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- #565 - 🥳❄️🔭 It's Almost 2024
#565 - 🥳❄️🔭 It's Almost 2024
Jan 1, Scandinavian Labor, and Google's Answer to GPT?
TOGETHER WITH
Taxes, Unions, and the quest for affordable cars.
The news changes, but the mission stays the same: Be where the customers need you.
Learning about the things happening in new tech, across the ocean, or in 2025 may seem fruitless, but nothing planted in December will feed you until fall.
Let’s stay informed and be ready when the customers come asking.
Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi
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BUSINESS
All About That Business
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EV Tax Credit Changes in 2024
Starting 2024, electric vehicles with battery materials from China, including popular models like the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Tesla Model 3, Nissan Leaf, and Volkswagen ID.4, will no longer be eligible for the $7,500 clean car tax credit in the U.S. This shift aims to stimulate the American battery industry and reduce dependency on China's supply chain.
Ford Mustang Mach-E: Unlikely to qualify for the federal tax credit after 2023.
Tesla, Nissan, VW Also Impacted: Certain trims of these vehicles face potential reductions in tax credits.
Global Supply Chain Shifts: A strategic move to reroute the EV supply chain away from China.
A lot of people wait until the last minute to care about what DC says it's gonna do, because often they change their mind (or leaders) before it matters.
Volkswagen and Renault's Affordable EV Venture
In response to the growing influence of Chinese EV makers like BYD and SAIC’s MG, Volkswagen and Renault are collaborating on a €20,000 ($21,500) EV. This venture, still in early-stage talks, aims to produce 200,000-250,000 units annually.
Renault's New Launch: 'The Legend', expected to start under €20,000 ($21,500).
Volkswagen's Entry-Level EVs: The ID 2all and the cheaper ID 1, with prices starting around €25,000 ($27,000).
Electrek's Analysis: Challenges in affordability and the timeline for these models, not expected before 2025.
The best product in the world isn't worth anything if nobody can buy it, but also the worst product in the world is worth a lot of people can't live without it. Seems we can't balance the two as a society.
BMW and Mercedes-Benz's EV Charging Network in China
A joint venture between BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. and Mercedes-Benz Group China Ltd. aims to establish 1,000 stations with around 7,000 charging piles by 2026. The first stations, starting in 2024, will focus on primary New Energy Vehicle (NEV) regions.
Seamless Digital Experience: Featuring plug & charge functionality.
Sustainable Approach: Plans to use renewable energy sources where possible.
Nationwide Accessibility: Open to the public with exclusive features for BMW and Mercedes-Benz customers.
"Exclusive features for BMW and Mercedes-Benz customers" could be code for free Wi-Fi or "unthrottled charging speeds." Any bets on which one it will be?
Tesla's Labor Challenges in Scandinavia
Tesla is facing significant pressure in Scandinavian countries to sign a collective bargaining agreement with employees. This includes blockades across Finnish ports starting December 20, and a recent Swedish court ruling against Tesla in a license plate delivery dispute.
Regional Solidarity: Unions in Denmark and Norway joined the strike action.
PensionDanmark's Divestment: Selling Tesla stock over labor issues.
Ideological Stalemate: Tesla's policies clash with the Nordic labor model.
It's easy to forget Unions sometimes support one another unless you remember, by definition, Unions are organizations that specialize in Uniting people. Apparently, the Scandinavian people are currently united in their desire to ruin Elon Musk's day.
TOGETHER WITH UPSTART
Roadmap to Success
This isn't just a glimpse into the future of car buying — it’s a roadmap to mastering the digital domain of auto retail. 🗺️
Join our 30-minute webinar on December 13th at 2:00 pm EST with Upstart Auto Retail to:
⭐️ Learn how to blend online prowess with in-store digital finesse, alongside top-tier financing and management tools.
⭐️ Discover how to deliver an omni-channel experience that keeps pace with the fast-moving expectations of today’s consumers.
⭐️ Dive into the mechanics of strategic partnerships that power successful dealership transformations.
⭐️ See how Colonial VW and Colonial Subaru accelerated their sales team's adoption of cutting-edge tools with training that's as efficient as it is effective.
Forget the shiny new tech; this is about getting your team up to speed, quickly and competently. Register today! 👈
DATA & INSIGHT
Data-Driven Decisions
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David Long’s All Things Used Cars community was no-nonsense on Friday, getting straight down to business on how to cut the fiction and work the facts.
People often cherry-pick data to support their preconceptions, ignoring the full picture. It’s called confirmation bias, and it's a common trap in decision-making.
Simply Psychology
Battling Bias —
🛡️ Quality Data Collection: Getting to the truth means diving deep into the data, not just skimming the surface. Be sure to look at the whole picture, not just the parts that fit a preferred narrative.
