🚗 Farley Fesses Up

TOGETHER WITH

Jim Farley driving around for months in a Chinese EV is actually a respectable move. Do you want Ford to design based on what the competitors do wrong or what they do right?

It seems if you love something your competitor is doing, you just got a free step toward loving what you’re doing more. 🤷 

Love what you’re doing, and…

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

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BUSINESS

🦺 Safe Brakes, Farley, and Profit Dips

🛑 Brake It Till You Make It

Automatic emergency braking (AEB) is saving more bumpers and pedestrians than ever, with 100% of 2024 models avoiding collisions in AAA tests. The tech is evolving fast, but automakers are sweating over a 2029 deadline to meet stricter federal requirements. Spoiler: they’re not ready to pump the brakes on their complaints.

🇨🇳 Farley’s Flirtation with a Chinese EV

Ford CEO Jim Farley’s crush on a Xiaomi EV from China might make U.S. automakers blush. Farley’s been driving the Xiaomi SU7 around Chicago and admits the Chinese are outpacing the West in tech and price. His existential crisis? Realizing U.S. brands could fall behind—fast.

🔧 Hyundai's Profit Flat Tire

Hyundai’s profits are down 6.5% thanks to weak sales and rising geopolitical risks. North American sales rose 9.3%, but a 61% plunge in China and global uncertainty took a big bite out of the automaker’s earnings. With EV demand slowing, Hyundai is doubling down on hybrids to stay in the race.

Check out the full digest at Daily.ASOTU.com.

TOGETHER WITH FULLTHROTTLE.AI

📺 Finding Your Shoppers Using Free TV

If you missed our ASOTU Edge Webinar with fullthrottle.ai, don’t worry! You can catch the replay now. In just 27 minutes, Paul J Daly, Kyle Mountsier, and Amol Waishampayan deliver a power-packed discussion on the Free TV revolution. 📺

They dive into why Free TV ad share is soaring—250% larger than Netflix and Amazon Prime combined—and how it fits into a first-party data strategy. If you're looking for actionable insights on maximizing ad spend and reaching untapped audiences, this is for you.

Don’t miss out on this dynamic, informative session. Check the replay now!

DATA & INSIGHT

🤑 The Week’s Market Moves

The stock market is cruising through 2024, set for a rare back-to-back 20% gain—something that’s only happened five times in the past 75 years. But can this hot streak keep going?

• Double Trouble — The market has rallied over 12% since August, bringing the year-to-date return to 23%.

• Eyes on the Prize— Powered by a growing economy, a friendlier Fed, and rising corporate profits, the market’s momentum looks solid. Risks remain, but these fundamentals offer support for continued gains—just maybe not at the same breakneck speed.

The U.S. auto market is holding strong as we head into the final months of 2024, with new-vehicle sales expected to see growth. Here’s a quick breakdown of what we’re seeing:

• Sales Still Climbing — Total new-vehicle sales in October 2024 are projected to hit 1.33M units, up 2.1% from last year. The seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) is expected to reach 16.1M units, a healthy increase from 2023.

• Retail Transaction Prices Falling — The average retail transaction price is forecasted to be $44,904, down 1.6% from last October. Incentives are rising though, with spending on track to reach $3,149 per vehicle—a 70% jump compared to last year.

Prices in the wholesale used-vehicle market have been rather volatile this month. Here’s what’s moving and shaking across different segments:

• Compact Cars Hold Steady —The compact car segment had a decent showing with a 1.4% price increase since September. Midsize cars weren’t far behind, posting a 1.2% gain. Not too shabby for the middle of October.

• Pickups Are Hanging In There — Pickups managed a slight bump, rising 0.5%. Not groundbreaking, but enough to keep them in positive territory.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

🎬 Join Us November 13th For More Than Cars @ Mohawk

🗓️ Coming Soon

🤠 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.

🥊 Quick Hits: Strike, VR, and Swamps

• A strike at Boeing will continue after a wage deal was rejected by workers. 🛩️ 

• The popular video game, Minecraft, is ending all VR support next year. 🥽 

• The fossil of something called a “swamp dweller” was found In Colorado. Yay? 👺 

🔁 Today in History: Mini, Evel, and XP

• 1972: The 3 millionth Mini leaves the factory. 🥳 

• 1975: Evel Knievel’s longest jump. 🏍️ 

• 2001: Microsoft releases Windows XP. 🪟 

Thanks for reading, friend! Friday is either the last mile of a marathon or the last minute on a timer. You pick.