#462 - 🥷 Dodge Gets Sneaky

TOGETHER WITH

The first vehicle brakes were made from wood. Imagine how that would go in today’s world of stopping a weighty EV!!

Innovation is necessary. Challenge the status quo daily.

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, & Chris

DEALERS

West Herr Knows How To Picnic

West Herr Automotive Group recently hosted its annual company picnic and invited some ASOTU Crew to crash the party!

The event brought 8,500 people together to enjoy rides, games, food, bingo, prizes, bounce houses, cornhole, free toys for kids, and a Neil Diamond cover band. The event is a private celebration of and for the people who make the West Herr group amazing — associates and their families.

Thank's for the invite and all you do for your team, community, and industry, friends!

Telling it like it is – Some kids went home that day thinking their parent works at an amusement park and never told them.

AUTOMOTIVE

Used EV Prices Plummet

According to a June report from iSeeCars.com, EVs are declining nearly ten times faster than the average used vehicle. 📉

Their recent data shows that used EV prices are down nearly 30% YOY, with the decline going into ludicrous speed just this year alone — from 8.8% in January to 29.5% in June.

🙄 Thanks, Elon. Tesla's aggressive price cuts appear to be the primary culprit, putting tremendous pressure on the used EV market to follow suit. The Model 3 and Model Y have experienced substantial value declines, affecting the entire category.

Factors like stabilized fuel prices, rising interest rates, and price-conscious buyers seeking the best deals regardless of powertrain have all contributed to this downward trend. ⛽️

In contrast, ICE vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz SL convertibles, Fiat 500X crossover, Chevrolet Suburban, Porsche 911 convertible, and 718 Cayman coupe have seen the biggest overall price hikes. 📈

Telling it like it is — Come on, Used EV Market. If Tesla jumped off a bridge, would you jump off too? No, seriously tho. We’ve seen Full Self-Drive news, and this is an important question.

TOGETHER WITH BRILLIANT

Sharpen Your Math, Data, and CS Skills

Whether you’re a professional getting an edge in your career or a lifelong learner sharpening your skills, Brilliant is the best way to level up in minutes a day.

Brilliant has thousands of quick, visual, interactive lessons that get you hands-on with cutting-edge topics—from foundational math to AI, data science, neural networks, and more.

Brilliant isn’t just a more fun way to learn—it’s also more effective. In fact, interactive learning has been shown to be 6x more effective than watching lecture videos.

Join over 10 million people around the world and start building skills in minutes a day. You can try everything Brilliant has to offer with a 30-day free trial. Plus, right now you can get an exclusive 20% off an annual premium subscription.

AUTOMOTIVE

Sneaky SUV, Big Little Factory, Battery Break, and Popularity Contest

How sneaky can an SUV be? Dodge dusts off the Stealth name for its Durango successor, stepping into the three-row midsize SUV game. Although no sports car, the new Stealth promises to be modern and could feature electrification, with a nod to the past through a 3.0-liter twin-turbo I-6. All these muscle cars are entering their father-of-3 era, and we aren't sure how we feel about it.

A rocky start is still a start. Despite opposition and legal hurdles, Rivian's $5B Georgia EV factory just got the green light, including a $700M tax break. This 2,000-acre beast, capable of churning out 400,000 EVs annually, is expected to start production in 2026. Last we checked, Georgia was sticking to dealer laws, so we don't know Rivian's plan to sell these 400K vehicles a year.

Did you check the TV remote? Amid an Ultium battery drought, GM powers down its CAMI EV plant, leaving the BrightDrop electric delivery van assembly line in the dark. The work stoppage sent 1,500 workers home for now. GM has more plants planned than your friend that got into succulents during the lockdown, including one that exclusively produces BrightDrop vans batteries. So, things should work out... eventually.

From Kia Boyz to Kia Men. Kia's EV9 electric SUV is off to a roaring start, with over 1,300 units sold in less than a month. Boasting an 800V E-GMP platform and 4th-gen battery tech, it's no wonder half the pre-orders are from newcomers. With a US assembly launch due next year, the EV9 hype train is only picking up steam.

CULTURE

Heatwaves are the Wurst

As Summer’s blistering temperatures continue to break records and melt us all, Germany is encouraging an ancient practice to help beat the heat — naps. 😴

The head of Germany's public health officers association suggests emulating ancient working methods of their warmer southern countries by implementing early starts, productive mornings, and midday siestas during the hottest parts of the day.

This suggestion comes as other parts of the world also grapple with extreme temperatures and adjust working hours to help protect employees from heat exhaustion and dehydration. 🥵

Telling it like it is — If the US adopted this practice, we could call our siestas “American Dreams”.

Quick Hits

• An Australian man and his dog are rescued by Mexican tuna fishermen after three months lost at sea. 🐟

• Goldman Sachs cuts the chance of US recession from 25% to 20% in the next year. 🪓

• Rocket Lab has successfully recovered a reusable rocket after splashdown. 🚀

• Beenie Von Weenie crowned the “Fastest Weiner Dog in the West” at this year’s Wienerschnitzel race. 🌭

History

• 1903: Maurice Garin wins the first Tour de France. 🚴‍♀️

• 1934: Patent for retractable headlights is filed. 🔦

• 1977: The world's first Global Positioning System (GPS) signal is transmitted. 🛰️