. Government revenue was up a whopping 45% on a year-over-year basis to $487 million, with the lion's share ($373 million) coming from U.S. government contracts. That's leaving Palantir flush with cash. The company ended the first quarter with $370 million in adjusted free cash flow, up from $149 million a year ago, and $5.4 billion in cash and cash equivalents with zero debt. Key metrics to consider on Aug. 4 While Palantir's growth numbers are impressive, it's hard to say that the company is fairly valued today. Any company with a P/E ratio over 600 has far overextended its fair value -- and that's OK if you believe, as I do, that Palantir is a transformative company with a true value that still hasn't been recognized. But that belief isn't going to protect you if Palantir disappoints investors when it reports its Q2 earnings. How would that happen? There are a few metrics I'll be looking at. Customer count: Palantir's commercial customer count grew by 46% in the last year and by 9% on a quarterly basis. It needs to keep that momentum going by signing some big deals. In the first quarter, Palantir inked 139 deals of at least $1 million, and 31 of those were worth more than $10 million. Revenue growth: Palantir needs to keep the money coming in. Remember, commercial work rose 33% on a year-over-year basis in the first quarter, and government work was up 45%. A slowdown would be impactful to the Palantir stock price. For the record, Palantir issued guidance for second-quarter revenue in a range of $934 million and $938 million. The midpoint of that would be a 47% overall increase from a year ago. That's a big number, but I think it's achievable. Remaining performance obligations (RPO): This is the backlog -- the amount of revenue that Palantir has locked in by contracts it signed with government and commercial clients, but the work hasn't been delivered or paid for yet. Palantir's backlog at the end of the first quarter was $1.9 billion and has been steadily growing over the last two years. Quarter Total RPO Q1 2023 $936 million Q2 2023 $968 million Q3 2023 $988 million Q4 2023 $1.24 billion Q1 2024 $1.3 billion Q2 2024 $1.37 billion Q3 2024 $1.57 billion Q4 2024 $1.73 billion Q1 2025 $1.9 billion Source: Palantir Technologies Palantir's backlog is accelerating, and the company needs to continue to grow its RPO at a decent clip. Anything below $2.05 billion will be a red flag, and anything above $2.15 billion will be a huge signal that Palantir's growth story is still cooking. How to invest in Palantir today I'm an unabashed fan of Palantir, but I'm not going to be adding to my position this week. If you're looking to invest, I suggest a dollar-cost averaging strategy that will protect you from volatility if the stock drops but will still give you some benefits should the stock continue to show power. Regardless of how Palantir does in its report, I'm holding the stock because I believe that it will continue to deliver -- despite its steep valuation and high expectations from Wall Street. Should you buy stock in Palantir Technologies right now? Before you buy stock in Palantir Technologies, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Palantir Technologies 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 $624,823!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,064,820!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,019% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 178% 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 July 29, 2025 Patrick Sanders has positions in Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 3 Things to Know About Palantir (PLTR) Before It Reports Q2 Earnings was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Palantir Expands AI Reach With New Military and Nuclear Projects
July 31 - Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) continues to expand its role in artificial intelligence solutions for both government and commercial clients, building momentum ahead of its August 4, 2025 earnings release. Analysts expect positive results, with recent estimates showing multiple upward revisions. The company's Warp Speed platform gained traction during the second quarter after a new partnership with BlueForge Alliance to launch Warp Speed for Warships. This initiative, funded by the U.S. Navy's Maritime Industrial Base Program, supports faster warship production and broader fleet modernization. The program aligns with White House efforts to strengthen U.S. shipbuilding capacity against global competitors. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Signs with FRA:HE9. Palantir's Maven Smart Systems also received a boost as the U.S. Department of Defense increased the spending ceiling to $1.3 billion through 2029, up from $480 million in June. The system now supports more than 20,000 military personnel across operational networks. Moreover, Palantir has collaborated with Accenture Federal Services in the civilian sector to design AI-based tools to aid the federal agencies in the area of supply chain, finance, and integration of data. Individually, the company is also seeking business avenues in the nuclear sector in partnership with the Nuclear Company to implement an AI system in enhancing predictability of the construction of reactors. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
