The TechMobility Podcast
Welcome to The TechMobility Podcast, your ultimate source for authentic insights, news, and perspectives at the nexus of mobility and technology. We're all about REAL FACTS, REAL OPINIONS, and REAL TALK! From personal privacy to space hotels, if it moves or moves you, we're discussing it! Our weekly episodes venture beyond the conventional, offering a unique, unfiltered take on the topics that matter. We're not afraid to color outside the lines, and we believe you'll appreciate our bold approach!
The TechMobility Podcast
GM's Electric Dreams, Facial Recognition's Privacy Clash, and the Kei Truck Craze in America
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GM proves that profitability can coexist with labor cost increases, highlighting a positive outlook for workers and stakeholders alike. The episode also introduces Susan Pope’s innovative traffic stop solution and examines the rise of Kei trucks in the U.S. market.
• GM's profit surge despite UAW negotiations
• Stellantis faces leadership challenges and competition
• Ambitious plans for 500-mile range electric trucks
• Introduction of Safer Traffic Stops case by Susan Pope
• Startling traffic stop statistics and safety implications
• Kei trucks gaining traction in the U.S. market
• Comparison of affordability against modern vehicles
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Welcome to the Tech Mobility Podcast.
Speaker 2:I'm Ken Chester. This is going to be a combination I told you so and a rant, and the reason why it is both is I want to talk about General Motors. Last year, during the negotiations with the UAW, the automakers did their typical complaint that, oh, it's too expensive, oh, they want too much, they're unreasonable, yada, yada, yada. Interestingly enough and I want to read this, this is from Automotive Dive and it's also from One Trade publication. Let me start with the obvious, and I quote this is the headline GM's bullish forecast suggests it handled higher UAW labor costs, and I'm going to read this to you. You don't need to be a sophisticated Wall Street analyst to see. Gm has so far absorbed the UAW's massive pay increases negotiated in 2023. Their word, massive.
Speaker 2:A look at GM's third quarter report and forecast, and I quote, shows solid profitability ahead, especially in North America. Gm's pre-tax earnings rose 13%. Now, remember this is after the union agreement, they're under the new union contract. Gm's earnings rose I didn't say revenues, earnings, profits to $3.98 billion and, folks, that's a quarter. Revenue climbed 14% to a quarterly record of $41.2 billion. That's one quarter, that's three months. Three months. Notably, gm said it recorded $200 million higher labor costs in the third quarter Excuse me, hold it Stop said it recorded $200 million higher labor costs in the third quarter Excuse me, hold it stop. Your profit went up 13% to $3.98 billion 13%. So basically it went up over $400 million. You had a profit increase that was double your outlay for the union contract increase. Gm. Think about that for a minute. To be truthful, because I'm all about full disclosure here, gm did say it spent $350 million less on its troubled cruise self-driving technology unit. That's been all over the news. They're rolling crews in, they're getting away from robo taxis. Economic decision Either way. Uaw's historically aggressive stance on pay increases and other benefit hikes in 2023 seems to be paying off for GM's hourly workers so far. And the piece reminds the reader that last year's strike cost GM and hard money $1.1 billion, but again, recent quarter $3.98 billion. Folks, that's pre-tax profit. Profit, not revenue. The revenue was 41.2. Billion with a B.
Speaker 2:The reason why I bring this up is I continue to beat up on Stellantis and their craziness over there and I told you so that I'm not surprised that their head, that Carlos Chavarro, was out you can't be at war with everybody and succeed and also not surprised that they brought back some folks that chose to retire or leave. That made sense because they watched institutional knowledge walk out the door. You need that if you're going to turn it around. Ford doesn't seem to be having a problem either. So the question, stellantis, that I have for you is was this a scarecrow to cover some other stuff not going right in your organization? It's not the union expense, and the union said that up front. They said these folks have enough money not only to endure the strike, but to wait us out if they choose. And that was exactly the point. They made money because of concessions made 15 years ago and the union wanted the money back. And I think that's fair. If you're doing success, you should be sharing in the success of the business, because you need each other. You need each other. So what else is GM doing that I want to blow your mind with?
