Auto execs to debate electric vehicles at Auto Finance Summit East
Should auto lenders be all-in on electric vehicles or is cautious optimism prudent?
That’s the central question of the “Great EV Debate” session which takes place at 9:35 am on Friday May 3 during the Auto Finance Summit East in Nashville, Tenn.
See the full event agenda here.
Panelists will represent opposing viewpoints on electric vehicle adoption to consider the opportunities and pitfalls of financing EVs in a classic debate format. Topics of discussion will include:
- Will EV adoption continue at its current rate or is the segment going to hit a plateau?
- Should lenders be concerned with financing EVs?
- Is there a good way to predict EV residuals?
The debate comes amid uncertainty in the EV market. EV manufacturer Fisker, for one, has been treading water as it stares down bankruptcy. It cut prices by as much as 39% on March 27. EV OEM Lucid Motors this week received a much-needed $1 billion lifeline from its largest investor.
Meet the panelists
Amira Aly is the founder and chief executive of VoltAlytics Consulting. Aly has spent the past 24 years in auto finance, according to her LinkedIn profile, and most recently worked at Fisker as vice president of sales, marketing and financial services. She was global director of financial services and later head of North American sales at Lucid Motors. She’s also held roles at Chase Auto, Ally Financial and Capital One Auto Finance.
Kevin Favro is the co-founder and co-CEO of EV Life, an automotive startup focused on helping buyers calculate EV incentives at the point of sale. At EV Life, Favro leads product and engineering. He has more than 18 years of experience in technology leadership roles, including at Adobe.
Bruce Newmark is the president and chief executive of consultancy firm Fimanco, and most recently served as chief adviser to Vroom and United Auto Credit (UACC). He joined UACC in 2016 and held multiple roles that culminated in chief operating officer in 2017. Before that, he worked at Westlake Financial in various roles on both the finance and retail sides of the business.
John Possumato is the founder and chief executive of mobility platform Driveitaway, which focuses on increasing consumer EV adoption. Possumato has more than 30 years’ experience in the automotive industry, including as an owner of an automotive dealership. He was also a founding member of the International Automotive Remarketers Alliance and past counsel to the Board of Directors of the Automotive Fleet and Leasing Association.
