#572 - 🎛👆📺 Buttons and Knobs

TOGETHER WITH

VW pushes buttons, Tesla hikes pay, and Kia Canada is playing shady?

We’re near the end of the year now, and the news isn’t slowing down yet.

What happened this year that you think you’ll remember forever?

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

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BUSINESS

What’s New?

Touchscreens Are So Last Year 🕹️

In today's dose of "back to basics," Volkswagen decides touchscreens aren't the be-all and end-all. Buckling under customer feedback, VW is reviving physical buttons in its latest compact EV, the ID.2all. The touchscreen craze didn't sit well with drivers, particularly in Europe.

🎛️ Retro Design: Volkswagen's ID.2all reintroduces physical buttons, moving away from a full touchscreen interface.
🌱 Eco-Friendly and Affordable: Priced under €25,000, the ID.2all emphasizes sustainable materials.
🚀 Performance-focused: Features a 223HP motor with a range of 280 miles.
🇪🇺 Europe-Exclusive Launch: Set for a 2025 debut in Europe, catering to specific market preferences.

Phone screen = illegal. Full size tv built in to the dash = very convenient technology.

Tesla's Union-Proofing Strategy 💸

Tesla's latest move in its Nevada Gigafactory might be a clever play to keep unions at bay. By hiking hourly wages by at least 10%, the EV giant is giving its workers a reason to stay solo.

💵 New Wages: Increases hourly rates to a range of $22 to $34.50, depending on the position.
📊 Streamlining Levels: Standardizes pay for a segment of workers to $34.50 per hour.
🌐 Bigger Picture: The move is partly influenced by the UAW's successes with other major automakers.
🌍 Global Context: Reflects Tesla's response to labor challenges, including international strikes and union activities.

The math works out. Unions are shooting for a 40% increase in worker wages following record profits. So increasing wages 10% and avoiding the union is a pretty good deal.

Charging Ahead in the Battery Game ⚡

Farasis Energy is charging the EV battery game with its Super Pouch Solution (SPS), showcased at CISCE 2023. This tech marvel is more than just a power source; it's a game-changer in the electric ride race.

🔋 Energy Density: Farasis Energy's SPS exceeds 220Wh/kg, enabling over 1000km range per charge.
⏱️ Fast Charging: Adds 400km range in just 10 minutes, significantly reducing charging times.
⚖️ Lighter Design: The SPS is 20-30kg lighter than traditional batteries, improving vehicle efficiency.
💰 Cost Reduction: Achieves a 33% reduction in material costs, adaptable for different battery sizes.

Cheaper, faster, higher capacity? ✅ Already as convenient as 100 years of internal combustion proliferation? ❌

Nikola's Reality Check 🚨

Trevor Milton, Nikola's ex-CEO, just got a four-year "time-out" in the big house for playing too fast and loose with the truth.

💸 Hefty Fine: Alongside his prison sentence, Trevor Milton must pay a $1 million fine.
🤥 The Fibs: Key fabrications included Nikola's claim of building the One truck from scratch and falsifying a driving video.
🎲 GM's Near Miss: General Motors nearly partnered with Nikola but avoided involvement after the truth emerged.
📉 Nikola's Downfall: The company's stock value plummeted to under $1, leading to canceled projects and lost hype.

Give somebody a gun and they can rob a bank. Give somebody a trucking company and they can rob… the other people who care about the trucking company…?

Hyundai's Russian Roulette 🔄

Hyundai Motor's selling of its Russian plant for less than a decent dinner marks its exit from a once-lucrative market.

🏷️ Sale Price: Hyundai's Russian plant sold for just 7,000 roubles ($77.67).
📉 Significant Loss: The company incurs a $219.19 million loss on the sale.
♻️ Buyback Option: A clause in the deal with Art-Finance allows for a potential repurchase.
🛑 Russian Retreat: Part of a broader trend among global automakers divesting from Russian assets following the Ukraine War.

Kia's Car Hoarding Chronicles 🚗

Kia Canada's playing a risky game of keep-away with their new cars, and it's not winning them any fans. They're sitting on a goldmine of vehicles in a crafty plot to manipulate sales figures while customers tap their feet.

🔒 Sales Scheme: Kia Canada withholds car availability to manipulate 2023 sales data.
⌛ Customer Fallout: Results in extended wait times, some exceeding a year.
💔 Dealers in Dismay: The strategy impacts the finances of sales staff and franchise owners.
🎥 The Big Reveal: An internal video exposes the details of this controversial tactic. 

If there is a benefit in the system for this tactic, why keep that system in place? Like preheating an oven, let’s just skip it like nature-intended.

PRESENTING ASOTU’S YEAR END EXTRAVAGANZA w/ PUREINFLUENCER

ASOTU's 3rd Annual Year-End Extravaganza!

Join us TOMORROW, December 21, 2023, at 1 PM for a look back at 2023 and a look forward at all 2024 will be for our industry and community.

Thanks to our sponsor, Pureinfluencer, Paul, Kyle, and the ASOTU Team are rolling out the red carpet and bringing voices from in, around, and behind the scenes of retail auto together!

Hear from leaders, thinkers, and doers like Steve Greenfield, Jamie Butters, Daniel Govaer, Erikka Tiffani Wells, Ed Roberts, David Spisak, Jonathan Smoke, and more.

So take a lunch break with your team and join us in sending off 2023 to welcome 2024 together!

RSVP here and be sure to see what our friends Pureinfluencer have going on.

TIE CUTTERS

2024 TIME Dealer of the Year Nominee:
Don Hamrick

Don Hamrick, representing the Nevada Franchised Auto Dealers Association, is a TIME Dealer of the Year Award nominee with over 45 years in the auto industry.

Starting his career in Las Vegas, Hamrick now leads Chapman Automotive Group's Las Vegas store. Known for his guidance through the pandemic and his philanthropic efforts, including significant contributions to Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada and support for veterans, Hamrick embodies leadership and community commitment.

The industry is lucky to have you, Don. Congratulations on your well-deserved recognition in the industry! 👏

CULTURE

Get Ho-Ho-Home Safely

Heading into the holiday season, AAA is launching their trusty “Tow to Go” program because your safety is at the tippy-top of their holiday wish list.

Starting in select locations this Friday, December 22nd, if you find yourself in a bit of a pickle after one too many cheers, just dial (855) 2-TOW-2-GO and they will send someone to your rescue. Think of them like your personal fairy godmother, but instead of a fancy pumpkin carriage, you get something even better…a tow truck.

And, this service isn't just for members, it's for anyone who's had a bit too much holiday spirit. They'll whisk you and your car off to a safe location within 10 miles at no charge — talk about a holiday miracle!

During this season of giving, AAA is gifting us all peace of mind on the road. Stay merry and safe, friends! 🥂

Quick Hits

• Tesla is removing Disney+ from its in-car tech amid an internet grudge between the two company’s leaders. 🤺

• Google will pay out $700M in Epic Games settlement. 🧑‍⚖️

• An Icelandic volcano erupted recently, but for now, the lava flow has missed the nearby town. 🧯

• A video game studio was hacked, and the resulting leak has juicy details about an upcoming Marvel Wolverine game. 💥

• Microsoft’s AI chatbot is a conspiracy theorist. 🤖

• Unions and some US lawmakers oppose the $14B+ sale of US Steel. 🚫

History

• 1803: The Louisiana Purchase is completed at a ceremony in New Orleans. 🐊

• 1940: Captain America Comics #1, containing the first appearance of the superhero Captain America, is published. 🇺🇸

• 2019: The United States Space Force becomes the first new branch of the United States Armed Forces since 1947. 👽