Speaker 2:I have been telling you, with the rise of EVs number one, that this market turned towards hybrids. Yeah, it makes economic sense, but because of the long lead times required in the auto industry, you just can't. Oh, public's changed, we're turning the switch off. You can delay it, but there's certain costs you've already spent Because by the time you see a vehicle on the showroom floor at your local dealership. They've been in that money for at least five years. At your local dealership. They've been into that money for at least five years.
Speaker 2:Decisions to build that vehicle, the tooling, work with the suppliers, revamp the plants, train the workers, buy new equipment, set everything up and to get to job. One took place years ago and the planning before that. So this is not a matter of oh, we're not going to have EVs now. No, not only are we going to have them, but GM is targeting EV growth with wait for it a 500 mile range truck. And I told you that 300 miles range was going to be the floor, not the head, and I expect this to get better. We've reported here on this program. Regular listeners may recall when we talked about Toyota and Toyota's EV plans that by the middle of the decade Toyota was expecting to have an EV battery set that would get 600 miles between charges and they expect to have by the end of the decade a battery set that will do a thousand miles at 500. I expect 500 to be the new base, why the new gm, the new chevy silverado ev in its in that trim level has already demonstrated already EPA certified 450 miles, which is about 10 to 12% better than even GM's internal numbers said. They were aiming for 400. They got 450. 500 is not unreasonable, it's only 50 miles. Gm is also looking at and again, this is automotive 101. Right here, this is automotive industry 101 I'm sharing with you.
Speaker 2:As new technology, as they scale up and they're able to take this new technology and spread it over more units that they build, the fixed overhead cost that they sunk to develop the technology becomes less. Because if you're building a thousand of something and you've got an expense of a hundred thousand, your rate per vehicle is higher than it would be if you were building a million of something with the same expense. The unit per vehicle, the cost per vehicle goes down because you're able to spread that cost over more vehicles, hence more sales. That costs over more vehicles, hence more sales. That makes you more competitive and it feeds it. And that is not just about EVs. It's about any major investment automakers make, whether it's a new engine, a new transmission, a new factory, a new frame, a new class, a new model Same difference. It's all about scale. Evs are no different. Evs are no different. There's a lot of upfront costs. But as they ramp up, those costs will go down and they will get more and more competitive. And I told you this was going to happen. Bear in mind the Chevy Equinox EV sells. You can start less less than $40,000. Now GM's gone up a little bit because originally they promised us one that was right around $30,000. They're not there, but it's less than $40,000. And again, as they spread the cost of all this development out over millions and millions of units, that cost will come down and these vehicles will continue to get more competitive.
Speaker 2:And one other thing about the auto industry as they get experience building something new, they get better at it, and it's called continuous improvement. Toyota championed it. Every automaker does it. You get better, you drive costs down, you find cheaper ways of doing the same thing or offering more value for less money. Whether it's batteries assembly, how the plants laid out, anything, this happens. Gm figured it out y'all, and I told you that was going to happen. So it's only a matter of time. They have your face on file, searchable for anyone who wants access. That's next. You are listening to the Tech Mobility Show.
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Speaker 2:Social media is the main place to be these days, and we are no exception. I'm Ken Chester of the Tech Mobility Show. If you enjoy my program, then you will also enjoy my weekly Facebook videos, from my latest vehicle reviews to timely commentary of a variety of mobility and technology-related topics. These short features are designed to inform and delight you. Be sure to watch, like and follow us on Facebook. You can find us by typing the Tech Mobility Show in the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to our Facebook page.
Speaker 2:Social media is the place to be these days, and we're no exception. I'm Ken Chester of the Tech Mobility Show. If you enjoy my program, then you will also enjoy my weekly Instagram videos, from the latest vehicle reviews to timely commentary on a variety of mobility and technology-related topics. These short features are designed to inform and delight you. Be sure to watch, like and follow us on Instagram. You can find us by typing the Tech Mobility Show in the search bar.
