#574 -🔪🤷‍♀️🛡 Russia's Tesla Killer?

TOGETHER WITH

Buyouts at Toyota, Rising sales in 2024, and Hyundai closes one door to open another…door.

Thanks for joining us yesterday for our 3rd Annual ASOTU Year End Extravaganza! The show, like this email, is only as strong as the community it serves, and thanks to you all, we are ending 2023 with strong hearts and open minds, ready for whatever 2024 brings!

We’re wishing you a wonderful Christmas weekend and a blessed holiday season.

The ASOTU Team is planning on taking it easy on Monday, but we will be back and ready for anything on Tuesday.

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

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BUSINESS

Cheers to Industry News

Toyota Takes Charge 🚗💨

Following the whirlwind of a potential 52 million airbag recalls, Toyota is stepping up while others are still twiddling their thumbs, issuing a recall for 1 million vehicles to fix a pesky airbag issue. The company is also offering buyouts to some of its North American employees.

• 🚘 Toyota's Turn: Amidst industry hesitation, Toyota recalls 1 million vehicles for faulty airbag sensors, showing responsibility where others dally.

• 🛠️ Model Mix-Up: The recall spans a variety of 2020 to 2022 Toyota and Lexus models, from the Avalon to the RX350 SUV, addressing potentially hazardous sensor issues.

• 🆓 Free Fix: Dealers are set to inspect and replace the offensive sensors at no cost, with customer notifications planned for mid-February 2024.

• 📉 Shares Shaken: Amidst the recall and a subsidiary scandal, Toyota's shares were hit, showing that even giants aren't immune to the tremors of trust issues.

Rolls-Royce's Ritzy Range 💸🚘

It's time to update our Christmas lists with something a bit heftier and more luxurious! The 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre is flaunting its electric grandeur and making other EVs look like stocking stuffers.

• 🎄 List Update: Swapping out socks for the 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre, boasting up to 291 miles of EPA range.

• 🏎️ Speedy Heavyweight: Despite its hefty 6,559 lbs, it sprints from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds, blending luxury with lightning speed.

• 🔋 Powerful Battery Sibling: Shares a 102-kWh battery with the BMW i7, hinting at the familial ties beneath that opulent exterior.

• 💸 Pricy Presence: With a base price of $420,000 (plus dreams), it's a lavish leap from your average EV, ensuring your driveway dazzles.

Russia's “Tesla Killer” Electric Eyesore 🤢🚗

Russia's "Amber" EV is giving us a glimpse into a future no one asked for, while Tesla plays a not-so-fun game of blame tag with its customers over defective parts.

• 🐟 Fishy Design: The "Amber" EV, resembling a fish cosplaying as a bread van, is Russia's answer to a "Tesla killer," inciting a meme frenzy.

• 🛠️ Concept Woes: Despite its preliminary status, the Amber's design has been universally panned, suggesting even a Pentium III couldn't save it.

• 🚗 Tesla's Blame Game: Tesla's been systematically pinning part failures on drivers despite knowing the defects internally, according to a Reuters investigation.

• 🔄 Recall Reluctance: While issuing recalls in China, Tesla has avoided doing so in the US and Europe despite sharing the same defects.

US Sales Shift 📈🚘

Buckle up, dealers! The US car market's perking up from the pandemic pit stop with a modest uptick in new vehicle sales expected next year.

• 📈 Slight Sales Surge: Expect a 1% to 4% rise in US new vehicle sales, hitting around 15.6 million to 16.1 million units.

• 🌐 Global Gains: The US uptick is part of a larger trend, with a 2.8% global increase in auto sales forecast.

• 💸 Incentive Comeback: As inventory improves, automakers reintroduce incentives, signaling an end to the era of sky-high pricing.

• 📊 Forecaster's Figures: Forecasts range from 15.6 million (Cox Automotive) to 16.1 million (GlobalData) vehicles, with Edmunds predicting 15.7 million.

Hyundai's High-Voltage Horizon ⚡🏭

Hyundai Motor is getting with the times, ditching its dusty old parts plants for a sleek, electrified future. Here's the lowdown for the auto dealership aficionados:

• 🏭 Plant Closures: Hyundai will shut down two parts forging plants in Ulsan, South Korea, in 2023, waving goodbye to engine part production.

• 🚗 EV Shift: This move is part of Hyundai's aggressive pivot from petrol-powered cars to electric vehicles.

• 🌐 Global Stance: As the world's No.3 automaker, Hyundai's shift significantly impacts its global sales strategy, focusing more on electrification.

• 💰 Investment in EVs: A 2 trillion won investment in a new EV plant in South Korea marks Hyundai's commitment to an electric future. 

TOGETHER WITH AUTO GENIUS

Every Marketer Needs Other Marketers

Like keeping your best friends in your pocket! The Auto Genius community is by marketers, for marketers, and waiting for you on Slack!

Connect, collaborate, and create with top tier 3 automotive marketers nationwide. Come ready to share strategies, tackle challenges, and explore the industry’s evolving marketing landscape.

What Auto Genius Offers:

• Collaborative insights from leading automotive dealerships.

• Genius Files to help make marketing ops move more seamlessly.

• A whole lot of meme wars

Join the Auto Genius community today!

TIE CUTTERS

2024 TIME Dealer of the Year Nominee:
Amanda Grappone Osmer

Amanda Grappone Osmer, representing the New Hampshire Automobile Dealers Association, shines as a TIME Dealer of the Year nominee!

Amanda's vibrant journey in the auto world began in her family's dealership, evolving from filing and ice cream runs to steering Grappone Automotive Group with a heartfelt focus on team member growth and community betterment. Her innovative leadership includes creating the Kintsugi Room for community collaboration and leading Leadership Grappone, a program fostering mindfulness and resilience among employees. Amanda's dedication extends beyond the dealership, co-founding the Dewey School to nurture nature-loving, confident children and actively contributing to local initiatives.

The ASOTU team is buzzing with excitement for you, Amanda! Your spirited approach and commitment to fostering a brighter, kinder community set you apart. Congrats on your well-deserved nomination! 👏

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Coming Soon

Miss the show? No worries! We got you 🌋

Check out all the context, conversation, and congratulations on marking it through another years in the dopest industry on earth!

CULTURE

Ken Christmas

Ryan Gosling hasn't packed away his Ken shorts just yet. In a festive twist, he's decking the halls and charts with a holiday rendition of “I'm Just Ken.”

Created in collaboration with musical maestro Mark Ronson, who has worked with artists like Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, Adele, Lily Allen, Duran Duran, Miley Cyrus, Queens of the Stone Age, and Bruno Mars, "Ken the EP" is like a weird little four-track Christmas gift to folks who liked the Barbie movie enough to want more of it. People, we are sure, like the spirit of Christmas, exist.  

Quick Hits

• A Japanese auto dealer was caught trying to smuggle a car to North Korea’s dictator. 🥷

• Scientists have successfully replicated nuclear fusion for a third time. ☢️

• Kawasaki has a hydrogen-powered Ninja bike in the works. 🏍

• An experimental process and app may reduce permitting time and labor for solar setups by cutting the government’s direct interaction. 📲

• Apple wants to put AI on its devices, not just on the cloud. 🤖

History

• 1891: Asteroid 323 Brucia becomes the first asteroid discovered using photography. ☄️

• 1952: The first Corvette, a production-ready prototype, is completed. It is shipped to New York, where it made its public debut at the GM Motorama show at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on January 17. 🚗

• 1978: The last true Chevy Nova. ✌️