What’s Got Germany Shook?

TOGETHER WITH

On this day back in 1997, Queen Elizabeth II launched the first royal website. This was no doubt ahead of its time.

Don’t be afraid to take a step ahead into something that may be ahead of your time today. Challenging status quo is just what this community is all about!

Keep Pushing Back,

Paul J Daly, Kyle Mountsier, and Chris Reeves

DEALERS

Mastering Acquisitions: The Bold and the Cautious

David Long and the All Things Used Cars community assembled for round two of their mastering acquisition conversation. As always, the insights were plentiful, the wisdom was free-flowing, and the collaborative spirit was the star of the show.

John Ellis urged dealers to not be afraid of sight-unseen appraisals. Data shows they are a substantial revenue stream with high margins.

Tommy Gibbs backed up John's thought by saying, "you need to have guts and be willing to make some mistakes." Paying a little too much right now could easily be made okay in two weeks as used car prices change.

Diego Vargas and David tempered the idea by adding that a comfort with making mistakes should include knowing the opportunities you are trying to realize so that your risks are measured and effective.

What do you think? Does fortune favor the bold or the cautious?

Listen to the whole replay on Clubhouse for more thoughts from the community.

AUTOMOTIVE

EU Delays Vote On ICE Ban

The EU has delayed its final vote on banning ICE vehicles.

Germany has voiced unexpected objections to the plan by raising questions about support for the 2035 ban, its effects on the industry, and specifics of e-fuel regulations.

Previous pushback has come from European automakers requesting the 2035 cut-off be pushed to 2040 or beyond. Italy has maintained its position on the ban, saying it “makes no sense.”

The sudden shift in Germany's position has turned what seemed like a final formality for the EU board into a potential new series of conversations.

Telling it like it is - “Must be weird having your decisions controlled by people who live in a totally different society…” -Chris, who lives in one of the 50 United States.

TOGETHER WITH QUANTUM5

See The Full Picture

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There is no cost, but a NADA membership ID is required to enroll. Sign up before the study closes on March 31, 2023!

AUTOMOTIVE

Scout in SC, Toyota in China, and Subaru in the USA

Scout is building a $2B EV plant in South Carolina. VW's all-electric off-road brand says it will produce around 200K trucks and SUVs annually as well as open 4K permanent jobs near Columbia, SC. They plan to break ground on the plant in mid-2023, with production beginning by the end of 2026.

Toyota and BYD's first co-developed $27K electric bZ3 will begin delivery soon in China. Toyota cut the price of the Joint Venture's other model, the bZ4, by 15% following a decline in sales in 2022, which broke a six-year streak of increased sales. The Beyond Zero lineup seems to be the brand's effort to catch up in the EV game and maintain a strong presence in the world's largest auto market.

Subaru of America is making some changes! As of April 1, President and CEO Thomas J. Doll will move from day-to-day company management to an advisor role. 34-year brand veteran and current Executive VP Tadashi "Tady" Yoshida will assume the role of Chairman and CEO. The role of the president will go to Jeffrey A Walters, who has more than 30 years of experience and is the current Senior VP of Sales for the brand.

TL: DR - Scout hopes to produce EV in South Carolina by 2026, Toyota’s BYD joint venture will begin delivering a new model in China soon, and Subaru of America needs two people to fill Tom Doll’s shoes as he transitions to an advisor role.

CULTURE

Starlink’s Satellite Send-Off

SpaceX successfully launched fifty-one Starlink internet satellites from a Falcon 9 rocket from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on Friday after a series of weather delays. The company hopes to create a global mobile phone service utilizing the SpaceX networks. This was the 214th Starlink mission, and the 15th this year.

Just the beginning. The company's constellation now consists of 4K satellites. They have permission to launch up to 12K, but they are hoping for an extension to get them to 42K.

Telling it like it is - At what point do satellites just become space junk?

Quick Hits

• Zoom fired its president. We didn’t even know they had an election.

• Ryan Reynolds' most reviled movie, R.I.P.D, is the number one Netflix movie in the US.

• Meta is cutting the price of its VR headsets. They just REALLY want somebody to care, y’all.

History

• 1899: The Patent Office in Berlin registers Aspirin to Bayer.

• 1995: Ferrari introduces the F50 at the Geneva Motor Show.

• 2018: Forbes names Jeff Bezos as the world's richest person, for the first time, at $112 billion net worth.