Exploring Automotive Industry Trends: Labor Day Car Deals, EV's Growth, and Recent News Headlines

Welcome to another In Wheel Time Podcast, a 30 minute mini version of the In Wheel Time car show that airs live every Saturday morning 8 to 11am, central yes channel.

It is the In Wheel Time car talk show Coming up.

We look at the automotive news headlines this week and we also speaking of news we're going to have with us here in just a moment from US News World Report, mr Jim Sharifi with the best Labor Day car deals, among other things, that we can talk about, because Jim is a car guy through and through.

Howdy, along with Mike out of this World, mars King, conrad DeLong.

We need more.

Jeff Seekin, I'm Don Armstrong.

Glad you could join us on this Saturday.

We do appreciate it.

It's a good day to stay indoors and watch our show, whether it's going to be the entire 3 hour podcast, if that's what you want to do, or you wanted what 30 minute podcasts, youtube, all of that stuff.

Twitter, twitch, facebook, spotify.

Twitter Twitch, twitch.

I think twitchcom would be good.

What happens if they want to listen to it in a fourth hour?

What do they have to do?

Hit loop pick the code.

Just hit loop Get the app.

Loop there you go.

Oh yeah, we got an app too.

You can go to our app and iHeartRadio.

Do we have a story, yet we need merch.

Yes, go to the website.

We got some merch.

We got merch.

Yeah, we have merch.

We need to buy some and bring it up in here.

We've got in wheel time shot glasses.

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, we need to put that up there In wheel time shot glasses Available to urologists.

Oh lord, have mercy.

You know, jim is going.

Dear God, what have I gotten myself?

into what have they done to me this morning?

No, exactly Jim Sharifi.

How are you, sir, Doing?

Well, how about yourself?

Well, we're doing good.

Us News and World Report long in the tooth, very well respected news organization up there.

How did you get that gig is what I want to know.

Everybody's after your job, brother.

Well, it was an interesting story.

I was working in the service industry and I had a friend email me out of the blue and say how would you like to write about cars?

This is about 12, 13 years ago.

And I said, sure, yeah, that sounds great.

You know I can't write right.

So long story short.

You know they brought me on as a writer and to help with a video project originally and I sort of climbed the ranks to editor and senior editor and the managing editor position where I am now.

Well, congratulations, nice gig if you can get it.

So you've been settled with doing a story on the car industry and sales for Labor Day, apparently.

Yeah, and it's an interesting one this year, you know, inventory is starting to come back.

Consumer demand is strong, despite, you know, financial headwinds.

Interest rates are really high, the cars are selling more year over year and incentives are a little bit better than they were a year ago too.

Well, there's some ugliness on the horizon with this impending UAW strike and I think that they're going to say, ah, we're done, we're all going to strike.

And so here we go, back with the car shortages again, and I would think that a smart shopper, somebody that is actually thinking about buying a car I can't think of a better time to buy one than Labor Day weekend.

And I'm sure that there's some incentives, because, you know, the incentives went away when cars went away during the pandemic.

Now that the pandemic's over with, we've got some inventory on the lot, I see that they're now having incentives, not only financing incentives, but also incentives on certain models.

Absolutely.

You know, with current new car interest rates around 7%, if you were to finance through a bank or credit union, we're not seeing as many you know no interest deals as we did in this past but, we are still, but we are still seeing a ton of stuff under 3% that can help someone get into a new card and affordable price.

Well, I'll tell you, I fly on a helicopter my full time job and many days I fly over the port of Houston.

Here and right at the port of Houston, they have a very large place for all of the Volkswagen's that are imported down here off of the Gulf of Mexico, and the place is jam packed with Volkswagen's right now.

I don't know 3,000 cars in there.

At least you know I'd be.

Oh, I'm sorry, go ahead.

No, I was just going to say I would imagine, with all those cars sitting there waiting to be sold, that there are deals to be had.

I don't know this for a fact at the Volkswagen dealership.

Well, it's interesting that you that you mentioned VW specifically, because they've had a big push toward electrification and in terms of deals that we're seeing this month, you know from VW for talking about national deals, the best one is on their subcompact SUV.