Speaker 2:For those of you that listen to podcasts, we have just the one for you. Hi, I'm Ken Chester. Tech Mobility Topics is a podcast where I upload topic-specific videos each week. Shorter than a full show, these bite-sized programs are just the thing, particularly if you're interested in a particular topic covered on the weekly radio show. From Apple Podcasts to iHeartRadio and many podcast platforms in between, we got you covered. Just enter Tech Mobility Topics in the search bar, wherever you listen to podcasts.
Speaker 2:for straightaways, for curves, for impulses, the Lincoln Aviator Travel Well.
Speaker 2:The Lincoln Aviator, not the Aviator that you're familiar with now. They actually tried this about 20 years ago, and the Aviator was actually based on the then Ford Explorer, as was the Mercury Mountaineer. So you had three vehicles that were siblings, mechanical siblings, three vehicles that were siblings, mechanical siblings, and I often wondered if the Aviator wasn't a vehicle chasing a market. I really, at that time, did not see the place for it in the Ford lineup in the market. That made any sense, and after a few years they discontinued it, only to bring the name back recently. So not a surprise.
Speaker 2:What is old is new. Again. It's been used to identify participants in the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, and nefarious souls have accessed it to publicize strangers' personal information just from their image. The name of the company is PimEyes, and it has billions of searchable face images on file, available to just about everyone. If you've ever revealed your face to the internet, willingly or unwillingly, and knowingly or unknowingly, they have a copy of your face. Talk about creepy, talk about an invasion of privacy. This is Top topic A.
Speaker 2:We have spent a lot of time on this program in years past, talking about the shortcomings of face recognition technology, to the point where a number of law enforcement agencies that had been using it stopped using it because of false positives. This is a different spin. They invented it about 10 years ago and, in fact, google had developed something similar, but they were so concerned about how it would be used they never released theirs. And the worst part about PMIs there is a basic package that is free. Now they claim that they don't go to social media and they claim that there's certain parameters that they have.
Speaker 2:The Washington Post, their tech reporter, kind of took us on a journey her own personal journey dealing with this reporter kind of took us on a journey her own personal journey dealing with this. And Pimai says yes, you can opt out, but you're going to have to pay money and you're going to have to send more personal information to them in order for them to scrub their system of any images of you. Here's the problem it's not foolproof and they will tell you that you may have to do it again. So after the particular reporter did all this, got it, got it out the system. She waited about a month, went back into PIM eyes and found out it had two more images of her. So for all of that, she really didn't have a choice, and the security and privacy industry is divided on this subject. Do you opt out of PIMIs? Do you stay in PIMIs in order to look yourself up to see what it's seeing about you? The reporter gave some examples that, to me, were kind of chilling. The reporter gave some examples that, to me, were kind of chilling. For example, any cell phone shot that somebody might have taken, even if you were in the background, they got your face. If it's public walking into a mall, walking into a company building, being on a Zoom call, all of that, guess what? They got your face. They claim they don't do social media, but who's to stop them? My number one pet peeve in America is that there is little to no protection for the American consumer when it comes against big data. Consumer, when it comes against big data, you can try, but you have to go through so many hoops to try to remove your personal information from the internet, you're not going to get it all and there's nothing to say that, even after you've done it all and you think you've got most of it, that you've been successful. That's the problem. There is no place right now in the world where you can go, said