🚗 Biden’s aggressive EV plan

PLUS: The $1B+ crystal industry. August 9, 2021 [The Hustle] [The Hustle]( The Tokyo Olympics wrapped up yesterday, with a record 88 countries winning a medal. Hat tip to 1st-time golds for Qatar, Bermuda, and the Philippines. Today’s rundown: - America’s EV plan: President Biden wants 50% of new cars in 2030 to be electric - Shine bright like a… crystal: A look at the booming $1B+ “near-gemstone” industry - Digits: Interesting numbers on South Park, Hello Kitty, and abandoned oil wells Let’s do it. The big idea [Biden in an EV]( President Biden is laying down the law for EVs Not all automakers have embraced the shift to electric, but soon they may have to. Last Thursday, President Biden [set]( a goal to speed up America’s shift to electric, targeting 50% of all new cars on the road by 2030. The 3 largest car markets globally are the US, Europe, and China… … and the US is lagging when it comes to EV adoption. - In Europe, 17% of new cars purchased in the 1st half of 2021 were EVs - In China, 1.1m plug-in cars were [sold]( so far this year, making up 11% market share - In the US, less than 4% of new car sales were EVs through the 1st half of the year The top manufacturers are on board The [top]( 3 companies in the US by market share have big EV aspirations: - General Motors [wants]( to make only EVs by 2035 - Toyota [predicts]( 70% of US sales will be EVs by 2030 - Ford announced that 40% of its vehicles will be electrified by 2030 But manufacturing is just 1 piece of the puzzle. In Europe, government support has been key to adoption And the US knows it. President Biden recently [made]( a $174B request for congress to create 500k electric charging stations to improve EV infrastructure. The government has helped push EVs forward before. Without a $465m government loan in 2010, there’s a chance Tesla wouldn’t have gotten off the ground. Now, we’ll get to see how the titans fare in a much more competitive EV landscape. [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Twitter]( [Send as email to a friend](mailto:?subject=The%20Hustle%20wrote%20something%20I%20think%20you%27ll%20like...%0A&body=President+Biden+is+laying+down+the+law+for+EVs%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F08092021-Biden-EV-plan%3Futm_campaign%3DMonday%2BCampaign%26utm_content%3D08092021-Biden-EV-plan%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Ddaily%0A%0AYou%20can%20subscribe%20with%20my%20link%20here%20to%20get%20the%20latest%20in%20tech%20and%20business%20daily:%0A [View on our website]( SNIPPETS NEW! Introducing our new and improved [Snippets](. You can now get extra snippets on your favorite topics. Follow the button below to get started. (It takes less than 30 seconds!) Help wanted: The Department of Labor says [8.7m]( US people are out of work. There may be as many as 10m open positions, with employers offering incentives -- including pet insurance -- to fill vacancies. Amazon delays a return to office until [2022]( as the Delta variant surges. This move follows similar changes from Facebook, Google, Apple and Twitter. Digital events are booming: 2-year-old startup Hopin [raised]( $450m, valuing the firm at $7.75B. Oscar Mayer goes crypto: The company [included]( 10k Dogecoin in a promotional hot dog pack. Seriously secure: Microsoft [released]( a “Super Duper Secure Mode” for its Edge browser (yes, that’s its real name). Join the 89,098 others who are now enjoying extra, personalized snippets. Click the button👇 to choose your favorite topics and see your list grow in tomorrow’s email. [Personalize Your Snippets]( Hard Rock [expensive crystal]( This crystal will only set you back *checks notes* $663k (Souce: The Earth Story) Crystals are a $1B+ industry. Who’s buying? In 2016, Moon Juice founder and Goop-favorite health guru Amanda Chantal Bacon was [aghast]( to find someone had stolen a beloved rose quartz crystal from her LA smoothie bar (it’s still missing). Turns out the thief was onto something. Crystals are a $1B+ industry Also known as “near-gemstones,” their popularity has risen with celebrity endorsements, per [The Los Angeles Times](. Rich people apparently love to load up their homes (and yachts) with big, pristine statement crystals, sometimes shaped like other stuff. For example: - A $45k, 1-ton amethyst throne - A $125k amethyst coffee table - A $333k peach-colored quartz “the size of a laundry basket” Why are these pretty rocks so expensive? They’re often rare and unique. Once a collector nabs one, it’s gone. For centuries, people have [believed]( certain crystals have healing properties. Today, prices fluctuate at the whims of woo-inclined influencers and [celebrities]( who swear by particular rocks. Demand for diamonds [dropped]( amid the pandemic, but [increased]( for crystals as people looked for ways to feel better while stuck at home. Now give me an example of a really expensive crystal So glad you asked! [La Madona Rosa]( is a 30-by-15-cm rose quartz cluster mined in Brazil in the 1950s. Its name comes from its shape, reminiscent of the Madonna and her halo. It’s the 2nd-largest rose quartz ever found and was auctioned for [$662.5k]( in 2013. [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Twitter]( [Send as email to a friend](mailto:?subject=The%20Hustle%20wrote%20something%20I%20think%20you%27ll%20like...