heycar’s Post

Right from the start, Rivian developed its own architecture in which the car electronics are divided into several zones with their own computers. In the first generation of the Rivian platform, 17 of these control units were still required. Now, for the second generation, the number has been reduced to seven. In recent years, the company has recognized that established manufacturers have difficulties with their own software. The way the (OEM) car manufacturers' business has run for decades: A lot of technology was bought in from various suppliers, "as a result you had a lot of small computers that were tied to very specific functions". If you come from this world, you find it difficult to develop an architecture based on the zone principle, in which one control unit takes over functions across several areas. Rivian arranged these ECUs (Electronic Control Units) throughout the vehicle to shorten the distance for data transmission.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬 (𝟏/𝟒) – 𝐀 𝐅𝐥𝐮𝐢𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲🚗 Let’s get straight into the issues that slowed down Fisker’s progress—valuable lessons not just for the automotive world, but for businesses across industries. Fisker’s strategy evolved constantly. From planning to first build a luxury car with his own plant, to switching to an asset-light approach with contract manufacturers for an SUV, the company’s journey was anything but smooth. Initially, VW was on board to produce by 2020, but things didn't progress as Fisker had hoped and by 2022, Fisker Ocean was produced by the largest and most reputable contract manufacturer - Magna. While this asset-light strategy seemed ideal—focusing on design and R&D while outsourcing production—challenges soon surfaced, which I’ll dive deeper into in upcoming posts. Financially, the model wasn’t easy. One of the most reputatable Financial Analysts, Raymond James estimated a peak gross margin of 18% for Fisker at 60,000 units sold annually via direct sales. However, Fisker’s shift to a dealership model would have cut those margins to around 10-15%, which is hard to sustain. Andrew explained the logic behind Fisker’s dealership model: it not only brought in capital since dealers hold inventory but also gave customers confidence that Fisker had a physical presence, something crucial in the mass adoption phase. Using the S-shaped adoption curve, he highlighted how this appeals to the majority of customers who still value in-person interactions. That said, I believe we’re still transitioning from early adopters to early majority. However, I agree with Andrew—many Fisker customers have faced service challenges, which I’ll explore further in later posts. 📈 What do you think? Could Fisker have handled this fluid strategy better? Share your thoughts in the comments and if you like this series, follow me on Linkedin, so that you dont miss the upcoming parts of the analysis! Link for the complete video will be posted in the comment and feel free to ask for references or any other details you’d like to dive into. #Fisker #EV #Emobility #BEV #VW #Magna #Production #SCurve #Dealership #Directsales #Businesscase #Investors

LAS VEGAS — Continental’s planned spinoff of its automotive unit will make the business more nimble as it adapts to shorter vehicle development cycles and increased competition, executives said.

I didn't start in #automotive, my background is in healthcare, life sciences, financial process automation. But when my friend, Danny Zaslavsky, told me what he was doing with Chris Hoke at VINCUE, I knew it was special. I knew it was time to join them. The transformation that is taking shape in automotive isn't really that novel. Many industries have been disrupted by consolidation, digital transformation, assisted and now artificial intelligence - not to mention the evolution of the consumer that have new expectations and new biases. The vendors and dealers that reshaped the industry a generation ago have gotten stale, they're not looking to what's next. They're not making decisions or creating products that help the dealer body or automotive consumers - they're hurting the industry as a whole. Automotive has been ripe for disruption, waiting for evolution. And, let's face it, there's too much money in automotive for smart, innovative people not to come find opportunity. What we're doing at VINCUE is unique for automotive, but it's happened in many other industries. The truth is change and evolution is inevitable, the only question is whether you're going to step up and evolve with the industry or get left behind. These owners and operators are already ahead of the game, not just by joining #TeamVINCUE, but in every process, every KPI, every person they hire. They're thinking about how they will adapt and thrive for another generation. If you have been wondering how you're going to evolve, it's time to make some changes. Start at Booth 7334 at NADA 2025. #GAMEON Liza Borches Carter Myers Automotive Patrick Abad Beaver Toyota of Cumming Joe Feldmann Karmala Sutton Cocoa Ford Bob Kain Jack Kain Ford Jose Lazo South Dade Toyota of Homestead

