The week of February 24th, 2023 delivered a healthy dose of automotive news, from a Mercedes interior reveal that might give you screen fatigue just looking at it, to fast food chains betting big on EV drivers, and a Stellantis earnings call that had investors nodding along. Here’s what stood out.
Mercedes-Benz pulled the curtain back on the interior of the next-generation E-Class, and the first thing anyone notices is the sheer amount of glass and pixels crammed into the dashboard. A full-width display arrangement stretches from the driver’s instrument cluster all the way across to the passenger side, making earlier luxury interiors look positively analog by comparison. Whether you love it or think it’s overkill, it’s clear that screen real estate has become the new horsepower bragging right for automakers.
Meanwhile, the battle to attract EV owners during their charging stops is heating up. Another restaurant chain has thrown its hat in the ring, announcing partnerships with charging networks to turn lengthy charge times into dine-in opportunities. The logic is sound: a 30-to-45-minute top-up pairs pretty naturally with a meal. Whether EV owners actually want to sit down at a chain restaurant every time they charge is a different question entirely, but the competition for that captive audience is clearly intensifying.
Stellantis had reason to pop some champagne this week, posting results that beat expectations and underscored the company’s leaner, more disciplined approach under CEO Carlos Tavares. Strong pricing discipline and a continued focus on high-margin models helped the automaker put up numbers that other legacy manufacturers are probably studying closely. It’s a reminder that profitability and volume aren’t always the same thing.
And then there’s the ongoing inventory management theater. Some automakers are once again being accused of playing games with vehicle supply — restricting availability in ways that prop up transaction prices rather than simply letting the market balance naturally. After the pandemic supply squeeze conditioned buyers to accept above-sticker deals, some brands seem reluctant to let that leverage go even as chips and parts flow more freely again. Shoppers shopping smart should keep an eye on this one.