*By Amanda Weston*
After Mercedes-Benz's unveiling this week of its [first all-electric car](https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/4/17818836/mercedes-benz-eqc-suv-ev-specs-photos), automotive journalist and future Cheddar contributor Tamara Warren said the market is about to get a lot more competitive.
"It's huge news for Mercedes-Benz, and a real signal in this space that we are about to have a lot of options when it comes to the electric category, luxury, and the sweet space with crossover vehicles," Warren said Wednesday in an interview on Cheddar.
The model, dubbed EQC, is an all-wheel drive SUV with a range of more than 200 miles. Dieter Zetsche, the head of Mercedes and chairman of parent company Daimler AG, called it the ["dawn of a new era"](https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/4/17818836/mercedes-benz-eqc-suv-ev-specs-photos).
The announcement Tuesday further weighed on shares of Tesla, whose stock marked a seventh straight day of losses Wednesday. Warren said the electric automaker may certainly have cause to worry about its new competitor, but "that's the nature of the business."
"If there's no competition, where's the market going to go?" she said. "What I think it forces Tesla to do is to continue to push their vehicles and not stall on thinking about new features and products and innovation."
Whether Tesla can find that focus is something Warren says investors should watch.
"Tesla is a really tricky company to follow right now, and you're talking about companies that have sort of infrastructure internally as far as safety and all of the quality that needs to be there coming into this space, not just Mercedes-Benz. But we're also seeing Audi as a player in this field, BMW, and Volvo," Warren said.
"So it's going to get really interesting by spring when we start seeing some of these vehicles."
The EQC is set to begin production in 2019 and go on sale in the U.S. in 2020. Mercedes-Benz has not yet announced what the vehicle will cost.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/mercedes-benz-unveils-electric-vehicle).
Cheddar is looking back at the 12 biggest buzzwords of the year leading up to Christmas. The sixth term in the countdown is SPAC. Definition: (noun) abbreviation for Special Purpose Acquisition Companies. Describes companies formed to raise money through initial public offerings (IPO), to acquire or merge with an existing company.
Jeff Thomas, Senior Vice President & Head of West Coast Listing for the NASDAQ, talks about the year in IPOs and the industries seeing the most activity within the tech sector.
VR/AR collaboration platform Spatial is diving head first into the Metaverse. The company is switching up its image--now branding itself as 'the metaverse for cultural events,' aiming to become the new virtual hub for NFT galleries, brand experiences, and large-scale conferences. Jacob Loewenstein, Head of Business, Spatial, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the company's pivot.
With the rise of meme stocks, investing platforms like Public.com saw a surge in usership as retail investors flocked to the stock market. Ahead of the new year, Public.com is pushing beyond the memes, to better understand the motivations and behaviors of the retail trader.
Its recent 'The Outsiders' report takes a deeper look at who these retail investors are, what drives their trades, and what their portfolio says about them. Stephen Sikes, COO, Public.com joined Cheddar News to discuss.
Jason Moser, Senior Analyst & Lead Advisor at The Motley Fool, discusses how the meme saga has impacted the stock market and what the future holds for companies embracing retail investors.
The past year has been huge for delivery services as people largely stayed home during the pandemic. Getir, an Istanbul-based company delivering goods in just 10 minutes, is officially launching in NYC. It comes as the company continues its international expansion. Nazim Salur, Founder, Getir, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the opportunities in the new market.
e.l.f Beauty is celebrating a significant milestone in its sustainable journey. Since launching its Project Unicorn initiative in 2019, the company has eliminated more than one million pounds of packaging materials. Ashley Rosebrook, e.l.f. Beauty's chief creative officer, who spearheaded this effort and has continued to work to reduce the brand's carbon footprint, joined Cheddar to discuss this initiative and what the company aims to do next.
The great meme stock frenzy of 2021 turned ordinary retail investors into big winners overnight. One of those traders, Jon Murray, is a graphic design artist who made $15,000 off his original investments in GameStop and AMC. He joined Cheddar to talk about how he first got started in investing and why he decided to put money into meme stocks.
The Omicron variant is raising concerns about how safe it is to travel, just as millions of Americans were getting ready to jet set away for the holidays. Scientists are still trying to understand how much protection vaccines offer against the new variant, and many questions remain unanswered. Sara Nelson, President of the Association of Flight Attendants, gives tips on how to travel safely and comments on the aviation industry's ongoing recovery from the pandemic.
