🚗 In-Car Speeding Alerts Are Coming

TOGETHER WITH

Hello, Friends! A fresh week is here, and whether you’re chasing big goals or taking small steps, every move counts.

Whatever pace you’re setting this Monday, we’ll be right here cheering you on. 👊

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

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Today's Email

• Bite-Size Biz to Start Your Week

• Making a Splash with Gary Barbera

• Where Are We Going Next?

• Podcast

• Quick Hits

• Today in History

BUSINESS

Bite-Size Biz to Start Your Week

1️⃣ Ford’s August numbers are on fire, especially for the Mustang, after the Camaro and Challenger were discontinued. With hybrid and EV sales climbing too, Ford’s lineup is flexing some serious muscle across the board.

• Mustang Monopolizes Muscle — Mustang sales shot up by 54% in August, with 3,164 units sold. YTD sales are up 17.7% to 33,817 units.

• EVs Gaining Ground, But Gas Still Rules — Electric vehicle sales climbed 28.9% in August, led by the F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E, but gas-powered models are still the top choice with 157,647 sold in August.

2️⃣ California is on the verge of implementing a law that could change the driving experience in a big way. Senate Bill 961 is just one signature away from requiring speeding alerts in all new cars sold in the state.

• The Fine Print — The bill mandates that new vehicles will alert drivers if they exceed the speed limit by more than 10 mph using GPS-based data. Older cars are off the hook—this would only apply to new ones built after 2030.

• Leading the Way — If signed, California will be the first U.S. state to adopt this tech, joining countries like the UK, where it has shown a modest 1.4 mph reduction in speed.

3️⃣ Stellantis just announced a massive recall affecting 1.46M vehicles globally due to a software glitch that could disable the anti-lock brake system and increase crash risks.

• Ram in the Spotlight — Nearly 1.23M Ram 1500 trucks from model years 2019, 2021-2024 are affected in the U.S., alongside recalls in Canada, Mexico, and other regions.

• Safety Compliance: A malfunction could knock out key safety systems like electronic stability control, which doesn’t meet federal safety standards.

4️⃣ In order to qualify for the $7,500 tax credits, Kia says they are holding off on full-scale EV9 production at its Georgia plant until U.S.-sourced batteries arrive next spring.

• Credit Complexities — Current regulations allow Kia to use tax credits via leasing, but COO Steve Center warned that these rules could be subject to changes, especially if the political winds shift.

• Sales Impact — Kia sold 13,874 EV9s through August, despite production delays.

TOGETHER WITH STREAM COMPANIES

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MORE THAN CARS MOMENTS

Making a Splash with Gary Barbera

Gary Barbera and his team recently hosted their annual Summer Splash Swimsuit Bash at Max Meyers Pool in Philadelphia where they handed out swimsuits to all the neighborhood boys and girls who attended.

Yearly, more than 300 bathing suits are given out, and the suits come in especially handy for youngsters without one, as rules prohibit swimming in street clothes.

This initiative is just one part of Gary’s larger Barbera Cares Program. Since it’s inception many years ago, he has been able to support dozens of local charities, programs, teams, and organizations to uplift his community and provide assistance to those in need.

Thanks for all that you do for your neighbors, Gary! We love to see it. 👏

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Where Are We Going Next?

🍎 September 16th — The Welcome Conference in NYC.

🤠 November 5-8th — Opening presenters at the 2024 ATAE PR & Communications Focus Group Meeting in Austin, Texas.

⚜️ January 23-26th, 2025 — NADA Show in New Orleans.

🦀 May 13-16th, 2025 — ASOTU CON in Baltimore, Maryland.

Podcast

Quick Hits

• Elon Musk now controls nearly two-thirds of all active satellites orbiting Earth. 🛰️

• The global average surface temperatures from June through August were the hottest on record. 🥵

• A study in rabbits suggests that tiny robots (much smaller than blood cells) could deliver clot-forming drugs where they're needed most, such as a brain aneurysm. 🐇

Today in History

• 1776: Congress officially renames the country as the United States of America (from the United Colonies). 🇺🇸

• 1850: California is admitted as the thirty-first state of the Union. 🏄‍♀️

• 1908: Orville Wright makes the first one-hour airplane flight. 🛫

Thanks for reading, friend! We can’t announce anything just yet, but know that we have some really, REALLY big news on the horizon. Stay tuned! 😎