here's my profile, here's what I'm now in the world where you can go and say here's my profile, here's what I'm opting into, here's what I'm opting out of, and be enforceable To me. That would be the perfect world. I could go one place, I've got one profile and I have the power to tell you, yes, you can, or no, you can't. And if you do it anyway after I've told you no, you yes, you can, or no, you can't. And if you do it anyway after I've told you no, you can't in this system, I can sue you. I understand I'm naive, but in my perfect world, in Ken's perfect world of security and protection, right to privacy and being a private citizen, in the private pursuit of, you know, joy and liberty and the pursuit of happiness, I mind my business. Why can't they mind theirs, particularly when it pertains to me? The reporter talks about, and I'm just going to read this. I'm going to read this two paragraphs, which makes me very uncomfortable. She said I recently handed over a selfie and a digital copy of my driver's license to a company. I don't trust the face image search engine PimEyes. I did this to find and delete myself from the PimEyes searchable Rolodex of faces. The free website scans through billions of images from the internet and finds matches of your photo that could have appeared in a church bulletin or a wedding photographer's. PimEyes says it empowers people to find their online images and try to get unwanted ones taken down. Let me put it to you this way I'm not comfortable. It may be out there, but it's not the fact that it's out there Because, honestly, when you connect it to the internet, that is a given risk. You accept it Hard truth, whether you like it or not. My problem is anything that makes it easier to aggregate this information. That's the problem. Easier to aggregate this information. That's the problem Because, with all these different data points from big data, plus if you apply AI to this, that AI's major strength is to crunch large models of data lots and lots and lots and lots of data to find trends, patterns and, in some cases, recommend ways forward, and I haven't even started to talk about deep fakes and everything else that is going on to where they can mimic your likeness. They can mimic your voice. This is happening in the world right now. Pim eyes is just one tool of many that can be used against you, and that's not conspiracy. That's hard fact. For everything that people say that the government falls down on, there is a time and there is a place when laws are necessary, if for no other reason than to protect the rights and liberties of average citizens, and we all got a dog in this hunt. We all do. She talks about the company offered an opt-out form to remove your face from PrimEyes searches. I did it and resented spending the time and providing even more personal information to remove myself from the PrimEyes repository, which we did not consent to be a part of in the first place, and that's the part that bothers me. I didn't have any say in it. They got my picture out there in who knows how many places, and it got yours too, and that's not okay. So what do we do? What do we do? I wanted to give you a heads up on this one because it made me very uncomfortable. Susan Pope started a company to assure that a mere traffic stop by law enforcement stays safe for all. This is the Tech Mobility Show.
Speaker 2:Do you listen to podcasts? Seems that most people do. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. If you've missed any of our weekly episodes on the radio, our podcast is a great way to listen. You can find the Tech Mobility podcast just about anywhere. You can enjoy podcasts. Be sure to follow us from Apple Podcasts, iheart Radio and many platforms in between. We are there. Just enter the Tech Mobility podcast in the search bar. Wherever you listen to podcasts Social media it's the place to be. We no exception. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host the TechM obility show. Several times a week, I post to TikTok several of the topics that I cover on my weekly radio show. It's another way to keep up on mobility, technology news and information. I've built quite a library of short videos for your viewing pleasure, so be sure to watch, like and subscribe. That's the tech mobilityility Show on TikTok. Check it out.
