Battle of Billions, Summary of Charges, Barista or A Button Press?

Shoot us a Text.

It's a great Tuesday in the car business as we talk about the growing battle to build the biggest multi-billion dollar battery plant. We also summarize the challenges and activity of the charging network in America, as well as discuss a large grocery chain’s decision to bump the baristas. 

• It’s a battle of the billions as General Motors and Samsung SDI announced plans to invest over $3 billion in a US-based joint venture EV battery manufacturing plant, while Hyundai announces a $5 billion EV battery joint venture in Georgia with SK On.
  • GM and Samsung SDI's planned plant will have an annual production capacity of 30 GWh, starting in 2026.
  • The Hyundai-SK On Georgia plant will begin battery cell production in the second half of 2025, with a 35 GWh capacity.
  • This news comes as Hyundai just reported doubled net profits in Q1
    
    
    
• Since there is a looming, arguably arbitrary, governmental set goal to have 50% of vehicles be zero emissions by…2030, many experts suggest the need for over half a million public charging stations to be installed nationwide to service the need. A great AN summary article provides a summary of some of the various initiatives across industries that are working toward that end with different goals and opportunities
  • Mass coordination across industries is going to be required
  • One of the biggest challenges will be the gaps between major metros 
  • Data from OEM partners is critical to determine driving habits and charge locations
  • GM partnering with their dealers can contribute a sizable chunk of charge
  • Retailers like Starbucks, 7-Eleven, Walmart, Target, Sonic Drive-In and Taco Bell are getting a bump out of installing charge stations but the path to profitability for the charging companies is unclear
  • Other charge solutions such as battery swaps or mobile charging services are spinning up
• Industry leading grocery chain, Wegmans, is testing out the replacement of live baristas at its in-store “Buzz” coffee bars with state of the art self service coffee machines. The company cites a significant decrease in coffee-run traffic since the uptick of work from home.
  • “Coffee-brewing technology has come a long way, and our new self-serve coffee machines use our same high-quality coffee beans and offer a similar menu of lattes, cappuccinos, and brewed coffee drinks. As always, we’ll monitor the success of this new program, and continue to evaluate the future of our coffee shops as we move forward,” the company said.
  • The comments section is full of dissenting opinions on what is more important, a fast cup of coffee to accommodate a shopping trip or a great interaction with a real human and a cup of coffee

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.

Get the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/

JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/