🚗➕🏪=🇨🇦❓
Rivian is opening a showroom in a Canadian shopping mall. The first of its "Spaces" showrooms will open on July 28th and let customers visualize their new ride in augmented reality. Just don't try to kick the virtual tires; people will think you're a lousy dancer.
💰➕✂️=📈
GM is making cars people can afford, like actually. Two new 2024 model crossovers from the Chevy and Buick brands will start at just $23K and $20K. It ain't 2018 affordable, but it also ain't 2022 "affordable" either.
🇨🇳➕🇫🇷=⛽️
China's Geely and French Renault announced a joint venture to produce new ICE and hybrid models. The $8B investment will employ 19K people across 22 locations and expects to supply other automakers, such as Volvo, Nissan, and Mitsubishi, at launch.
💧➕🔥=🏎️
Toyota's shifting some attention from EVs in North America to hydrogen fuel cells in Europa and China. After under 4K fuel-cell sales worldwide in 2022, the company split its hydrogen division earlier this month and set a goal of 200K sales by 2030. A leap for some automakers and a warm-up routine compared to the roughly 10M sales Toyota reports annually.
🤖➕🗽=🤷
Tesla stores in North America are receiving Optimus robot display units for showrooms. The non-functioning robot can already be seen in NYC and has drawn attention, which the company hopes to redirect onto its cars. We aren't sure many people will leave their homes to look at a robot and then be convinced to buy a car, but weirder things have happened.