DAILMER is selling its dealerships,, VW is planning to close two factories & lay off thousands of employees, and now BMW is recalling 1.5 million vehicles.... It is truly disheartening to learn that the German brands which have become dream for many people around the world are now facing these tough challenges & serious threats The time for Germany to act is not in the future,, but today Immediate and decisive measures for change are essential

Since Carvana went public in 2017 they have consistently been one of the most shorted companies in the world. “They don’t make any money, it’s a scheme to funnel money from carvana to Drivetime (Ernie’s fathers company).” Short sellers would say. Now that they are, by far, the most profitable auto dealer in North America growing multiple times faster than the industry, the new short seller narrative is Ernie’s dad is funneling money into carvana through related party transactions to juice profitability, along with several other sensationalized statements to try and scare public market investors. Given none of the short seller claims from the report released this week are, in general, new, we have already went through all these arguments years ago and found them either factually inaccurate, or an attempt to sensationalize just basic facts that are not cause for concern. I continue to believe Carvana has the best management team in the auto retail industry and has built an incredible company that has and will continue to create tremendous value for shareholders. We have materially benefitted from volatility in Carvana’s shares in the past, and expect this volatility to be no different. Keep marching team Carvana !

💡 EMI’s Next Wave: Argo Sildvee Welcomes Andres Madissoo as New CEO What started as a club bringing together Estonia’s top manufacturers has now grown into a central hub for the shipbuilding industry. EMI is no longer just about connecting businesses—it’s about leading the way in delivering world-class services to our members, global partners, and the industry at large. And today, we’re excited to share a major milestone in our journey. 🎉 Our founder, Argo Sildvee ⚓️, is handing over the CEO position to Andres Madissoo. As we continue to grow, this transition allows us to focus on stability, innovation, and bringing the world’s best services to those we work with. As Andres steps into his new role, he shares: “I believe that my joining EMI will further improve the organization and increase the trust and business of both our clients and partners.” 💡 But don’t worry — Argo isn’t going far! He’s returning to his strengths and passion as DealMaker, to forge new opportunities and partnerships for EMI. He remains the Founder of EMI, continuing to shape our vision for the future. Learn more about our new CEO, Andres Madissoo. With his leadership, EMI is ready to embark on the next chapter of our story, driving excellence and building stronger global connections. 🌍 Here’s to new beginnings, big deals, and an even brighter future for EMI! 🚀 #EstonianMarineInitiative #DealMaker #NewLeadership #Shipbuilding #MaritimeInnovation #Estonia #GlobalGrowth #LeadershipChange

Willie Beck, Co-Managing Partner of Bel Air Partners, LLC, shares his thoughts on Nissan and Stellantis. Watch more here: https://lnkd.in/eCTWi4Ky #Stellantis #Nissan #Dealership #Automotive #BuySell

If you are not following Ryan Rohrman Do you even #automotiveindustry, bro?

For the past couple of days, ASOTU | More Than Cars was on the ground with the Rohrman Automotive Group to flesh out some pre-production details of their upcoming More Than Cars episode. And the highlight was the 2.5 hours that Ryan gave us this afternoon. We talked about how they measure the infinite pursuit of success (it’s way more than just about cars sold and gross profit), his memories of his grandfather Bob Rohrman (that man was a character and every story I heard about him was INCREDIBLE), and what it’s been like steering Rohrman into the brave new world of CDPs and digital customer journeys. If you haven’t paid attention to the changes and growth the group has made in the last 4 years, you are missing one of the great transformations in the history of the auto industry. Good to great doesn’t begin to describe it. Every person we talked to raves about the group’s leadership, culture and focus on family (the one you have at home). The career opportunities are amazing and training and support are through the roof. They’ve made progress programatic. They’ve engineered efficiency. They’ve systemized success. Did you know that people in the group have gotten in trouble for working instead of going to their kid’s sports games? Of course, there is an amazing leadership team, including Chase, Trey, Luke and the rest of the directors. All the GMs we met (Zac, Allen, Todd, Jason) were incredible and I hear the rest are even sharper. But it truly starts at the top. Ryan is a shining example of the way our industry can lead and change and grow. We were honored to give him his first “More Than Cars” shirt, because he’s living it out. #dealership #morethancars