🎈 Car-Flation Returns?

TOGETHER WITH

Can you believe it!? We are only one day away from the livestream premiere of ‘More Than Cars’!!! Its a cultural rewrite of the stigma of car dealers and we want you to be a part of it. We know there is a better story about auto and we can’t wait to tell it with you!

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, & Chris

DEALERS

West Herr Redesigns

Our friends over at West Herr Auto Group are getting cozy, creative, and charitable!

A series of redesigned and decorated Cozy Coups will be auctioned off on June 3rd to support the WNY Foster Closet.

WNY Foster Closet is a nonprofit that cares for children's basic needs while they’re placed in foster care. Clothing, furniture, toys, diapers, and more are made available to foster children and the folks who open their homes to them because of the generous support of people like West Herr.

The auction will take place at an ice cream shop in West Herr's community, adding a sweet finishing touch to an already overwhelmingly sweet idea.

Telling it like it is - We love every dealer story we have the privilege of sharing, but this one really checks all our boxes: helping kids, art, and even ice cream. Next time, slap a flat-bill on one of those Cozy Coupes, and we may never return from our hype parade.

AUTOMOTIVE

Volatile Used Vehicle Prices

According to recent data, used car inflation is back but not a reason to worry. Here’s what the stats tell us:

• The rebound in wholesale prices had hinted at the return of used car inflation, and this month's CPI (Consumer Price Index) report confirms it.

• Prices for used cars and trucks increased by 4.4% this month, marking the first monthly increase in 10 months.

• Short-term bumps in used car prices will not stop the longer-term price declines as supply improves, but they will make the path of used car disinflation longer and rougher than previously expected.

The good news:

• Preliminary data from the Manheim index suggests that the recent price rebound may already be behind us, with a 0.9% unadjusted price decline in the first half of May.

• Though historically low, dealership inventories are gradually improving, and vehicle sales have almost reached pre-pandemic levels.

• The stresses in global car supply chains, like chip shortages, are gradually abating, and the Federal Reserve's rate hikes constrain auto loan credit, which will help mitigate the inflationary impact of short-term price increases.

• Strong demand, especially during tax return season, has also contributed to the price rebound.

Telling it like it is - Learning about a challenge before it arrives is great, but learning about one that has already passed is pretty dope too.

TOGETHER WITH MORE THAN CARS

Join Us Wednesday!

Here comes the HYPE!

Are you ready to see car dealerships in a brand-new light? Join us for the premiere of “More Than Cars” on May 24 at 1 PM ET/12 PM CT.

Hosted by automotive troublemakers Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier, this groundbreaking series takes you on a behind-the-scenes tour of retail auto. From everyday customer interactions to the inspiring stories of the people keeping our wheels turning, it’s a fast-paced, artfully shot journey into the heart of the largest retail industry in the country.

“More Than Cars” shatters stereotypes, revealing that car dealerships are about much, much more than cars.

So, tune in for our mid-day viewing of the pilot episode, presented by ASOTU and brought to you by our friends at TrueCar, Inc.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Word-Ro-Nymns

AIA
Automotive Inventory Ads
A category of ads on Facebook consisting of dynamic inventory displays.

AUTOMOTIVE

Motor Morsels: Ford, Hyundai, Cadillac, Tesla, ChargeX

💰🤝⛏️

Ford's unveiled a string of deals on Monday to secure a steady supply of lithium, a key ingredient in EV batteries. These moves underscore Ford's commitment to charging towards its target of producing 2 million EVs by 2026. With suppliers like Albemarle Corp and Nemaska Lithium on board, the company is all set to power up about 3 million Ford EV batteries and accelerate past those Wall Street doubts.

Hyundai's pulled the curtains back on the impeccably restored 1974 "retro-futuristic classic" Pony Concept Coupe. Debuting at the place of its birth, Lake Como in Italy, this classic ride flaunts geometric lines, minimalist interiors, and slide controls, dishing out a style statement that arguably outshines the Cybertruck. Brought to life again by its original designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro, the gas-powered classic inspired Hyundai's modern marvels, including the N Vision 74.

The Cadillac Escalade is set to get a battery, and we assume a "Q" added to its name. General Motors is revealing its electrified sibling, the "Escalade IQ," (there it is) launching later this year. This SUV, likely to be powered by GM's next-gen Ultium battery tech, is part of Cadillac's ambitious journey towards becoming an all-electric brand by 2030.

🤖🛻🤷‍♀️

During Tesla's "Cyber Roundup" shareholder meeting, CEO Elon Musk teased two enigmatic new EVs, gave updates on the Cybertruck, and shared information about the next-gen Roadster. Amidst glimpses of upcoming rides and a public succession plan discussion, we learned the Cybertruck, complete with modular capabilities, is set for production this year, while the ever-elusive Roadster remains in pre-production. As for the two new models, almost no details were shared.

ChargeX, fueled by giants like Tesla, Ford, and General Motors, and marshaled by the US Department of Energy, is giving the EV charging experience a major tune-up. With its sights set on ensuring first-time plug-in success by June 2025, ChargeX will tackle the nuts and bolts of EV charging, from defining an outstanding charging experience to diagnosing and turbocharging reliability.

Telling it like it is - Ford made some battery material deals, Hyundai is bringing back Robocop’s car, GM’s making an electric Escalade, Tesla says the Cybertruck is coming this year but the roadster is pushed back, and ChargeX wants to fix connection issues.

CULTURE

Freese Joins Foo

A little over a year ago, the music world lost an incredible talent when Taylor Hawkins, drummer of the band Foo Fighters, passed away. The band has been in mourning since.

During a live stream this past Sunday, however, the Foos finally handed over Taylor’s sticks to veteran musician and longtime friend, Josh Freese.

With a resume that includes plenty of big-name artists like Nine Inch Nails, The Offspring, Sting, Lana del Ray, and Weezer (just to name a few), Freese seems like an easy fit.

The band’s first formal show with Freese at the drum helm will take place in New Hampshire this week for the opening leg of their global tour. It will be the first time the band has performed live since their dual memorial concerts for Taylor last September.

Telling it like it is — While no one will ever be able the replace Hawkins, we think it’s safe to say that with Josh's impressive background, the Foo Fighters won't miss a beat. 🥁 

Quick Hits

• A broken Fender Stratocaster that belonged to Kurt Cobain sold over the weekend for $596K. 🎸

• Meta was fined $1.3B for violating EU data privacy rules. The company says it will appeal the order to stop sending data on its European Union users to the US. 🧑‍⚖️

• Apple is thinking about adding some generative AI to its future iPhones. No thanks, imagine auto-correct but for whole sentences. Oof. 🍎

• While mixed, reviews of the live-action remake of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” all seem to agree that star Halle Bailey was great, but the movie was kinda ‘meh.’ We have not watched it. We’re too busy looking for real mermaids. 🧜‍♀️

• Bird Flu is making a comeback as health experts talk about vaccines to prevent a new pandemic. 🤧

• Lego has recreated the beloved video game classic Pac-Man in bricks. 🧱 

History

• 1430: Joan of Arc is captured at the Siege of Compiègne by troops from the Burgundian faction. 🗡️

• 1934: American bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde are ambushed by police and killed in Bienville Parish, Louisiana. 🏦

• 1995: The first version of the Java programming language is released. 💻