GM Plans to Save Big, Hybrids Give EVs A Smackdown, No Beer at the World Cup

The Automotive Troublemaker w/ Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier

We’ve got that Friday feeling as we talk about GMs plans to leverage tech and fulfillment centers to save a pile per car. We also talk about Consumer Reports Brand Reliability results, as well as the last minute decision to keep soccer fans more sober.

• During GM’s Investor Day, President Mark Reuss announced that the company is planning on a $2000 savings per EV sold by using their new digital retailing platform developed by Tekion and shifting their delivery strategy to a regional fulfillment model.
  • Opened 3 new centralized fulfillment centers (2 in CA and 1 in the southeast) to cut fulfillment times to as little as four days
  • Largest savings will come from reducing incentives as unpopular inventory won’t be stuck on dealer lots
  • Dealers will get vehicles for test drives only, inventory stays at GM facilities
  • Reuss says Dealers will be leveraged as a competitive advantage
  • “We'll use cloud data and machine learning to continuously scan the order pipeline and available dealer and factory inventory for the best fulfillment option," Reuss said Thursday. "We know how this works because we know what vehicles move in certain parts of the country and at certain dealerships."
• Hybrid cars top the 2022 Consumer Reports Auto Brand Reliability Report as EV’s rank as second to last above pickup trucks
  • Jake Fisher, CR’s Senior Director-Automotive Testing, made comments at a press release which included pointing out EV’s are new tech and he predicts a significant improvement as is common with any new vehicle launch
  • Toyota first released hybrid tech back in 1997
  • Cites Tesla’s Model 3 doing better than the newer Model Y
  • Pickups were at the bottom of the list with only 7 of 17 models being rated avg or above avg
  • CR’s five most reliable auto brands are Toyota (72 points), Lexus (also 72), BMW (65), Mazda (65) and Honda (62)
• Qatar bans beer sales at the world cup in a last minute reversal of plans leaving the global community scratching their heads and thirsty
  • "Following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other fan destinations and licensed venues, removing the sales points of beer from Qatar's FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters."
  • SA, Budweiser’s parent company, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, but did tweet, “Well, this is awkward…”
  • “That drives me crazy,” Hassan Al Thawadi, a senior Qatari organizing official, told The Wall Street Journal in an interview before Friday’s decision. “Anybody who wants to come to have a drink will be able to, you know, have a drink.”

Hosts: Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier
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