Speaker 2:This company was founded out of an abundance of caution and concern for her children if and when they were involved in a traffic stop by law enforcement. Safety is the watchword. Susan Pope is her name and the company is called Safer Traffic Stops LLC. This is Topic B. I want to start with some statistics because, you know me, I'm all about giving you context, excuse me. So let me start with some context for you relative to traffic stops in the United States of America. This is according to the Stanford Open Policing Project, which is a unique partnership between Stanford Computational Journalism Lab and the Stanford Computational Policy Lab. They started in 2015 requesting such data from state after state and to date, the project has collected and standardized over 200 million records of traffic stop and search data from across the country. I wanted to give you some context. Here are the country. I wanted to give you some context. Here are the numbers. Police pull over more than 50,000 drivers on a typical day. That is in the United States of America. More than 20 million motorists every year. Of that and this is from the Mapping Police Violence Database anywhere from 100 to 300 people a year are killed by police in the United States during interactions that began as traffic stops, representing a significant number of fatal outcomes from traffic stops. Number of fatal outcomes from traffic stops. I wanted to start with that because I wanted you to know why this woman was concerned about her kids. Now let me introduce you to Susan Pope. In uncertain times, ensuring safety during routine traffic stops is more important than ever For Susan Pope, a mother who wanted to protect her children on the road. This concern led to the creation of the traffic safer traffic stops case. Now, ironically enough, when you think about it and what she developed, it's kind of low tech, but that low tech solution would do to de-escalate any kind of potential problem, particularly at night. I mean, let's be honest for a minute. A traffic stop at night is fraught for both sides. Law enforcement don't know what they're coming up against. When they walk up to a car or truck at night and ask for license and registration, the driver maybe a passenger don't know what to expect, depending where they are, particularly if they're out of town. So yeah, there's a lot that can go sideways. What this case does is you put it on top of the steering wheel, on top of the dashboard, and it's got all your information license, registration, anything that you might have to reach for. What does this do? Two things. One it allows the driver to keep the hands on the wheel because when a traffic stops going on, law enforcement's looking at your hands. What are you doing? Are you reaching for something? Are you doing, are you reaching for something? In this way, everything's right there. You can pull it out in plain sight. Doesn't have to be bad, and this is regardless. If you think you were justified in getting pulled over. Because everybody wants to go home, law enforcement wants to go home in one piece. Most people who travel our highways wants to go home in one piece. Most people who travel our highways want to come home in one piece. It does not have to get ugly Low tech. This little case costs $15. $15. Susan Pope says the safer traffic stops case is a game changer for both drivers and officers, making these encounters calmer and safer for everyone involved, because the information is right, where the officer can see it. The person doesn't have to make any sudden moves. Everybody's cool. You get the information. Nobody has to assume anything. Designed with practicality in mind, the case adheres securely to the steering wheel cowl, eliminating the need for sudden or hidden movements to retrieve documents from glove compartments, purses or pockets. Tested across climates nationwide, from Michigan winters to California summers, the case has proven durable and reliable. Here's something you should know. Law enforcement professionals have praised it for minimizing the unknown during stops, adding a layer of safety for all parties. This is as much to protect law enforcement as it is to protect a motorist, because, honestly, if you can de-escalate something that does not have to get ugly, then let's do that. There's no need for this to get ugly. My parents taught us from Jump Street no matter what, respect law enforcement. So I'm all about that. I taught my children to do the same. But unfortunately, in this world we live in right now, where everybody's so polarized, it's too easy for something to be misunderstood and misinterpreted and can be escalated rather quickly, with a unfortunate ending on either side, because while we're talking about motorists, law enforcement get killed in these stops too. So it's not one-sided. It gives everybody a chance to do what needs to be done. If there's a problem, you can resolve that later. Will this solve all the problems? No, but it's a heck of a good start. And they even go a little bit even further. They even give you a list of what to do and I think, regardless of who you are, I think that it's worthy really quick for me to go through. And they issued this. They called how to stay calm and composed during a traffic stop. There are five points. Let me go over them real quick. One take a deep breath. It's natural to feel anxious when you get pulled over, but the first step is staying calm, is to take a deep breath and remind yourself you have control over your actions. Number two kind of common sense. Follow the officer's instructions as soon as you're pulled over. Listen carefully to what the officer says. Instructions as soon as you're pulled over. Listen carefully to what the officer says. Keep your hands visible, either on a steering wheel or in plain sight. Avoid making sudden movements, especially towards your pockets or glove compartment, as this could raise suspicion. If you're like most folks out in rural areas, that glove compartment ain't just carrying gloves, let's just say that, okay, might have a little something extra, extra up in there. Any officer knows it and you don't want that. You really don't have your document ready. This is where safer traffic stops excels, because it's on the cowl of the steering wheel Everything you need to share with law enforcement regarding your license, registration, insurance in the pouch, and that's the thing. Number four this is my personal favorite Be polite and cooperative. I'm all about that. I don't care how mad you get. You might feel unjustified, but I have learned in almost every situation being polite and cooperative goes a lot further than being angry and confrontational. If you're looking to deescalate, you do not need to be escalating stuff, even if you think you're right. Wrong move, because you never ends well and then finally know your rights and I can tell some stories about this. But you need to understand what they can and cannot do. But I still go back to number four be polite, be courteous, trust me. That's really important, particularly if you're out of state or out of town, because you don't know.
