Minivan

And minivan

mama

Minivan mama Saying hey we've got to do We've got to talk about parenting

Because I get hit up all the time I think this is like the question I get

Stop wearing Philippine socks

Welcome back to the podcast.

On EV News China, Voyah launches the Dream 9 luxury MPV, NIO's off-grid swapping, and BYD's Seal 07 gets more range.

Plus, stay tuned.

Later in the show, I'll tell you how solid state batteries are both imminent and still very far off.

Let's get into it.

We'll start with one of these really luxurious people movers that we see a fair bit in China.

This one is Voyah, and it's already cut the Dream 9's price before deliveries have even begun, launching its new premium MPV at sixty-two thousand five hundred dollars equivalent and leaving just fifteen hundred dollars between the big choice.

Do you get the plug-in hybrid version or the battery electric version? Well, Dongfeng Motor's premium subsidiary launched the Dream 9 on Tuesday, with prices going all the way up to seventy-nine thousand dollars.

We played for, like, every elementary and middle school across the northeast.

We went even further south, driving around in a minivan.

Minivan turned into a van and trailer.

Wow, a van and trailer.

And, you know, we're like unloading and plugging our gear in.

But okay, that's it.

Next, I think it's MPVs.

Double check.

I think all MPVs are

sensible, so this

shouldn't be too hard.

Well, you've got to pick the best one, don't you? But yeah, MPVs.

Yep, most sensible MPV there is.

Bill, you shared something in your book where I think you were working, and Stephanie, you know, took the kids to McDonald's, and then you guys all decided to meet up at the zoo, and you guys had a great time at the zoo.

And, and you labeled this little lesson Lessons from a Minivan and French Fries.

[laughs]

So when I see a minivan and french fries, I'm going, "Hmm.

Had a few flat tires.

Minivan, not great for these roads.

Been stuck a couple times.

You need a little push.

Another topic that is underlying, Ryan, is the always present driver shortage, right? They have less people than they, they need, right, to drive vehicles, so they're using supplemental transportation or alternative student transportation, or they're looking at other modalities.

I know talking to Kiba, he was interviewed on the podcast talking about using school teachers as drivers in non-CDL vehicles, and they had bought, I think, fifty MPVs that they were leveraging to get additional rides to kids, which you would see, uh, as well.

And so he was being very thoughtful and very dynamic to try to solve the problem.

And also, I remember when I was speaking to him at the, uh, at the TST conference last year, almost full circle, he said his superintendent came to him and said he needs to cut three percent out of the budget.