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Automotive State of The Union
Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier don’t just read headlines, they make the most important connections across car dealerships, general retail, tech, and culture. The goal? To help automotive leaders think clearer and move faster in a world that refuses to slow down.
Whether you’re running a rooftop, building a brand, or just trying to keep up with everything shifting in the business of selling cars, this is your regular stop for a shot of news, insight, and a little bit of chaos…always rooted in people-first thinking.
From the showroom to Silicon Valley.
From Wall Street to Main Street.
Paul and Kyle connect the dots, keep it real, and make it make sense.
Learn more at https://www.asotu.com
Automotive State of The Union
EV Subscription Service Expands, Foxconn: The Battery Supplier, Labor Market On Ice
Episode #1203: Autonomy expands its EV subscription fleet with new brands, Foxconn doubles down on becoming a global EV battery powerhouse, and the U.S. labor market enters a “Great Freeze” that’s keeping both hiring and firing on ice.
Show Notes with links:
- EV subscription company Autonomy has secured $25 million to add more than 1,200 vehicles and broaden its lineup beyond Tesla.
- Autonomy operates a subscription-based model where customers choose an EV in the app, pay by credit card, and receive delivery through dealer partners.
- New funding brings in Polestar and Volvo models, plus updated Tesla Model 3 and Model Y variants.
- Recent model-year and off-lease CPO EVs are being added to offer more price points for subscribers.
- Dealer partners handle delivery—Galpin Motors will lead the Polestar rollout in L.A. using a Deloitte-built digital experience.
- “Our goal is to make getting a car as easy as streaming a movie… on the customer’s terms,” said founder & CEO Scott Painter.
- Foxconn—the same company that builds your iPhone—is rapidly reinventing itself again, this time as a global battery supplier capable of powering future cars, buses, and data centers.
- A new $193M battery plant in Kaohsiung is ramping from 0.5 GWh to 1.2 GWh next year, supplying commercial vehicles now and passenger EVs in 2025.
- Foxconn says it can replicate its full, automated, 85% in-house battery supply chain anywhere in the world, creating local supply for OEM partners.
- Its EV lineup is expanding (Model C, B, D, E, A), and the company has its first U.S. customer for the Model C—awaiting North American certification.
- Partnerships are multiplying, including a new electric-bus venture with Mitsubishi Fuso using Foxconn-built battery packs.
- “We can duplicate this anywhere and scale up,” said Troy Wu, global battery strategy lead. “Customers are looking for one-stop shopping.”
- A chill has settled over the American labor landscape as companies avoid both layoffs and hiring, creating what economists are calling the “Great Freeze.” It’s a market stuck in neutral—good for job security, not so great for career mobility.
- Layoffs remain low, but hiring has also slowed as companies cling to workers while avoiding expansion during economic uncertainty.
- Tariff questions, AI impact, supply constraints, and weak pockets like construction are all contributing to hesitancy in adding headcount.
- Companies are holding onto workers for stability, but a recession could break that trend. Unemployment is still low, yet job openings have fallen to 7.2 million.
- Career growth is stalling as workers struggle to move roles or negotiate raises in a low-turnover environment.
- “We’re seeing employers and job seekers both trying to wait out any of t
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