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Episode #1213: Today we’re talking Scout’s aggressive service-first launch strategy, Carvana’s stunning rise past Detroit’s giants as it joins the S&P 500, and Waymo’s shift from polite AV to confidently assertive city driver.

Show Notes with links:

• Scout Motors is doubling down on a factory-run service network as it preps for a 2027 U.S. launch, betting that premium, reliable service will become a differentiator in the direct-to-consumer EV space.
  • Scout will open 25 brand-owned rooftops at launch, both “Studios,” where customers shop and interact with a sales adviser, and “Workshops,” where service is performed. 57 rooftops are planned in Year 2.
  • The brand plans 15% more annual service labor capacity than projected need to stay ahead of demand and reduce wait times.
  • Scout aims to staff 1,400 service bays with roughly 900 technicians within five years, backed by VW Group resources but operating independently.
  • “The way we describe our retail operations is a digital-first experience built on a service-first infrastructure.” — Cody Thacker, VP Commercial Operations, Scout
• Carvana’s comeback is officially Wall Street-certified as the online used-car disruptor joins the S&P 500, marking a stunning rebound from near-bankruptcy to an $87B valuation that now eclipses Ford and GM.
  • Shares have surged more than 8,000% since 2022 and nearly doubled in 2025 as demand rebounded and cost discipline kicked in.
  • Carvana now trades at 57× forward earnings, massively outpacing Detroit’s single-digit multiples.
  • The company sold a record 155,941 units in Q3, driving 55% revenue growth and fueling analyst confidence in potential volume leadership over CarMax by 2026.
  • Index inclusion on Dec. 22 is expected to trigger significant buying from funds tracking the S&P.

Waymo’s once overly-courteous robotaxis are getting a software personality shift in San Francisco—assertive, human-like driving that’s raising eyebrows, improving flow, and occasionally bending rules.

• • Riders report more aggressive lane changes, quicker merges, and tighter gaps—closer to how real-world urban drivers operate.
  • The shift follows complaints that overly passive AVs caused congestion, got stuck behind obstacles, and struggled downtown.
  • Recent incidents include an illegal U-turn, a lane-change with no signal, and even a tragic neighborhood cat strike—fueling debate over “too human” behavior.
  • Waymo says more assertiveness is required to scale in busy cities, with updates teaching AVs to make “common-sense decisions” when laws conflict.

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