The Tau said 1.9%

financing.

But what's interesting is, with the push to electrification for that brand, something that's helpful for a consumer to know is, right now, if you're considering an EV, those vehicles are sitting on lots longer than gas powered cars and hybrid cars and I'm not talking about Tesla or Rivian or Lucid, the brands that don't follow a conventional dealership model.

But if you're looking at something from VW, or especially luxury brands like Audi, bmw and Mercedes Benz, I think you've got more room to wheel and deal right now because those cars aren't moving.

Oh, wow, I find it interesting, I know.

And I've made a fact.

I think we read a story couple of weeks ago about that very thing, that the inventory of EVs is up considerably.

Now you have to take it all into perspective here, because we're not talking about an overwhelming bunch of them sitting on the lot and all of the ICE vehicles moving.

It's not that way.

But what inventory they have is not moving like they thought it would.

And are you surprised by that?

I think there's still.

I think we've still got a little way to go in terms of acceptance Acceptance, people understanding there are options in terms of charging and their ability to take road trips.

I think getting past the 300 mile mark in terms of driving range is really important and we're starting to see more manufacturers with vehicles that do that.

But there's an adoption issue, just in terms of understanding the product and knowing that they're going to have peace of mind and they're not going to get stranded somewhere.

And I also think that you know I'm outside of Washington DC if you're near a major metropolitan area, you've probably got really good charging options, but if you live in the flyover states or somewhere that's a little bit more remote, it may not be as accessible for you if you need to take a long drive.

So that's something people need to consider.

Well, I have to tell you that I've driven a couple of hybrids.

The one that I'm currently driving is a non plug-in hybrid, it's just a straight hybrid, and the one that I'm going to do a review on next week was a plug-in the Toyota RAV4.

Now, the actual miles that you get off of the battery only like 40 miles.

But if you are a commuter, like I am, where I drive 30 miles from my house to the airport every day one way I get to the airport, I plug it in at a 110 charger.

I've got 40 miles of charge now on the car.

I come home and I gave the guy of the car back the press car with full tank of gas.

It never even got into the gas, so I'm thinking that's pretty good.

And the airport paid for your electricity.

Yes.

Well there is that.

But the other thing you got to watch that you know you could do that.

If you do that all the time, your gas got to go old, so you got to be conscious of that.

All right, mr Party pooper, I know I'm just thinking because I've tried to convince my wife the week's not going to have taken a hybrid.

You know the next car that she gets and she's got range anxiety Probably worse than you do.

There's no range anxiety with these.

You plug it in and then, when it depletes the battery, it goes over it fires up and runs on the gas.

Yeah.

Well, maybe you can convince her, because I haven't convinced her yet.

Well, I'm not getting into that.

I convinced her to marry you.

Well, that was 30 years ago Wasn't it Wasn't she the one that gave you COVID.

Yes, okay.

Point taken, sorry.

I'm sorry, jim.

We got a little sidetracked there.

We usually do.

That's all.

That's all good, you know.

But I wanted to make a point about the, about the gas going bad in the PHEVs, and I don't.

I'm assuming this probably applies to Toyota, but I can't say with certainty.

But I have a coworker who recently just bought a grand Cherokee, four by E, yes and and with that vehicle at least, it will force you to run the gas engine if you go a certain amount of time to make sure that you're getting that fuel through the system, and that's not going to, so you're not going to end up with bad fuel in your tank.

Circulate, the fluids keep everything going.

So it's kind of like getting old.

You know you got to get up and walk every once in a while, get the fluids, the juices flowing.

I could see.

Maybe after a month you would be thinking about it, but not a week or two.

The gas isn't going to Well, I don't know.

You know it's, just don't believe it.

No, no, listen, the gas that's in here in the lawnmower gas tank back here.

Listen, I know it's not years old, but I bought it in the spring.

It's still fine Fires right up.

That's your lawnmower.

Well, okay, okay, mr Picky.

I take my old gas and put it in my lawnmower.

Anyway, we digress again.

Well, back to we digress again.

Up on EVs that are sitting on dealers lots.

