#617 - 🐇🐝🙋 Titles, Trades, and Trivia

TOGETHER WITH

Wednesday is a good day for vaguely wise thoughts unless you go to Facebook, and then every single post is a vaguely “wise” thought, amirite?

Anyway, whoever hired you more than likely got hired by somebody who was hired by somebody else way back. We live in a world of cause and effect.

But somewhere back there was the first. Like the chicken and the egg, one had to come first, and somebody had to start without the permission of anybody older, wiser, stronger, or smarter than them.

They didn’t need permission to combine imagination and action to see what happened, and neither do you.

Cause some effects today, friend, and of course…

Keep Pushing Back
-Chris

_{Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here!
Reading time: 4 mins 17 secs}

BUSINESS

Rapid Fire News

Lots going on in the world of our automaker friends; too much to list, honestly. But here is a sampling of some things happening and hopping around the pond we call home. We will write fast so you can read fast.

--

Volvo Changes (Some) Names

Volvo is bailing on the name "Recharge" for its EV models. The new names (like EX40 and EC40) will not be mistaken for a battery fill-up station, but they may be mistaken for the names of robot villains in old movies. They also introduced a Performance Software Pack for up to 436 hp.

Porsche and Hybrids

Porsche got the news and is also bringing out some more hybrids. The plug-in Panamera models will have larger batteries, upgraded performance, and features (up to 536 hp, improved acceleration, higher charging capacity, and advanced hybrid drive modes), and prices starting around $120K. 

Affordable Rivians

Rivian announced its more affordable R2 SU-EV (SUV + EV) is coming to Europe somewhere between $40-50K. While the company is working toward global expansion, becoming a major player in Europe is a milestone on the way. 

Toyota Comes Clean

Daihatsu isn't Toyota's only issue with honesty right now. Japan's transport ministry is taking action against Toyota Industries for emission test cheating following the discovery of performance test tampering.

Kia’s January

Kia sold just over 51K vehicles in January. It was about 900 fewer than the same month in 2023, but it was still a strong showing. The EV9 led the brand's EV sales with 1,408 units, contributing to SUV sales hitting 74% of the company's total. Despite Kia's successful marketing and partnerships, Niro EV and PHEV sales declined.

Tesla’s Stock Swap

Tesla has lost its status as Wall Street's most traded stock. The new hot potato is Nvidia, the third most valuable company in the US, and currently dominates the AI-related market. To be more specific, Nvidia's daily trades are over $30B, while Tesla's are closer to $22B. Nvidia now controls about 80% of the high-end AI chip market and is valued at $1.8T, while Tesla's stock has dropped about 20% this year. Apples and Oranges. 

-- 

Well, there you have it, a swarm of movements across the world and industry.

We hope the news keeps you equipped with information, connected to the people in your community, and encouraged to seize the day.

Or at least it comes in handy the next time you are at an obscure automotive business news-themed trivia night.

TOGETHER WITH TRADEPENDING

Obvious Solution = Obvious Solution(s)

In case you missed it, Americans are woefully behind on basic services like oil and tire changes.

But instead of bringing that business to dealerships, your customers are increasingly:

1. Taking their business to independent service providers 
2. Losing trust in dealerships to perform their service

A simple "Captain Obvious" fix? Put your service offers on your website, and keep them up-to-date across your marketing channels.

TradePending outlines four options for managing service offers on your site. Given how profitable your service drive can be, it's worth a watch.

/MTCM

We talk a lot about “Unreasonable Hospitality” around here lately. We are excited to hear more from Will Guidara at ASOTU CON about how we can learn from his experience.

Have you seen any stories of unreasonable hospitality in our industry? We call those More Than Car Moments, and we LOVE telling people about them. Hit reply or the link below and let us help share your story!

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Coming Soon

ASOTU CON 2024 is just 82 days away!
We're looking for what you think other conferences have missed talking about.

• What topics aren't discussed enough?

• Is there a forward-leaning one everyone else is sidelining so far?

• How about a point you think needs clearing up or a different view on?

• Who would you like to see on a panel?

• What speaker is never booked enough / that you want to hear from?

Visit our LinkedIn post to leave a comment, or hit reply and let us know!

🛫 Ready for whatever? Grab your early bird ticket now! 🛬

CULTURE

Netflix still has games

Netflix is bringing a “smol” version of the popular Rainbox Six series to cell—phone gamers.

Rainbox Six: Smol is an isometric tactical shooter game that tries to look… cute. Which is a weird choice.

It will join other games for mobile enjoyers like GTA, Dead Cells, and all sorts of mini-games based on Netflix original shows.

We legit thought they abandoned this idea. Does anybody know if the games are any fun? Hit reply and let us know.

Quick Hits

• Major indicators no longer indicate US recession. 📈

• Like space and pretend? NASA is looking for people to participate in a simulated Mars mission. 🚀

• Apparently, it’s a bad year for movies and opening weekends. The Bob Marley biopic did well for itself but not well enough to rescue another down weekend. 🎸

History

• 1804: The first self-propelling steam locomotive makes its outing at the Pen-y-Darren Ironworks in Wales. 🚂

• 1947: Edwin H. Land publicly demonstrates his instant camera and associated film. 📸

• 1948: NASCAR is founded. 🏎

Thanks for reading! In case you don’t hear it on one of our shows or see it on one of our social accounts today, please remember, we like you. Don’t give up.