EV Adoption Woes, Honda - Sony Collab, Peek Behind the Recent Tesla Update

Shoot us a Text.

Today we take a quick-shot  look across the EV space as we talk about the heavy lift following the recent Climate Bill, the Sony Honda collab destined to change the in-car experience, and get into the details of the latest Tesla update. 

• After the passage of the recent Climate Bill, the task of convincing drivers that EVs are a good idea is more daunting than ever as Federal agencies now have to make all those preached benefits…convenient
  • Affordability is paramount: “It is going to be a tough few years,” said Gregory Pierce, co-director of the Luskin Center for Innovation at the University of California at Los Angeles. “There is just a shortage of EVs most people can afford, even when you stack all the incentives.”
  • Convenience is right behind:  “It is just really tough,”said Robert Fernatt who heads the state’s chapter of the Electric Auto Association when asked if you can drive across West Virginia in an EV. Citing no fast chargers other than those for Teslas.
    • They advise to avoid driving through the state
  • The article goes on to cite numerous everyday consumers from all walks of life expressing major hesitancy
  • Take away: Words are easy, implementation is much harder
• A Honda / Sony collab will be bringing a new EV offering to the high-end EV market by 2025 named ‘Sony Honda Mobility’
  • Sony Honda Mobility is expected to plan, design, develop and sell the EVs but not own or operate the manufacturing facilities
    •  Honda will manufacture the first EV model / Sony will develop the platform
  • We know Honda’s abilities in mobility well, however Sony’s stated intention to “make the mobility space an emotional one,”
  • Izumi Kawanishi, Sony Honda Mobility representative director, president and COO and executive vice president of Sony: “By combining the many strengths of Sony and Honda, we intend to accelerate development and lead the evolution of mobility by realizing mobility as an emotional space rooted in safety and security, and the related services.”
  • Take away: Cars are no longer just cars
• Here’s a look behind the recent Tesla FSD update aside from the $3k price hike
  • The FSD update included a major code change per CEO Elon Musk. As of right now, the subscription price of $199 mo remains the same
  • There are a number of updates that were included, namely the introduction of cloud based profiles which allow Tesla drivers to easily transfer profiles and settings across Teslas. 
  • Given Teslas recent deal w Hertz, this will make renting a Tesla simpler for more drivers
  • Also added is the ability to customize placement of blind spot cameras in the display, the ability to disable sounds in ‘sentry mode’ as well as the ability to uninstall video games
  • Take away: Cars are no longer just ‘cars’ part 2

Get the Daily Push Back email at https://w

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/