What Would You Put In Your Oasis?

TOGETHER WITH

One of our favorite parts of our jobs are getting to be in dealerships. This week we have had different flavors of that:

• Chris got his oil changed and handed out "Love People" stickers

• Cirillo and Ann-Marie chatted with a group about their community efforts

• Paul & Kyle dove into marketing and operations with some friends

All in all, there is a wide scope of the commitment to shifting the culture and perception of our industry and we are looking for more of the others that believe the same things you do. Keep spreading the good work, ASOTU fam!

Keep Pushing Back-Paul, Kyle, & Chris

AUTOMOTIVE

Sandwiches And Power

Everybody is getting serious about EV charging stations. OEMs are launching federally subsidized networks with cables, connectors, and complicated configurations of circuitry that we won't try to explain here.

A new name in the conversation is one of the last we expected to see: Subway.

The sandwich empire will team up with GenZ EV Solutions to place EV Charging Oasis parks nationwide. Each park will have multiple chargers, picnic tables, wifi, restrooms, green space, and playgrounds.

Telling it like it is - Subway isn't the first retail or restaurant chain to offer public charging, but the green oasis vibe is a refreshing take on the whole thing. Or, maybe it is an "Eat-Freshing" take on it?

AUTOMOTIVE

Nio: Expanding, Swapping, and Charging

Chinese EV maker Nio is preparing for an expansion into Europe. A new factory in China will build budget EVs for the European market to begin delivery as early as next year. Currently, the brand offers vehicles in Europe starting at around $53K. The price of the upcoming "budget" remains to be seen. Domestic sales took a hit when state EV subsidies ended, so market expansion is more important.

Back home. This year the company plans to build 1,000 new battery swap stations in the country, bringing the total to 2,300. Of the new stations, 400 will live along highways, while the remaining 600 will serve urban locations.

Back in December, the company announced ultra-fast chargers to go public in March this year. A Nio exclusive cooling tech offers a lightweight charging cable, with charging speeds among the fastest to date. In around 12 minutes, a battery can get from 10% to 80% charged. The chargers will be open to any EV or user.

Telling it like it is - In the history of batteries, charging them is only a recent development. Taking them out of your flashlight to keep the TV remote working is an OG move.

TOGETHER WITH AUTOMOTIVEMASTERMIND

Collaboration For The Win

Collaboration is just innovation with friends!

The team at automotiveMastermind announced some partnerships at NADA that will serve dealers in various needed ways!

• DealerSocket will help dealers reclaim time and get a clearer picture of each customer's placement in the sales process.

• Orbee's Customer Data Platform connects insights to actions, so dealer partners know precisely what each customer needs.

• Reynolds Certified Interface Program reinforces automotiveMastermind's commitment to protecting data privacy for the customer's good and the dealer's peace of mind.

Start doing better, easier! Learn more about automotiveMastermind's 2023 focus on strategic integrations now.

AUTOMOTIVE

Bentley To Go Electric

Bentley says it will build its last 12-cylinder engine in April 2024 to make way for electrification. The British ultra-lux brand says it will send off the W12 in style by producing the most powerful version of the engine ever seen before sunsetting it.

Reserve yours today? Only 18 Bentley Baturs will receive the upgraded engine. Each will be hand-crafted two-seaters running around $2M each. Oh...and they are already sold.

Other Bentley News - While Googling to find more information about Bentley’s cars, we found country singer Dierks Bentley went to Daytona 500 to watch cars. What a coincidence!

TECHNOLOGY

BMW, GM and Volvo Embrace Eco-Friendly Metals

🌳🥫🍁

BMW announced its plans to reduce aluminum emissions by 70% in its American-made SUV models by partnering with Rio Tinto to utilize their "green" aluminum. This move is part of BMW's goal to be carbon neutral by 2050. The Canadian-based company powers its operations with hydroelectric energy and uses unique tech to manufacture the more environmentally friendly metal.

🇺🇸👷♻️

The US Steel Corporation revealed plans to supply GM with its advanced and sustainable steel solution called verdeX steel. The material is manufactured with up to 75% fewer emissions than traditional production. Comprising up to 90% recycled material, verdeX steel can be recycled indefinitely without deterioration.

🚛⛏️🦴

Volvo partnered with Nordic steel giant SSAB last year to manufacture fossil-free steel for their electric trucks, and we're finally starting to see those roll out. Roughly 30% recycled materials complement Volvo's integration of fossil-free steel in their manufacturing process. The carmaker asserts that up to 90% of their trucks can be recycled at the end of their lifespan.

Telling it like it is - Move over Derek Zoolander, blue steel is old news, we’re into that Campbell’s-can vibe now.

Quick Hits

• NPR to cut jobs by 10%, saying ad revenue has dropped.

• Paul McCartney is working with the Rolling Stones on their new album.

• An experimental procedure has returned hand movement to two stroke victims.

• The majority of 61 UK companies who tested a 4 day work week have decided to stick with it.

History

• 1822: Boston was granted a charter to become a city.

• 1905: The first Rotary Club was founded in Chicago.

• 2000: Carlos Santana won eight Grammy Awards for his album Supernatural, tying the record set by Michael Jackson.