🚗 Hyundai, Foxconn, Kia, and More

🚙 Headlines, Better Stories, and a Robot Flood

November 24, 2025

TOGETHER WITH

If people aren’t getting fed, what’s the point of any of this?

We can generate wealth, meet needs, and build opportunities our great-grandparents couldn’t imagine. But if we don’t step back and look at the impact we’re making on actual human lives, aren’t we just waiting for time and age to replace us?

Stories like Troy Duhon’s always make us question our own place in the world.

Through his nonprofit Giving Hope, more than $15M worth of food goes to families who need it every year.

The organization rallies sponsors, activates communities, hosts events, and proves what’s possible when an entire industry asks a simple question: What story are we telling?

Troy Duhon with Sarah and Paul J Daly

We hope Troy’s story makes you wonder about your spot in the world, too and reminds you how much better things get when more More Than Cars-minded people show up.

Keep Pushing Back,
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here!
Reading time: 3 min

Hyundai Expands Off-Road Ambition

The ASOTU crew was out in force for our first LA Auto Show, but Hyundai still wouldn’t let us drive their new off-road concept car. We told them we’ve played every Halo game, but apparently that doesn’t count as real-world experience.

Hyundai is pushing deeper into the “freedom” sector by expanding its XRT lineup after years of record U.S. sales growth. Americans love SUVs and freedom, so honestly, the plan seems airtight.

Foxconn Builds Global Battery Footprint

Foxconn has been playing hokey-pokey with the auto industry for years — in, out, shake it all about — but now it looks like they’re finally planting a flag in the EV battery supply chain.

The company already builds half the devices in your house (iPads, Kindles, etc.), so global manufacturing isn’t new for them. Battery production starts in Taiwan with plans to expand worldwide.

Becoming a global battery heavyweight would be a big win, but for now they’ve at least secured enough juice for whatever EVs they build at the former iPhone factory down the street. So
 progress?

CarNow Targets Payment-First Shoppers

We talk a LOT about affordability and the eternal quest to match cars with buyers of all budget backgrounds. CarNow just dropped a feature that lets shoppers browse by actual monthly payment — using real dealer pricing, lender programs, incentives, and taxes.

With Gen Z defaulting at higher rates, giving consumers clarity on monthly expectations is smart. Honestly, maybe train a GPT to walk customers through down payments and term options before they even show up?

All these robots gotta be good for something, right?

Kia Issues K5 Fuel-Tank Recall

Remember when Kia was the quiet, reliable, affordable brand? Then came the KiaBoyz trend, and suddenly we all missed the boring days. Well
 this new story makes me miss the KiaBoyz again.

Kia and the NHTSA just issued a 250,000-vehicle recall for the K5 because a valve defect can make the fuel tank expand, melt, and potentially leak. And leaked fuel? Not great.

Dealers will handle replacements, which is nice because they’re way better at consoling upset customers than a Kia engineer with a spreadsheet.

Waymo Floods Palo Alto Neighborhood

I (Chris) am not an “old man,” but I have some deeply old-man tendencies. You feel me? Like: I don’t want robot cars on my street unless they’re delivering someone to a house on that street.

One Palo Alto resident, Ben Baum, counted more than 50 Waymo robotaxis passing his home in a single weekend. His reaction echoed the grumpy chorus in my soul: “Nobody asked for this.”

Waymo blamed a “temporary operating restriction” elsewhere that rerouted cars into his neighborhood — which made exactly zero people feel better.

#TeamBen

In Good Company at the LA Auto Show

A huge thank-you to our friends at Cars Commerce for teaming up with us for this year’s LA Auto Show!

Not only did they join us as our podcast partners at this year’s big event, but we also had the pleasure of sitting down with Cars’ Editor-in-Chief, Jenni Newman, and Senior Director of Research and Insights, Amie Lindaas.

They brought fresh insight on affordability pressures, shifting research habits, and where AI is really starting to influence today’s car-shopping journey.

The episodes are coming soon. In the meantime, stroll over to Cars Commerce for the latest dealer solutions here.

EVERYTHING ELSE

Quick Hits

  • đŸ€– AI: A consumer group is warning parents of AI toys.

  • 💰 Economy: Home sales are rising again!

  • đŸ‘œ Weird: An eagle dropped a cat through the windshield of a car. Anybody wanna guess if insurance is gonna pay up?

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Coming Soon

Today in History

  • 1951: British auto manufacturers Austin and Morris Motors merge. 🔗

  • 1967: The first Chick-fil-A restaurant opens in Atlanta's Greenbriar Mall. 🐔 

  • 1971: A man known as D.B. Cooper hijacked a Boeing 727, demanded a $200K ransom, and jumped out of the plane with a parachute over Washington state. He was never caught. đŸȘ‚ 

Reply

or to participate.