I think part of the conversation we had a couple of weeks ago was the new vehicle is released and there's this rush to buy and then the excitement wanes off and the inventory climbs and there's nobody to buy them anymore.

So that's why the inventory climbs.

Well, Jim, I heard that they're having a pretty tough time over at Ford selling the Mach-E, which it kind of surprises me.

I'm not exactly sure why, because it's a brand new vehicle new architecture, new everything and man all the hubbub around it.

When it first came out it was like, well, they're gonna sell up everyone, that they get off the assembly line.

But that's not the case.

Yeah to y'all's point.

Maybe the shine wore off a little bit because it's been a year or two, so there was a big push initially.

And the other thing that comes to mind when we talk about EVs is these are expensive vehicles, even with the incentive.

A lot of the time.

You see an average new car transaction price right now that's in the high $40,000 mark, and with a Mach-E you're talking a little bit above that.

So just in terms of affordability, maybe there's an access issue there as well.

Well, I think that the infrastructure also charging infrastructure plays a part in it as well, because it's just not quite there yet and we're a really big metropolitan city here in Houston, as you know, and there are places to get the thing charged up if you're out and about, but there's still always that anxiety that seems to play a part in it.

Yeah, I would agree with that, and I think that one thing that multiple automakers are doing that should really help ease that, especially in these big metropolitan areas, is the adoption of the Tesla style charger.

We already know Ford is doing that and if you've spent any time in a Tesla, whether you love them or hate them, the convenience of that supercharger network is huge.

So getting EVs to a point where you have that not only convenience of easy charging, but also those multiple locations where you're able to charge at a high rate, is gonna be very important to adoption.

Jim and your research, did you happen to run across an easy way to shop in EV online and compare the different EVs and the category that you're looking for, whether it's price, style, whether it's a car, an SUV?

Did you find it easy way to make comparisons?

Well, you're setting me up for a shameless plug but if you go to carsusnewscom, we have a comparison tool that you can get to from every one of our new car reviews, where you can plug in your models side by side and look at your prices and your driving range and your fuel economy and your feature set and get an idea from different brands of how they each stack up, because it's easy to do that on each automaker's website, but if you're

looking at a Kia EV6 versus a Tesla Model 3, it becomes a little bit more difficult.

Well, yeah, I'm a true believer in the fact that there's so many EVs out there, and the other thing is is that you also have to be well aware and well versed in what incentives are being offered, if any, at the time that you're shopping and when you have the money to go and buy a car, because those incentives come and go pretty quickly.

They do they do.

One thing we're seeing consistently that I'll say, on EVs is, if you're looking for a mainstream brand, an EV from a mainstream brand, hyundai and Kia tend to do really well with their incentives month over month, and this has been pretty consistent.

So I mentioned the EV6, for example.

That's a car you can get with $5,000 cash back right now and or, alternatively, you could finance it at 0.9%

.

So they seem to be making a big push, those two automakers, in terms of market penetration and providing good incentives.

They have vehicles with good driving range and in terms of price, they're pretty competitive right now as well.

And that one is also eligible, is it not, for the $7,500 tax credit from the American taxpayer?

Yep, well, I have to tell you.

Because it's not from the federal government it's from all the other taxpayers.

All right, all right all right, sorry, he gets on a roll on these things.

We're gonna get another complaint.

So I have to tell you that I'm driving a Hyundai Santa Fe and it is a hybrid, non-plug-in type, and it's pretty nice.

It kind of hits the sweet spot, but not only with price but size style for a regular family of two or three or four, I mean, and it's got a huge cargo area.

I'm gonna review it here in a couple of weeks, but it is really.

I'm impressed.

You know I'm not big fan of that ginormous in-your-face grill, but besides that that's my own personal choice.

But I think to your point that is exactly what you're talking about that there are vehicles out there like this Santa Fe.

That is a hybrid and it runs great.

I was really impressed.

You know, and yeah, they've done a really good job with the Santa Fe, in my experience as well.

And you're reminding me of something.

I spoke to Toyota at the New York Auto Show this past year and they said something very interesting when they were talking about hybrids and sort of comparing them to EVs.