Speaker 2:These little trucks are over 25 years old, imported and gaining a major following in the United States. We are the Tech Mobility Show.
Speaker 2:To learn more about the Tech Mobility Show, start by visiting our website. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. The website is a treasure trove of information about me and the show. Start by visiting our website. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. The website is a treasure trove of information about me and the show, as well as where to find it on the radio across the country. Keep up with the happenings at the Tech Mobility Show by visiting techmobility. show. That's techmobility. show. You can also drop us a line at talk at techmobility. show
Speaker 2:I cover during my weekly radio program. I've designed these videos to be informative and entertaining. It's another way to keep up on current mobility and technology news and information. Be sure to watch, like and subscribe to my channel. That's the Tech Mobility Show on YouTube. Check it
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Speaker 2:Aonmeetingscom where innovation meets connection. Get started today and revolutionize the way you communicate. Social media is the place to be these days, and we're no exception. I'm Ken Chester of the Tech Mobility Show. If you enjoy my program, then you will also enjoy my weekly Instagram videos From the latest vehicle reviews to timely commentary on a variety of mobility and technology-related topics. These short features are designed to inform and delight you Be sure. Videos From the latest vehicle reviews to timely commentary on a variety of mobility and technology related topics. These short features are designed to inform and delight you Be sure to watch, like and follow us on Instagram. You can find us by typing the Tech Mobility Show in the search bar.
Speaker 2:A quirk in US import laws created an opening for this unique twist on a twist the importation of 25-year-old Kei trucks, that's, k-e-i. These little trucks are smaller than a Volkswagen Beetle and usually powered by an engine that would be better suited for a motorcycle, but yet they boast a cargo bed that's almost as long as those found on a full-size pickup. And get this, they can reach speeds of up to 70 miles an hour. This is topic C. Let's start with the obvious. These vehicles are 25 years old and older, just for starters, I don't think you have a 25-year-old vehicle sitting in your driveway. The average American don't drive their cars that long, not from new. There's a few folks that do, but most of us do not. We're out between seven and 10 years. Yet this funky little thing Vehicles that were sold native to another in another country are not allowed to be imported in the United States until they're 25 years old. Then they are exempt from emissions, collision and a variety of other federal motor vehicle safety standards that in the last few years there's been this groundswell of imports, mainly from Japan, of pristine 25-year-old cars, trucks, and now this little, like I said earlier, twist on a twist, which is these little Kai trucks, and people have been falling head over heels in love with them. I don't know, would I drive something that small with them? I don't know, would I drive something that small? According to this article, they've been. They've lately taken off in the United States, where owners say they do nearly everything that the bigger pickups can do and come with additional features. I don't know if being super sweet and making other drivers jealous considered other features. Here's a bombshell for you Even in states like Texas, where the Chevy Suburban is considered the official station wagon. Chi trucks have been flying off lots down there. Again context Four years ago, 1,000 shipping containers containing Chi trucks were sent to the US from Japan. According to Import Genius Trade data, by 2023, the number of containers jumped to more than 4,000. And then for 2024, it looks like that figure is going to be dwarfed by this year.
Speaker 2:The trucks often sell for less than $10,000. Let's put this into perspective for a minute. The average sale price of a new vehicle is right around $50,000. If you buy a pickup truck, a full-size pickup truck in the United States of America, chances of it having a sticker price between 50 and 80 are pretty real. These cost less than 10 grand. Tells a story about one fellow who bought one, and the cost of buying his Honda. His 1991 Honda Chi truck was less than the cost of the upgrades he put on his $70,000 Chevy Silverado. Let that settle for a minute.
