A concise round-up of (mostly automotive) news that’s worth having an opinion about, delivered weekly.
Holy Fucking Shit, Online Video Sells Cars
I like what the folks at CBT News are doing. But this January 12th article citing that people are “85% more likely to buy a product after watching a video about it” made me spit out my frosted flakes earlier this week. If this is in any way ‘news’ to you, and you work anywhere in media, then you’ve been sleeping under a rock or you should probably be fired from your job. Google has been screaming this from the top of the YouTube mountain since at least 2018. And has proven it time and time again (as they did in this awesome case study that some folk I know executed back in 2021 with Nissan). LINK, LINK, LINK
As we shift even more into a world of exclusively streaming video, maybe the Super Bowl isn’t so super anymore. Ford, GM, Stellantis and Toyota all opt out of Super Bowl advertising. LINK
We’re not ready for the crap that generative AI generates
There is some truly impressive work being done in the field of AI.
This MIT piece on how AI might help us find better battery chemistry is an interesting, relevant example. LINK
At the same time, the adage of garbage in, and garbage out still applies. And some large language model outputs are frankly, largely garbage.
So, maybe don’t hire an AI-generated ‘influencer’ for your next campaign. LINK
ICYMI: AI chatbot agrees to sell new Chevy for $1. LINK
More CES coverage
techcrunch.com did a nice summary of automotive bits seen at CES. LINK
So did the folks at driving.ca (with more of a bent toward automotive). LINK
And The Verge suggested that the best wheels they saw at CES were from Hyundai. LINK
China’s Automotive Expansion
Nio’s CEO sent a letter to his employees identifying their priorities, comments on the competitive advantage they have on battery swapping tech, highlights their in-vehicle experience as a competitive advantage and quips about how it nicely integrates with their smartphone. LINK
BYD cuts prices in Germany. LINK
Zeekr tests out Waymo-powered self-driving minivan (codenamed CM2E) in the wild. LINK
Are These Motorwerks Even Bavarian?
BMW says they’ve reached a tipping point where their only growth in new vehicle sales is for EVs #tippingpoint while ICE sales plateau. LINK
Also, there are confusing mixed messages about whether BMW even makes ICE vehicles in Germany anymore. They plan to invest 650 million euros to retool their Munich plant for EV production exclusively by 2027. LINK, LINK, LINK
ICE production was expected to be redirected to Austria and England by (now) 2024. LINK
Must Know Musk News
In a grand exception to other Tesla vehicle launches (I’m looking at you Cybertruck), maybe we’ll see the new Tesla roadster sooner than we thought. If you’re curious, you can still track the whereabouts of the Roadster that Elon launched into space. LINK, LINK
Cybertruck takes a dump. I think that kinda explains itself. LINK
But some folk don’t think Cybertruck lives up to the hype. LINK
Elon tweets (are they still called tweets?) saying he wants MORE control over Tesla. LINK
Mr Beast uploads his first video to X. Elon gets excited. But maybe he shouldn’t. He has a long way to go to exceed the average $4.5 Million that Mr Beast earns from YouTube monthly. LINK, LINK
Cybertruck drivetrain upgrades may already be in the works. LINK
Energy
Several OEMs are banking on the range improvements and better weather resistance promise of solid-state batteries. VW thinks it cracked the code. LINK
Meanwhile, Harvard thinks they found a solid-state battery that can charge in minutes. LINK
Sodium (aka salt) might be better than lithium in batteries if we can get the output right. LINK
Saab-spinoff Minesto has successfully launched and recovered their Dragon 12, 1.2 MW tidal kite. Tidal kites are high-tech turbines that generate electricity by drifting on tidal currents on the ocean floor. A single Dragon 12 tidal kite might be capable of powering 1,000 homes. LINK, LINK, LINK
But Wait, There’s More
Three words: Electric Hydrofoil Jetcycle. (I want one. Even if it looks like a paddleboat on steroids.) LINK
Alan Cross (of Ongoing History of New Music fame) predicts the end of music downloads as the dominance of streaming music takes hold. LINK, LINK
NASA teases us with their fancy new X-59 ‘quiet’ supersonic plane (I’m still a huge fan of the SR-71 Blackbird). LINK, LINK
RVs and camper vans are getting their ‘high tech’ electrification moment in the sun. Some former Tesla folk are looking to disrupt the RV industry with their Lightship L1 Camper. LINK
Ultra Cruise, we hardly got to know you. I guess “super” will have to be cruise enough for GM fans. LINK
Mazda decides to borrow software from Toyota. LINK
Yellow (luxury) cars might depreciate less. LINK