And the person from Toyota I was speaking with said for the amount of lithium we need for a battery for one EV, we can put that into 99 Toyota Priuses.

So if you think about just resources and Prius a great car recently redesigned under the $30,000 mark and always fantastic fuel economy.

So if you think about your options as a consumer and if you're not just looking to go pure EV but you wanna save fuel and you wanna keep those gas prices down, hybrid is still the way to go a lot of the time.

I'm a big fan, I'm sold Absolutely.

Jim, it's great to talk to you and you mentioned the website.

Give us the website again for this report.

There would be carsusnewscom, you're the man hey, stay in touch.

Next time you got another car article coming up, let us know and we'll get you on.

We'll talk about it.

Absolutely.

Thank you all.

Thank you, jim Sharifi.

He is, with US News and World Report, good information it is.

It's fun stuff.

All right, I've got some headlines here that I wanna talk to you about US Auto Safety Regulators investigating Ford Motor Company's handling of a June 22 recall of nearly 50,000 Mustang Mach-E's after new reports of power loss.

That's his office of defects investigation Now this is not a recall yet, but they're looking at it Received 12 consumer complaints alleging a high voltage battery main contractor I think they mean to say contactor failure in 2021, 2022.

Ford Mustang Mach-E crossovers that were included in the recall had been remedied prior to the incidents, so they fixed it once and it's still happening.

There have been no reports of injuries, fires, accidents or deaths, according to the document.

But step on the accelerator pedal and ain't nothing.

There you got a little problem.

Hyundai ready to take the field for college football season it's coming up, which starts today.

Yeah, south Korean automaker made a $55 million deal this month to obtain the naming rights to the Georgia Institute of Technology's field for the next 20 years.

That was made on a handshake.

It was made on a handshake, jeffrey.

The yellow jackets will now play in Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field Venue, known as Grant Field when it opened in 1913, is the oldest on-campus stadium in the football bowl subdivision.

The deal comes as Hyundai builds a $5.5

billion electric vehicle and battery plant near Savannah.

The plant, expected to open the fall of 2024, employ about 8,100 people, about 250 miles southeast of Georgia Tech Stadium and main campus in Atlanta.

Cool.

Good reason to get that involved when you're gonna employ 8,000 people.

Yeah, sure I worked in Atlanta for a while when I was working for the phone company.

For several weeks we went up there.

The CEO of Bell South is in the building.

It's up high enough he looks directly down into that stadium.

Let's go to the game.

I mean to the office.

Exactly, free beer.

Well, if you bring it.

Oh, I got it in the fridge already.

He's the boss.

He should have his own.

That's right.

Tesla's May data breach impacted more than 75,000 people.

Uh-oh Included employee-related records and was a result of insider wrongdoing.

According to a notice posted by the office of the main attorney general Friday, the people appear to be current or former employees of the Austin, texas-based automaker.

The foreign media outlet handlesplot informed Tesla on May 10th that it had obtained Tesla confidential information.

Investigation revealed that two former Tesla employees misappropriated the information in violation of Tesla's IT security and data protection policies and shared it with the media.

Electrocute them.

I knew, there you go.

Sounds like somebody did it on a dare.

I bet you can't do that.

They probably did.

Who knows, let's see here.

We already did that, so let's just move on.

Don't give me one about General Motors, no don't do that.

You need to let go of that.

We're gonna get more complaints.

Here's an interesting one.

A theft of tooling From a supplier in Mexico has forced Nissan to delay the US launch of the next generation kicks.

You kidding me?

That's huge.

So they stole the screwdrivers.

I think it's more than that.

Production of the subcompact crossover in Agua Calientes, mexico, will start next June, with US deliveries following shortly.

According to one of the sources, latest delay, which tax on about five additional months.

Do you realize what that means?

That's huge, man.

They got a brand new car coming out and now it's delayed by five months because somebody stole some stuff Related to tooling that was stolen from a supplier factory in Mexico.

They did not reveal the supplier's identity or say which kicks part is affected.

According to dealers who have seen the vehicle, the new kicks is boxier, rides higher and is more like an SUV.

