#641 -🐭🦁✊ Little, Lion, Leader

TOGETHER WITH

When we are done with school, it’s called “Graduation.”
When we are done with learning, it’s called “Stagnation.”

There is something to learn all around us. We try to bring it all into our little easy-to-read email, but in truth, it’s going to take a lifetime of looking around to even scratch the surface of knowledge and wisdom lying around for anyone with the eyes to see it.

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

_{Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here!
Reading time: 4 mins 19 secs}

BUSINESS

Happy Wednesday

Someday, you may be able to pick up your tiny Ford EV with your flying Stellantis Archer. We aren’t sure why you would, but people are putting speakers under the hood of Ferraris to make them roar, so it seems we are just trying anything that comes to our mind these days.

--

Ford Thinks Small

Ford announced its Skunkworks project a while back and says the plan will bear fruit by 2026. Targeting EVs with a base price of around $25K, the initiative is a reaction to a looming influx of cheap Chinese EVs. 

So far the project has a compact SUV, small truck, and talk of a ride-hail service vehicle based on its lithium-iron-phosphate battery platform. 

They want to hit profitability within a year of launch despite sitting on $5.5B in annual losses in their EV segment. 

Speaking of Chinese EVs...

BYD is at the door and jiggling the knob. The global EV leader is extending its presence into previously under-tapped markets like Thailand, Brazil, and Indonesia. Essentially, it is making up for the decision to skip some Western markets for now by building momentum abroad. How much momentum does it take to make an unstoppable object? 

Ferrari and Bentley: A Tale of Two Companies

Ferrari pretty much does whatever it wants, and now that includes staying the course to its first all-electric launch in Q4 2025. So, while others are slowing down, Ferrari is focusing on delivering an EV experience that will satisfy their core audience with performance and an iconic, be it artificial, engine roar. 

• The brand says it expects hybrids and EVs to make up 60% of its sales in 2026.

--

Bentley, on the other hand, has announced a delay in its first EV launch to late 2026, with deliveries pushed to 2027 due to software and platform challenges. 

• This postponement affects Bentley's timeline for a fully electric lineup, now set for 2033. 

Final, Flying, and Free

• Audi reaffirms its EV strategy with the final combustion engine vehicle expected in 2026, aiming for parity in profitability between its electric and combustion models by the decade's end. Despite anticipating lower sales in 2024, Audi is executing an austerity program to sustain its financial health amid transitional challenges.

• Stellantis has solidified its belief in the future of flying cars by investing over $39 million in eVTOL company Archer, aiming to commence manufacturing of Archer's aircraft by 2025. This venture highlights an ambitious diversification strategy within the automotive sector .

• Rivian has unlocked access to Tesla's Supercharger network, offering its customers a free adapter to facilitate this integration. This move, mirroring Ford's earlier strategy, exemplifies a growing trend among EV manufacturers to leverage Tesla's extensive charging infrastructure, enhancing the charging convenience for their customers. 

--

TOGETHER WITH PARTSEDGE

Slay Your Parts Strategy

The New Parts Manager Guide eBook from PartsEdge is a comprehensive resource for parts managers facing the challenges of leading their teams, serving customers, and managing inventory.

It provides actionable insights and tools, including checklists for daily, weekly, and monthly tasks, strategies for managing excess stock and obsolete inventory, and tips for optimizing the dealership management system (DMS).

This guide is essential for parts managers aiming to transition from reactive to proactive management, ensuring their department's growth and efficiency.

For a deeper understanding and to access the full range of strategies and tips, download the eBook here!

/Positivity

If we tried to tell all the wonderful, charitable, and creative stories happening in dealerships across our industry, we would need a bigger email. But we have just enough space in this email for YOUR story.

Let us help show the community and world what you have going on in your store! 🕊️

WHAT WE’RE READING

The Responsibility of Leadership

Will Guidara highlights throughout his book Unreasonable Hospitality a relentless pursuit of excellence, which for him includes a deep understanding of guiding a crew with compassion and grace.

In our readings this week, there were so many insightful quotes about leadership, partnership, and team-building that we decided to go through and snack on some of those morsels one by one.

👉 Check out the full write-up here. 👀

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Webinar Today!

Today, we hear from Ron Bouchard about how he and his team serve their community with excellence.

Thanks to our friends at Upstart, we have a quick 30-minute webinar prepared to deliver the essential pieces of info and insight to our dealer friends looking to maintain a strong relationship with shoppers, until they become customers, up through their journey into satisfied buyer land.

Register now so you don’t miss a moment.

Quick Hits

• The Average BONUS on Wall Street dropped 2% last year to just $176,500. 🤑

• Timothée Chalamet, the actor who is in everything lately, will star in a Bob Dylan biopic. 🎙

• The beloved farming game Stardew Valley has an update with added fixes and features. included in the updates is the ability to drink mayonnaise. Yay? 🥛

History

• 1916: Albert Einstein publishes his general theory of relativity. 🔭

• 1922: The US Postmaster General ( Hubert Work ) orders all homes to get mailboxes or relinquish delivery of mail. 📫

• 1988: The last Pontiac Fiero. 🔥

Thanks for reading, friend! Everybody likes to talk about “living like it is your last day on earth,” but maybe we should think about living like it is the first day of our life. Let the past go and prepare ourselves for the future we are willing to work for.