Bye Bye Diesel, Hello AI Movies, Fisker’s Low Prices

The Automotive Troublemaker w/ Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier

It’s a throwback Thursday today as we have JC in the house and we reflect on Volvo’s diesel legacy. We’re also talking about Fisker lowering MSRP on its troubled Ocean SUVs and the way AI is changing the video game.

Show Notes with links:

• After 45 years and over 9 million diesel vehicles produced, Volvo bids farewell to diesel, a powertrain that once constituted half of its global sales between 2012 and 2016.
  • The final diesel model, an XC90 SUV, has rolled off the production line in Torslanda, Sweden, destined for the World of Volvo museum as a relic of the past.
  • With the Torslanda factory's transition to electric motor production, Volvo aims to transform into an electric-only automaker by 2030, leading the charge among legacy car manufacturers.
  • Former CEO Håkan Samuelsson highlighted the strategic shift away from diesel towards electric vehicles as a commitment to "invest in the future – electric," amidst a declining diesel market in Europe.

• Fisker is making a daring move to slash prices on its 2023 Ocean models in an effort to boost sales and attract more customers to its electric vehicles. Here's what's happening:
  • Fisker reduced the MSRP of its Ocean Extreme trim by 39%, from $61,499 to $37,499, aiming to make it a more attractive option in the competitive EV market.
  • The price cuts extend across the board, with the Ultra and Sport trims seeing reductions of 34% and 36%, respectively, highlighting Fisker's commitment to affordability.
  • This pricing strategy emerges amidst financial challenges, including the collapse of talks with a potential automaker partner and a warning of delisting from the New York Stock Exchange due to the company's low share price, which may trigger debt defaults.
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• Sora, OpenAI's AI video generator, has swiftly become a focal point in AI-driven content creation, showcasing the vast potential of AI in enhancing artistic expression.
  • Professional creatives, including directors and musicians, have been given early access to Sora and produced content that transcends traditional boundaries, highlighting the technology's role in democratizing high-quality video production.
  • Videos show surrealistic scenes, like robots dancing amidst trash, new breeds of animals like a half fox/half bird and a half whale/half octopus, and the odyssey of the Voyager's golden record through space, showcasing Sora's capability to bring the unimaginable to life.
  • Despite Sora's promising applications, concerns about the source of its training data and the ethical implications of AI-generated content linger, casting a shadow over its widespread adoption.
  • Another question is how much generating AI video with Sora will cost, with some estimating around $100 per 1 minute of generated video
  • "When you're not replicating the old but bringing life to new and impossible ideas, that's when Sora becomes most powerful," shared filmmaker Paul Trillo, emphasizing the innovative spirit that Sora embodies.

Hosts: Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier
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