1. EachPod

Battery Swaps on the Rise, Tech v Tech, Flying w/ Kids

Author
ASOTU
Published
Tue 21 Feb 2023
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We’re talking on Tuesday as we talk about an increase in battery swapping stations. We also talk about a Texas high school tech competition as well as a new airline policy that makes it easier to fly with kids. 

  • Chinese EV maker, Nio, plans on adding 1,000 battery swap stations to its network by the end of the year according to Founder and Chairman William Li, bringing the total number of the stations to 2300
    • The method solves several problems included long waits at charge stations as well as grid strain as the swap out batteries can be charged during off peak times
    • The swap is done in a station that looks like a shoe box and is fully autonomous. It takes about 7 minutes
    • In order for the method to truly become convenient, it will require mass adoption across brands


  • Back in December, 40 teams of high school technical trade students competed in the North Texas Automobile Dealers Auto Tech Competition; a troubleshooting competition where teams were in a timed event to follow a service ticket and solve the stated problemes
    • Each team had a Dealer sponsor for several weeks before the event to prepare them
    • 117 students competed and over 700 attended the trade show event
    • Prizes includedSnap-on tool sets, job offers and advanced training paid for by the Carroll Shelby Foundation and North Texas Automobile Dealers Auto Tech association. Competitors were also treated to ride-alongs around nearby IndyCar and NASCAR track
    • Joe Laubhan, service director at Classic Chevrolet in Grapevine and a member of the association's education panel, did mock interviews to evaluate students' engagement. In recent years, he said he's hired a total of four students from the competitions. Two are now certified technicians, the third is on track to earn GM's elite world-class tech certification and the fourth is an apprentice and close to becoming certified. Classic Chevrolet also hired a student from the December event.
    • Certified techs can earn $70-80k per year right out of school


  • Retail Auto is a family business and we tend to see lots of families being brought along for conferences and events. Today, United has some good news for all of you family flyers as they open up more ‘preferred’ seats to travelers under 12 years of age so they can easily book seats next to their parents without paying an extra fee.
    • Also won’t charge customers a fare difference if they switch to a flight to the same destination that has adjacent seats
    • A Delta Air Lines spokesperson said it blocks certain rows of seats so families can sit together.
    • American Airlines platform will automatically search for available seats together at the time of booking for main cabin and basic economy passengers

Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.

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