This Is The Week!

ASOTU CON 2024 is finally here! Tomorrow, people will register and enjoy the welcome reception to kick off two massive days of content, networking, and recreation that remind the community that this industry is about way more than cars.

Emails will still flow, socials will still pop, and all the stuff you expect from us will be around, so if you aren’t in Baltimore with us this week, keep an eye on the feeds and participate from where you are. It’s going to take us all to give our world the full story of who retail auto really is.

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Miles(tones) Ahead?

Nio has some big plans... and small plans.

Small: On May 15, the Chinese automaker will launch an affordability-focused Onvo brand with its first model, the $34,600 L60 SUV. While Nio expands globally, Onvo's availability outside China has yet to be announced.  

Big: It will compete with Tesla for the family market amid a price war, which it seems to be "winning" as its April sales increased despite the competition. Big sights, but the company just celebrated the production of its 500,000th vehicle in global EV leader BYD's backyard.

(Re)searching for Indian Hybrids

Honda is moving into the hybrid vehicle market with a substantial increase in R&D investment. This move is part of Honda's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Honda is opening a new R&D center in Bengaluru to accelerate its electrification efforts.

• Honda plans a 23% increase in R&D spending this year to boost hybrid and electric vehicle development. The company aims to produce 2 million hybrids a year by 2030 and is working toward carbon neutrality by 2040.
• Financially, Honda projects a 2.8% rise in 2024/25 operating profit and announced an almost $2B share buyback following strong Q4 earnings, driven by robust US sales.

Leading the Charge(rs)

Charging infrastructure is still the shadow of every EV adoption conversation. Still, the "solutions" are so numerous now, and companies seem to spawn and vanish by the week, so, like a dog watching tennis on TV, we're just tired of paying attention to them.

Elon Musk slows Tesla Supercharger expansion, BP eyes US growth in EV charging, and Enteligent introduces the first DC-to-DC solar-powered EV charger.

Some Drama?

• Tesla recently cut more jobs, including their Supercharger team, to save money.
• Musk, however, reports the company is still expanding the charging network by $500M, not counting the cost of keeping the existing stations/chargers in place.
• BP invited all displaced Supercharger geniuses to "call them" as they expand charging operations in the US. Specifically, I focused on the Northeast and West Coast.

Some Development.

What if the answer to all these charging questions is hanging over our heads... like a giant burning lightbulb of a "good idea" coming on?

Enteligent has a new solar EV charger, the TLCEV T1. It offers efficient DC-to-DC charging and integrates with existing solar installations. It claims a 20% energy savings and faster charging times.

On Track(s) with Polaris

Lemme tell you, there are two kinds of people: Those who admit to wishing they owned a tank when they are stuck in traffic and liars.

Polaris has patented a "Tracked All-Terrain Vehicle," a UTV tank with no hub connection, designed for both land and amphibious operations, featuring a twin-cylinder engine capable of carrying up to 1,600 kg. It boasts tank-like tracks for navigating rugged terrains and potential speeds of up to 50 mph.

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Whatever happens with flying cars, personal tanks, or those tiny-boxed-in-motorbikes, you know you can count on one thing…. Corollas from the 90s will still be putting around. Seriously, what is up with those things?