Is Rocket Science Easier Than Full Self-Driving?

TOGETHER WITH

Challenge: go up to someone at your store or company today that you don’t know that well and ask them these 3 questions:

1. Have you ever been snorkeling?

2. What is your favorite food to grill?

3. Do you know what ASOTU is?

Ok, we cheated on the last one…but, we really think this could be fun and a way for you to get to know some of your teammates better. Try it out!

Keep Pushing Back,-Paul, Kyle, & Chris

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

All Things Used Cars and Pitch Tank

David Long and the All Things Used Cars community will join forces again tomorrow morning to tackle the topic of transforming a dealership's digital presence! Voices from across the industry will discuss the importance of solid digital offerings for auto dealers. As always, All Things Used Cars will share top operators' tried and true experiences in a dealer-to-dealer discussion that will send everybody away with something to apply today! 

PITCH TANK

Congrats to this week's Pitch Tank winner - William (Billy) Reynolds from Vicimus! Joining us again next week for more pitches, products, and whatever our panel of industry pros come up with! 

Have a product to pitch? Apply now!

AUTOMOTIVE

US Unveils New EV Charging Rules

The US Department of Transportation released rules Wednesday about the $7.5B federal charging investment, which is part of the larger infrastructure bill passed in 2021. Expanding and broadening the charging network is key to the administration's plan to convert 50% of all new US vehicle sales to electric by 2030. The government is doling out plenty of incentives to get things rolling. Here are some of the deets:

🇺🇸 EV chargers must obtain at least 55% of their construction materials (including iron and steel) from domestic sources by 2024. All assembly and manufacturing must be done in the US, starting immediately. 

🔌 Tesla has exclusive access to the largest network of high-speed superchargers in the US, accounting for around 60% of all fast chargers. The project will tap into the network by offering subsidies to Tesla for retrofitting its stations. This brings the federal government closer to its goal of 500,000 EV chargers by 2030 (up from 130K). Tesla has agreed to open at least 7,500 of their proprietary chargers by 2024, but no larger agreement exists.

🙌 According to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the ultimate goal is, "no matter what EV you drive, we want to make sure that you will be able to plug in, know the price you're going to be paying, and charge up in a predictable, user-friendly experience."

In the year 2030 - Elon Musk and his army of space robots can deliver a charging station anywhere on the planet via orbital drop, but full self-driving is still "working out a few kinks."

TOGETHER WITH AUTOMOTIVEMASTERMIND

Better Everyday

Two ways to get better: 

1. Becoming more efficient

2. Removing inefficiencies 

Sounds like the same thing, but we assure you there are differences. One comes from time spent building familiarity with a process, while the other requires bold decisions. 

Our friends at automotiveMastermind have boldly decided to partner with Elead to provide dealers with a fully integrated CRM that works with their platform to keep uniform notes that unlock new opportunities. 

Find out how you can sell smarter with automotiveMastermind now!

AUTOMOTIVE

Pausing Production, Banning “Emissions”, and Voyaging To The Bahamas

Due to potential battery issues, Ford has paused production and shipment of its F-150 Lightning EV pickup. The company did not disclose details of the issue, so we can only guess it is not a safety issue but a quality issue. The spokesperson said they are working to fix it and will do right by affected customers before resuming production and shipments.

The European Union has voted on emission reduction targets that will effectively ban new ICE vehicles by 2035. The Parliamentary vote in favor of the ban still has to be approved by the EC Council, as well as be published in the EU Journal, but experts expect these stages to be completed by March.

Electric boat company, Voltari, has set another high bar for its industry. Their Voltari 260 completed a 91-mile journey from Key Largo, Florida to Bimini, Bahamas on a single battery charge. The average speed of the trip was just 5 mph to showcase the range, but a previous display of the boat's power showed off its top speed of 108 mph. 

TL: DR - Ford puts lightning in a bottle, The EU puts emissions on the chopping block, and one electric boat puts Florida behind it.

AUTOMOTIVE

Deep Opinions About Deepfakes

AI is one of the biggest trends in the tech world, but people are divided on the value it offers. Recent blockbusters like The Irishman, Gemini Man, Indiana Jones, and The Mandalorian have all utilized the technology, which suggests that it isn't leaving anytime soon. Actors are particularly divided on the subject, with some embracing it and others criticizing it.

🎥🙅🏻‍♂️🤖

Keanu Reeves recently spoke against deepfake technology in Hollywood, sharing fears that it could strip actors of their agency and distort their performances. The actor confirmed that his contracts prevent studios from digitally manipulating his acting.

🎂👯‍♂️🎬

Bruce Willis partnered with deepfake studio, Deepcake, back in 2021 to create a "digital twin" of himself for an advertisement. His camp has since clarified that Willis has in no way sold the rights to his image or digital likeness; therefore, they cannot be used without his explicit permission. It still seems like a sticky area that makes us wonder how that boundary will continue to be defined or pushed.

👦➡️👴

Tom Hanks is embracing AI, as evidenced by his upcoming film, Here. The film will feature Hanks in multiple roles, including a young and old version of the same character using AI. We hope the AI they use this time is better than the Polar Express era. 

Telling it like it is - In case anybody is wondering, we use no DF tech on The Automotive Troublemaker, Paul and Kyle just always look kinda like one another.

Quick Hits

• You better run ChatGPT… no seriously, the US Air Force’s new AI has a fighter jet and may not like competition. The autonomous jet has completed 17 hours of flight testing in a modified F-16, now called the X-62.

• Roblox, Airbnb, crypto bank Silvergate Capital (yes, crypto is still a thing), see jumps in market value. 

• Marvel’s MODOK will debut in Ant-Man 3. Heads up: His huge head is home of one of the most powerful brains in the MCU. Smart and psychic. Oh, also super evil. 

• US looking into solar geoengineering as a method for reflecting heat away from earth to combat overheating.

History

• 1843: Henry Leland, founder of Cadillac & Lincoln, is born.

• 1923: The burial chamber of King Tutankhamen (King Tut) is opened.

• 1968: US First 911 Emergency Telephone Service.