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- 🚗 Turkey vs. Tinsel
🚗 Turkey vs. Tinsel
🚙 Weekly Review, Pods Pods Pods, and Dinner Dollars Drop
Happy Saturday, Friend!
It’s the weekend before Thanksgiving, and we know so many people who have already put up their Christmas decorations.
On the one hand—yay, Christmas! On the other hand—shouldn’t Turkey Day get it’s proper spotlight first?
Hit reply and let us know what you think: is it too early for Christmas decorations, or is it right on time?
Keep Pushing Back,
-Paul, Kyle, Chris, and Kristi
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ICYMI
A Lengthy Weekly Review
The Daily Pushback Email
On Monday, Tesla’s battery tech faced scrutiny, the U.S. positioned itself as a battery leader, Harley-Davidson unveiled pastel electric scooters for city commuters, Hyundai introduced an AI-powered EV to revive its Chinese market, and Kei truck owners pushed back against bans as inventory levels rose and incentives climbed without easing prices. 🔋
Then, on Tuesday, car buyers caught a break with better incentives, Tesla’s robotaxi hype soared (again), and Ford slashed EV prices like it’s Black Friday. Meanwhile, GM’s layoffs raised eyebrows, and Hunter Automotive Group honored first responders at their “Hometown Heroes” event, celebrating the courage of those who protect their communities. 🏆
Wednesday, we reflected on Tesla’s V4 Superchargers ramping up EV charging speed, Toyota’s dive into ultra-cooled hydrogen tech, and Jaguar’s leap into luxury territory. Meanwhile, J.D. Power crowned Lexus and Honda as residual value champs again, proving good value never goes out of style. 👑
On Thursday, wholesale used-car prices climbed unexpectedly in November, while EV resale values struggled and buyers raced to lock in the $7,500 EV tax credit before potential cuts. Cavender Automotive Group made a powerful impact with a $100K donation, funding the Cavender Cares Wing at the Ronald McDonald House in San Antonio. 🪽
Friday, Kia and Hyundai turned heads with EV updates, Tesla expanded its Supercharger network to Nissan Ariya drivers, and Lucid squared off with Jaguar in the luxury arena. Meanwhile, the Fed signaled a cautious approach to rate cuts and dealerships posted strong Q3 earnings despite cooling profits. ⚡️
PODCASTS
More Than Cars BTS
We had a blast this week filming More Than Cars season 2 with the crew at Carter Meyers Automotive in Richmond, VA—check out this killer behind-the-scenes footage of our time there!
Now We’re Here
In this episode of Now We’re Here, host Damon Lester sits down with Vinay Shahani, Senior Vice President of U.S. Marketing and Sales for Nissan Americas.
They explore Vinay’s journey from humble beginnings in Michigan, shaped by his father’s career at Ford, to leading roles at Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen.
ASOTU Edge Webinar
On Friday, we learned from Daniel Free and Brian Able about the importance of quality visual merchandising, and how to vastly improve your online presence during our 30-minute ASOTU webinar.
AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE
🗓️ Coming Soon
🥳 November 29th, 2024 — ASOTU CON Black Friday Ticket Event. Sign up now to get your discount code on Black Friday!
⚜️ January 23-26th, 2025 — NADA Show in New Orleans.
🦀 May 13-16th, 2025 — ASOTU CON in Baltimore, Maryland.
SOMETHING FUN
Rolling Back Prices (Except on Rolls)
AFBF
Americans can breathe a tiny sigh of relief this year—a Thanksgiving dinner for 10 costs $58.08, a 5% drop from last year.
But before you pop the bubbly just yet, prices are still 19% higher than five years ago. Blame inflation (or your uncle’s endless second helpings), but the cost of celebrating turkey day is no small potatoes.
AFBF
Turkey prices are down 6% despite fewer gobblers being raised this year due to avian flu. However, a 16-pound bird still dominates the bill, making up 44% of the meal's cost.
As for the sides, processed items like dinner rolls, stuffing, and cranberries are up—with rolls alone rising 8%.
Meanwhile, fresh veggies and milk saw significant price cuts thanks to favorable weather and stable dairy production.
AFBF
Where you celebrate also plays a role. A holiday dinner in the West is the priciest, averaging $67.05, while Southerners get the best deal at $56.81.
Adding ham, Russet potatoes, and green beans to the Thanksgiving basket costs about $81 in the South and Northeast, and $83 in the Midwest.
In the West, however, the expanded basket jumps to $93, adding over a dollar more per person to the feast.
Fun Fact: Thanksgiving dinner actually costs however much you want it to!
Quick Hits
If your Thanksgiving budget is extra tight this year, these places are offering discounted or even free meal options. 🦃
If you’re feeling extra fancy, Pizza Hut released a tomato wine that allegedly tastes like pizza. 🍷
Multi-talented chef, Action Bronson, says he used AI to help him elevate his Friendsgiving leftovers into gourmet masterpieces. 🍽️
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