⚔️ Embrace Diverse Teams: They offer varied perspectives, helping to spot biases and connections that everyone may not easily see.
🛡️ Team Collaboration: Keep your data collection, analyst, and communications teams interconnected. This collaboration fosters questions about data origins and representation, identifying and neutralizing potential biases.
⚔️ Stay Alert to Unconscious Bias: Our position and background can unwittingly influence business decisions made. Recognizing and acknowledging these biases is the first step in mitigating their influence.
🛡️ Avoid Assumptions: Don’t just assume things are working as they should. Regularly inspect resources like your website for accuracy and efficiency.
TIE CUTTERS
2024 TIME Dealer of the Year Nominee:
Danny Jones
Congratulations to Danny Jones for being one of the esteemed 49 nominees for the TIME Dealer of the Year Award at the upcoming NADA Show in Las Vegas.
Representing the Maryland Automobile Dealers Association, Danny's nomination is a testament to his and his family's longstanding dedication to both their business and community.
Some of the organizations his dealership supports include the Empty Stocking Fund, United Way of Central Maryland, Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics Maryland, and House of Hope Animal Rescue…just to name a few.
Cheers to many more years of service and success, Danny! 👏
AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE
Coming Soon
Wednesday, DECEMBER 13 @ 2:00 PM EST
ASOTU Edge Webinar with Upstart
Transforming Car Buying: The Power of Connected Auto Retailing
Learn how to blend online prowess with in-store digital finesse, alongside top-tier financing and management tools in 30 minutes.
🧑💻 Register now 🧑💻
Thursday, DECEMBER 22 @ 1:00 PM EST
The 3rd Annual ASOTU Year End Extravaganza
We’re capping off this wild year with our annual Year End Extravaganza! Join us in re-living 2023’s greatest hits, and planning for big moves in 2024.
🥳 Experience the Extravaganza 🥳
JANUARY + FEBRUARY
More Than Cars Episodes 3 + 4
Tired of waiting for new episodes of retail auto’s only docu-series, More Than Cars? Us too. So, we’re dropping new episodes in January and February. Let’s start the new year right!
👀 Watch episodes 1 and 2 👀FEBRUARY 1 - 4, 2024
NADA 2024 in Las Vegas
Are you going to NADA and itching for some eye-catching media coverage? We're your dream team for content creation.🎥 Let’s link up 🎥
MAY 14 - 17, 2024
ASOTU CON 2024 in Baltimore
Next year, we're elevating the focus on context, connection, and dynamic conversations. Unlike traditional conferences, we’re going beyond a passive listening experience, turning every attendee, speaker, and exhibitor into a crucial part of the larger dialogue.
🤝 Partner with us 🤝
Podcast
Enjoying our daily email? Then, we expect you’ll dig our daily podcast, too!
The Automotive Troublemaker is a quick look at the day’s business, tech, culture, and of course, automotive news.
TECHNOLOGY
Google's New AI Challenger: Gemini
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Google's latest AI breakthrough, Gemini, is here to rival OpenAI's GPT-4. Touted to surpass GPT-4 in 30 of 32 academic benchmarks, Gemini is a multimodal AI capable of processing text, images, code, and audio.
Gemini in Google Bard
Currently, Gemini is powering Google Bard, which is available in 170 countries. This AI comes in three sizes: Ultra for complex tasks, Pro for diverse tasks, and Nano for consumer devices like the Pixel 8 Pro. However, only Gemini Pro is available for public use through Google Bard.
Performance and Integration
While Google claims Gemini's superiority in efficiency and coding, especially with its AlphaCode 2 version, its edge over GPT-4 is subject to debate. The real-world effectiveness of Gemini in practical tasks remains to be seen.
Future Plans
Looking ahead, Google plans to integrate Gemini into its various products, including Search, Ads, Chrome, and the Pixel 8 Pro. Starting December 13, developers will have access to Gemini Pro via Google AI Studio or Google Cloud Vertex AI. This launch marks a significant milestone in Google's journey in the competitive AI market.
Quick Hits
The 2023 Game Awards handed out some awards, but most people were there for the first looks at upcoming titles. 🎮
Robust job growth continued in November. 📈
IKEA has home gym gear now, and you don’t have to put it together. 🏋️♀️
History
1894: Four automakers gathered to display their vehicles in Paris for the Internationale de Velocipidie et de Locomotion Automobile, marking the world’s first auto show. 🎪
1972: Apollo 17 becomes the sixth and final Apollo mission to land on the Moon. 🌙
1978: Mafia men use Ford Econoline to steal $5.8M in a heist. 👮♂️
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