Wow.

The noise or tooling is the white fluffy material on a wedding dress.

Yeah, that's not it.

But only you would know stuff like that Cause I watched Project Runway.

And you make fun of me.

More complaints, that's all.

You're a lot of complaints today.

Here's one that's gonna break everybody's heart Kia America's Rio subcompact car.

Kia Rio, yes sir, they ain't gonna make it.

No, no no, nobody knew they were making it in the first place, pretty much.

It follows the demise of its small Hyundai counterpart.

The accent discontinued after the 2022 model year real probable Advanced auto parts.

Oh boy, trouble, buddy.

Yeah, they've named a new CEO and started a strategic review of the business as it struggles to keep up with inflation.

That ain't all.

Shane O'Kelly, the head of Home Depot Incorporated's HD supply unit, will become CEO of Advanced Auto.

Effective September 11th, the aftermark aftermarket parts retailer reported quarterly profit that missed estimates and lowered its outlook for the year.

O'kelly will place replace Tom Greco.

You're fired, buddy, spending too much money but he'll get a new job somewhere else, I'm sure making 29 million dollars a year.

Gm Eliminating more than 900 salary jobs segue by closing information technology facility in Arizona this fall putting all those people out of work.

Gm also.

Also has innovation centers in Warren, michigan, roswell, georgia and Austin.

Employees at the Arizona location focus on web technologies and user applications, dealership and factory systems and vehicle technology, according to the automaker, and they're going to offer them to move them to a place within General Motors.

Yeah, yeah, we're gonna move you from Arizona to Michigan, yeah, and if you can't do that, you're fired.

Perhaps you've been there, been there, done that.

I wonder if they were in, located in the old Mesa, proving grounds with property that I can't tell you, and?

And Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson has a plan to help tackle soaring car thefts in the city?

Mm-hmm, sue the automakers city.

The city's filed a civil lawsuit against Kia and Hyundai for failing to include engine immobilizers on various models, causing a steep rise in vehicle thefts, reckless driving, property damage and a wide array of related violent crimes in Chicago.

According to a statement on Thursday On the center response that it's committed to helping customers and communities affected by the theft of vehicles not equipped with push button Ignitions and engine immobilizers.

Mobilizers, meanwhile, are now standard on all Hyundai vehicles produced since November 2021.

Caused by the car, not by the behavior of people.

We're gonna wrap up today's car talk show right after this on the in wheel time car network, you I was gonna say the live audio and video and video stream.

That's a lot of words, I know, but this is what Ainsley wants me to say because we're not on radio anymore.

Well, it depends If you can stream us on your car.

Whatever, we'll be right back.

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Well, that's it for this edition of the in-wheel time car talk show.

And I have forgotten my little clothes cheat sheet.

Actually, I didn't forget it.

It's in here.

Here you go.

It's in a mess.

See these?

This right here.

This is today's show.

Can you see all of that?

As I thumb through it, looking to salvage the end of the show here, but I can't find it.

So you can laugh it, but you're not.

You don't even have your headset on.

You need to get out of here, don't you?

I can't hear you.

Anyway, it doesn't mean any different.

Are you talking to me?

What's your name Tony?

What's your name Ezekiel?

Hey, Ezekiel.

Yeah, that's about as far as we can go with that.

Anyway, we invite you to join us again next week at this same Bat Station, same Bat time for the in-wheel time car talk show.

And I found it.

I found the clothes.

They don't have no time to read it.

Yeah, I know it.

So remember, we're on next Saturday and every Saturday, 8am to 11am, right here on the in-wheel time car talk and you won't be here.

George Skelton says happy International Dog Day, Suze.

There you go.

All right, y'all take care, have a safe, stay cool out there.

That's it for this podcast episode of the in-wheel time car show.

I'm Don Armstrong, inviting you to join us for our live show every Saturday morning, 8 to 11am.

Central on Facebook, youtube, twitch and our in-wheel timecom website.

Podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, spotify and YouTube.

Exploring Automotive Industry Trends: Labor Day Car Deals, EV's Growth, and Recent News Headlines

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