Battery Chemistry For Sale, The Wyclef Jean EV, 90 Year Old Company Crushing Competitors

Paul Daly  00:29

Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday. Today we got we got some fun stuff to talk about battery chemistry for sale. The whitecliff. John EV Yes, I said it, and a 90 year old company that is still crushing the competitors. So the people really want to know if any industry needs to hear about a 90 year old company. Come on now editor's it's this one. It's this one. Let's go. Oh, man.

Kyle Mountsier  00:52

And yesterday, just track with us say that. Just yesterday, we had a little bit of free time, right, which when Palmer might, quote unquote, free time mode, as we go into just designing cool things, and we were just designing and thinking through when we're going to be in Arlington. And we know we've been prepping this we know we're gonna we're gonna have tickets and all the things live here soon. But yeah, yeah, definitely want to reserve some time on the calendar for April 5. And whether or not you live in Texas, like Dallas is easy to get to. It's an easy flight in and out it is. And if you just want to book a flight, make sure you're there by four o'clock you leave the next morning, you can be back in the store, book a trip book in overnight, like in somewhere in near Arlington or Dallas or love field or something like that. And we promise, we promise can make it worth your time.

Paul Daly  01:50

Yeah, like there's an element of not being overwhelmed with getting too many inputs at once. And that's one of the things this regional tour that we're doing is trying to do, like how can you pick up some information, talk and meet and interact with some industry peers, some big players, some small players, some public groups of all this stuff, we're trying to get the stew just right, but also have an entertainment factor, we have going to have a band on stage. And it's going to be just this night where you're going to go home, learning something, having new relationships, and I think just feeling good and inspired about the industry you're in. And I don't know, I don't know if you can put a price on that we're gonna put a price on it, but it's cheap. It's all under. Under 100 bucks, we're gonna have opportunities, I think maybe an offering that's under 50 bucks. So if you want to be there be rubbing shoulders, have some fun, learn a little bit. Fourth, April 4, it's coming out not April Fool's April 4. Thanks. I'm glad you brought that up. But when we're customers, we have free time. I think he means we don't have back to back meetings we

Kyle Mountsier  02:46

don't have. That's a better way. It's

Paul Daly  02:48

really what he means when he has free. We're not running from once we don't have any seven Google meet and zooms back per hour,

Kyle Mountsier  02:55

per hour.

Paul Daly  02:56

All right, let's get into some news. Starting in the next few months, Ford will begin selling EVs with two different types of battery chemistry for its Mach II, the current and more expensive lithium nickel Cobalt is the one lithium nickel. The other one is lithium ion, phosphate, okay, I'm even confused. So Right. So you got lead nickel, cobalt, nickel,

Kyle Mountsier  03:22

cobalt, magnesium manganese, which is entered. And the new move is lithium iron phosphate, which is a less expensive, less dense, thank you. Engagement,

Paul Daly  03:35

we can speak English, the move is designed to combat increasing pricing pressure and will keep lower range vehicles less expensive. Overall, the phosphate batteries can be 30 to 40%. Actually cheaper due to the broad availability of iron and phosphate, they also charge faster. That's an interesting point. Due to their cooking forces, they're more apt to be appropriate for vehicles that you know maybe our garage and able to be plugged in every night or they said fleet vehicles, who like run a route and can charge it every night, which is cool customers, though, won't have to worry about the chemistry selection or pronunciation, thankfully, because we can't even get it right. And they'll just simply decide between standard and long range purchases. This isn't totally new technology, though. In 2021, Tesla began offering lithium ion phosphate batteries on their standard range models to Lantis who's going to be offering for EVs in Europe and GM could add them to reduce costs as well. So it just seems like Ford is stepping up and finding a way to move that affordability needle overall.

Kyle Mountsier  04:37

Yeah, it's it's like hey, Tesla did this seven years ago. We should try it too. No, not

Paul Daly  04:42

seven years ago. 2021 Yeah, but you're gonna make for an upset. Oh, sorry for God to know I will love you and love all in good nature.