Speaker 2:But as always, you know, the want to have is coming up against regulation. Many states are barring them from public motorways because regulators say they're too fragile to share the road with American-sized automobiles. They liken a Kai truck, a collision between a Kai truck and a full-size pickup truck as a battle between a mosquito and a tank. Kai truck owners in at least a half a dozen states have received letters from state officials saying that their vehicles are no longer road legal. The Kai truck owner said hey, it's prejudice at size, prejudice, size prejudice, that's a new one At play and they're revving up for a fight. Okay, honestly, let's take a step back. You probably remember when they were on sale for a minute, the little smart cars. I mean they literally like a half a car wide, and I mean real small. The interesting thing about every single one of those is they were required and they did pass federal motor vehicle safety standards for like the big vehicles and you wouldn't think so. But they've crashed them, they've evaluated them and they passed in order to sell in the United States. They passed.
Speaker 2:The difference with these trucks is they are not subject to any of that, but they're 25 years old, which to me gives me pause to begin with. But apparently they must be refurbishing them and sending them over, because the pictures I'm seeing don't show rust. They look almost new but they're not. Did I mention they're 25 years old? 25 years old it means they were built in the early 1990s, 30 years ago, so they obviously don't have all the classy fancy stuff that our vehicles, including safety stuff, shoot. They don't even have USB ports, might not even have a CD player. At this point you might still have a cassette deck in these things. The article doesn't say but you're going back to 1991, only the more expensive vehicles back then had CD players and a lot of vehicles, some vehicles had both. The early Lexuses had both a CD player and a cassette deck, which was pretty cool.
Speaker 2:At Tim Odom's dealership in Huffman, texas, sales of Kai trucks have exploded since he started importing them from Japan about five years ago. He says the customers include hunters and outdoor enthusiasts who think American trucks are too darn big. Here's a question If these are the folks looking at this, how does ATVs fit into this whole thing? Because really what you're talking about is size and money of an ATV which is built predominantly for off-road. Some side-by-side may be suitable for short trips on actual roads. Will this cut into that? They're brand new. They have to meet some standards. These don't have to meet any standards. So they're eclectic and they're funky, if that's the look you're going for. But they're priced similarly and in fact some side-by-sides would cost less than these do, even though these cost less than $10,000.
Speaker 2:One fellow talked about, and he's from Michigan, it's a 1991 Honda Acty, it's a Chi truck for $9,000. After he fell in love with his words the cute little truck he said they're not fast, they're not luxurious, but this puts a smile on my face every time I get in. He's five foot six and he uses it to haul, lumber or run errands. It's kind of just fits my vibe and what I'm going for, I don't know. I'm still trying to get past this whole thing about 25 years old. !
Speaker 2:I'm always I'm down with Japanese quality. I get it, I understand it, but 25 years old, can we start there please? I'm trying to get past that and not just the CHI trucks, but this whole phenomena right now of this tsunami of older Japanese native vehicles being imported into the United States that were built for the Japanese market and don't conform to any of our safety laws, any of our emission laws none of them. And they're all sizes but they're at least 25 years old. That's the law and that's the part I'm still trying to get past. Big, small doesn't matter, but you might end up seeing one of these CHI trucks. I don't know, I don't know. This one guy talked about his $70,000 Silverado, $10,000 in accessories and the Honda he bought $7,500. Imagine that We've come to the end of our visit. Be sure to join me again next time, right here. This has been the Tech Mobility Show.
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Speaker 2:Do you listen to podcasts? Seems that most people do. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. If you missed any of our weekly episodes on the radio, our podcast is a great way to listen. You can find the Tech Mobility Podcast just about anywhere. You can enjoy podcasts. Be sure to follow us From Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio and many platforms in between. We are there. Just enter the Tech Mobility Podcast in the search bar wherever you listen to podcasts.