%0A&body=Crystals+are+a+%241B%2B+industry.+Who%E2%80%99s+buying%3F%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F08092021-crystals%3Futm_campaign%3DMonday%2BCampaign%26utm_content%3D08092021-crystals%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Ddaily%0A%0AYou%20can%20subscribe%20with%20my%20link%20here%20to%20get%20the%20latest%20in%20tech%20and%20business%20daily:%0A [View on our website]( Free Resource Reports on summer 2021 are already in HubSpot’s dropping the heat, and we’re still deeply midsummer. This [comprehensive report]( pits numbers from this summer against 2019 pre-pandemic benchmarks, and reveals why so many industries are slumping as we speak. It shares insights and action plans based on global web traffic and deal-closing data from 103k anonymous HubSpot customers. Internet traffic is down -- but what’s the deal on deals? Unplugging and traveling are (kinda) back in fashion, but that’s the tip of the iceberg. There are plenty of upcoming trends to consider. Check out the latest data on these dog days. [Oh, it’s hot →]( By The Numbers [South Park poster]( We have 14 new South Park movies headed are way (Source: Comedy Central) Digits: Brazilian butt lifts, $10 palm prints, South Park, and more 1) The number of [Brazilian butt lifts performed globally has increased 77.6%]( since 2015, going for an average rate of ~$5.5k. Butt, the mortality rate of the operation is 1 in ~20k. 2) Amazon is offering [$10 in credit to people who connect their palm prints with their Amazon account]( and enroll in its Amazon One biometric recognition service to pay for stuff in 50 Amazon-owned stores. 3) Good news, South Park fans. [The show’s creators inked a $900m deal to produce 14 original South Park films]( and keep the show on Comedy Central through 2027. 4) There are an estimated [100k-560k unplugged oil wells]( in Pennsylvania -- a massive environmental hazard -- and no one knows where they’re located. 5) To fight wildfires, California is using a family-run helicopter business that charges [$8k an hour per chopper](, which sounds expensive until you realize they save entire towns by dumping 12 tons of water at a time. 6) Here’s a friendly reminder that the [Hello Kitty franchise has generated more revenue]( (~$84.5B) than the Marvel Cinematic Universe ($35.3B), Harry Potter ($32.2B), and James Bond ($14.2B) combined. [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Twitter]( [Send as email to a friend](mailto:?subject=The%20Hustle%20wrote%20something%20I%20think%20you%27ll%20like...%0A&body=Digits%3A+Brazilian+butt+lifts%2C+%2410+palm+prints%2C+South+Park%2C+and+more%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F08092021-Digits%3Futm_campaign%3DMonday%2BCampaign%26utm_content%3D08092021-Digits%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Ddaily%0A%0AYou%20can%20subscribe%20with%20my%20link%20here%20to%20get%20the%20latest%20in%20tech%20and%20business%20daily:%0A [View on our website]( AROUND THE WEB ☄️ Wow: The[shortlist]( for the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition is out. Every single entry is stunning. 🐕 Wholesome:[Watch]( this dog play a game of tic-tac-toe. 🍪 Chill out: Enjoy a game of[Cookie Monster Chase](, which is like Pac-Mac but with the Cookie Monster. #branding 🤖 Cure boredom: Check out the [top submissions]( for Wired’s “Six-Word Sci-Fi” writing prompt. 🇯🇲 On this day: In 2012, Jamaican Olympian Usain Bolt [won]( the 200-meter race at the London Olympics in 19.32 seconds, just shy of his 2009 [world record]( of 19.19 seconds. Meme of the day [Apple Car meme] Maybe this is why it’s taking Apple so long (Source: Facebook / [Memes App Page]() SHARE THE HUSTLE [Hustle Cons Greatest Hits ebook]( Over the years, we’ve learned… secrets. The business secrets, tips, and tricks that have helped founders go from zero to millions -- and even billions -- of dollars. Want to see ‘em? Just refer 3 more friends to The Hustle and we’ll send you our curated set of interviews with founders from brands like Zola, AWAY, Vungle, Bonobos, and more. Here’s a message you can use to share with your friends: Hey! Do you read The Hustle? It’s the best daily business newsletter out there -- only takes 5 minutes to read and you’ll sound like the smartest person in the room. Sign up here, it’s free: [ P.S. You can always check your referral count [here](. [Share The Hustle →]( How did you like today’s email? Today's email was brought to you by , [Jacob Cohen](, [Juliet Bennett Rylah](, [Rob Litterst](. Editing by: Zachary “EV Charger” Crockett. [PODCAST]( [JOBS]( [CONTACT US](mailto:news@thehustle.co) [Facebook]( [Youtube]( [Instagram]( [Trends]( 2131 THEO DR. STE F, AUSTIN, TX 78723, UNITED STATES • 415.506.7210 Never want to hear from us again? Break our hearts and [unsubscribe](list=thehustle). [The Hustle](