Kyle Mountsier  04:56

You give us so much to talk about on a daily basis. It's one Therefore,

Paul Daly  05:00

you take Ford out of the news mix, like every day like Ford's doing something in the news, I'd rather they either

Kyle Mountsier  05:05

got a great PR department in the new, Jim Farley is just doing crazy stuff every single day. So but I this is this is smart, right? Because there is there are plenty of people that are that only need standard ranges, they don't need those long drives, they're really using this as commuter, a community type car and they see it as a benefit to be able to have the Eevee but not have to pay for the long range capacities. So why not offer this is this is where I think like, we have to think not just in power trains, but also in battery trains, right, like as new options for any type of powertrain come out, giving people options along the way, I think that's going to be the core option, the functionality of the OEM. And then software is layered on top of that, as kind of the feature the features and benefits of the that layer of the vehicle where software's priority as a part, as opposed to hardware and hardware is deepened in the powertrain as far as options.

Paul Daly  06:07

So, le le is commenting on the posts. He's got the facepalm emoji. I'm not exactly sure what part of the show that was about but that's probably how most people go through the show listening to it like Well, speaking of new Evie things, there's plenty of those. Hi, this is a fun one. I love this one. Just when you thought everyone in their mother was releasing a new Eevee we have another new entrant that's right into the space. And it's powered by yes grams of lithium but also powered by Grammys like Grammy Awards, Haitian hip hop artists Wyclef John, formerly of the Fuji has launched the quote lightest electric sports car supercar sorry, latest electric supercar that can go zero to 60 in 2.3 seconds. You released this in Florida on Sunday. It's named the at attics, Apex APO, let's tongue twister from a hip hop artist, no doubt, the supercars touted as being designed in the UK and built in the USA, and is the latest vehicle in its class coming in just above 2600 pounds with just your if you know, a Tesla Model S is almost twice that way.

Kyle Mountsier  07:12

That's a big deal. If anything, it's a big deal because it says hey, look, we might be able to produce EVs that are weighted closer if you remember back, we've we've talked a lot about like trucking capacities and the ability to deliver multiple of these on trucks, weight capacities on highways. You know, just that that is a that's a big change. You know, most vehicles are in that 20 230 200 If you're talking cars and SUVs. And so this is a this is a definite, like, just eye opener for the industry to go. Okay, maybe there's maybe that's a way we can head on. But it's just cool.

Paul Daly  07:52

But there's also one piece of missing information. How far is the range? It's actually two miles. I'm just kidding. No, no, we don't know what's great is that but that's a very, that's a very good point. The launch was actually it's a really cool thing that's going on around the launch. It was in collaboration with addicts, a feature a futures technology, which was actually a business founded by whitecliff. Sean, it's not like he went and found somebody like, hey, let's make an Eevee and slap my name on it. He's actually created a business to promote an outlet for the community to grow and develop, focusing on actually youth involvement and innovation. So he's, I mean, it makes a lot of sense coming, coming from Haiti and being a Haitian you know, he understands the importance of involving the next generation in the future of anything and how that's so important, the continuation. So I think it's many layers deeper than just like, hey, hip hop artists producer has a supercar and he's trying to flex No, he's actually kind of make all the lanes go in the same direction. He did actually write a song, right? Like the features that if you check in the show notes, they will make it up. But guess what, it's terrible, dude.

Kyle Mountsier  08:57

I didn't even let's just do

Paul Daly  08:58

on the nose. I love Wyclef so much big part of my upbringing actually. But when you put car features just features like specs in a song it's just too on the nose. It doesn't work 03 And 2.3 I think I actually think he's got Yeah, it's kind of like that he he's got it. He's got to be a V Con this year. Again. I think he was there last year so maybe maybe I'll have a little conversation to get in. The car song he's like I don't remember that. I don't remember that. But But I don't worry about the affordability issue. The official release is set for next year. The price tag will start just above $350 A month no 350,000 auto money money speaking of all the money segue

Kyle Mountsier  09:50

leaned in quick that was it

Paul Daly  09:51

was let's just get there. Let's just get there. I want to talk about this because I know Isaac our producers behind the scenes that

Kyle Mountsier  09:57

yeah, Isaac over here. He's just giddy that We brought the word Lego into the show. He's big Lego fanatic. He's got a whole YouTube channel. I think you probably

Paul Daly  10:05

woke up. He probably woke up and I typed it into the show notes. He's probably right. Yes, yes.

Kyle Mountsier  10:13

So in the case of nine year old company, Lego 17, they have grown 17 More than in 2022 year over year sales increase that includes a 4% jump in profitability. At a time most companies are facing declines and layoffs pretty wild. Just 10 years ago, Lego surpass Mattel and Hasbro and has now doubled, doubled their sales, right past them. That's incredible. And so they they've they've linked this to a couple of things that they've done recently, which is pressing the E commerce and digital interaction as well as partnerships with other successful brands, like Star Wars. So you mean tell me II commerce, digital, and collaboration and community

Paul Daly  10:59

interaction? Okay, and it's and it's working. And it's work.

Kyle Mountsier  11:05

It's definitely working? Yeah. I mean, my I can tell you this, like, I got kids, I got a son. There are literally Legos all over the house. If I bought them a Lego every day for the next year, they would build all of them and find a place to keep them. It is something that the young generation is without a doubt staying attached to

Paul Daly  11:24

the kids. I mean, it's easy to let your kids like, I know, I know that Isaac, our producers are probably gonna shake his head when when we say like, I'm watching him in the back in the back. I'm watching him smile right now. But But when you say hey, play with Legos, right? But first of all, it's not Legos. It's LEGO, just correcting myself there. Play with Lego. Right? Parents feel good about that. Because there's critical thinking involved. You know, there's all kinds of skills and the digital focus is going to continue. As you know, looking forward they invested actually a billion dollars in Epic Games to you may you may not know, but meno is the creator of the very popular fortnight game that your kids are playing for sure. And they're planning a child friendly version of the metaverse. So I think like, don't let your kids play in the metaverse, whoa, we're playing with Lego. So they're kind of kind of doing that. They're doing

Kyle Mountsier  12:14

this cool stuff where like, you build the thing. And then you're all of a sudden, like, you scan a QR code. And that thing is on your phone. And it's in a little ecosystem. And so like, they're just thinking, how do we tie all these dots together, but keep, you know, keep kids in that like motor, you know, that fine motor skills and engage them and then engage them? Like, I mean, my kids have the molana set, and they've got the Star Wars set. And they've got you know, like they're there. They're going okay, what are what are the people that are building this engaged in interacting with? And how do we collaborate to make that make sense? So I like like you said, 90 year old company. So Otto has a lot to look at. Collaboration is key digital ecosystem is key. How do we as dealerships Think about who do we need to collaborate with? How do we engage in a digital digital ecosystem that isn't just like, oh, we need, you know, digital retailing, but the digital ecosystem, which is much broader, to attract customers to come closer to the brands that we represent?

Paul Daly  13:20

Yeah, if I had to, if I had to, like summit in one word, it's basically they're experts at recontextualization. Well, because the main product is the same thing. It's a plastic brick, and it stacks on the other plastic bricks, but they're constantly recontextualizing the value proposition, the way that product interacts their technology and E commerce. And you know, if you can't find some parallels in what we just said, with the industry that you're in, which is why you're watching this, then you need to watch a few more episodes. They go, Hey, without a doubt, come on now. Come on now. That's right. You need to recontextualize today. We're constantly trying to recontextualize with you. We're going to do that in April 4 in Arlington, watch out for that, but until then, go recontextualize some of the matters

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