Tariffs, Subaru Trailseeker and Diesel: The Forces Reshaping How America Moves

WEBVTT
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Welcome to the Tech Mobility Podcast.
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Brought to you by Playbook Investors Network.
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Your strategic partner for unstoppable growth.
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Visit pincommunity.org to get started.
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I'm Ken Chester.
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On the Docket, my review of the 2026 Subaru Trailseeker Touring EV.
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Power Boost.
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Orbital Power Grid targets 10 times performance.
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And America runs on diesel.
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Sorry, Duncan.
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To join the conversation, be it to ask a question, share an opinion, or even to suggest a topic for future discussion, call or text the Tech Mobility Hotline, that number, 872-222-9793.
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Or you can email the show directly talk at techmobility.show.
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From the Tech Mobility News Desk.
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We haven't talked about Lincoln in a while.
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And see what's going on.
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The headline in Automotive News: Ford plans to phase out China built Lincoln models for the U.S.
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You want to know why?
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Here's why.
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Lincoln vehicles imported from China are currently subject to a U.S.
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tariff rate of 52.5%, which significantly reduces the company's profit margins.
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I would say they're probably losing money.
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Interesting thing though, that particular Lincoln they're bringing in, yeah.
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Sales.
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Ford plans to boost U.S.
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production of its luxury brand at Lincoln vehicles beginning in 2030.
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And I'm sure the union will like that.
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The plans include phasing out Lincoln brand vehicle imports from China to the U.S., which currently have that tariff.
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That includes the mid-size Nautilus, which is currently assembled exclusively in China by Chang'an Ford, a 50-50 joint venture between Ford and Chang'an Automobile.
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The move is part of Ford's goal of boosting domestic manufacturing.
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Let me stop right here.
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Of all the manufacturers that build vehicles in the United States when it comes to percentage of vehicles built in the U.S.
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and employees, nobody employs more people in the United States of America than the Ford Motor Company.
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Not Tesla, not Toyota, not Honda, the Ford Motor Company.
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That's a fact.
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And they've been leading for some time.
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There may be a question about percentage of content, but don't get that confused with employment numbers.
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Employment numbers are real, people.
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Employment numbers, that's wages, taxes, money that circulates through communities, supports communities, homes, schools, other industries, your local coffee shop, your local gas station, the grocery store, all of that when the money stays here.
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So to that end, that's a good thing.
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And they'll probably do it at existing factories.
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So that's more employment, and that's great.
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They said the company expects will generate thousands of direct and indirect U.S.
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jobs.
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What do you get?
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In this case, and may I be clear here, in this case, it worked the way it was supposed to.
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Make it too expensive to import, make it cheaper to build here.
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Because after all, Ford is a for-profit company.
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So they're going to build it here.
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Not new.
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The United States did that back in the early 1980s to Japan.
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Said, look here, either you put a voluntary cap on the number of vehicles you import from Japan, or we are going to do it for you.
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And they did.
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They capped it at 2.1 million vehicles a year.
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And that is why most of your Japanese major makes have plants, in fact, sprawling facilities in the United States.
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And that's Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and to a lesser extent, Volvo, Mercedes, BMW.
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Yeah, they're here because of that.
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So this is not necessarily a bad thing.
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Their joint venture in China opened 14 years ago.
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And they don't just export stuff for here to bring in the United States, they also build things for the Chinese market.
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They have a second plant that builds the Nautilus, X Aviator, Ford Explorer, and Edge L, but they only import the Nautilus and some aviators.
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The Navigator, I'm sorry, I made a mistake.
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The aviator that they build in China is not imported in the United States.
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The navigator and the aviator are built in the United States and exported.
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And the navigator's been built forever in Louisville.
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Forever.
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And the aviator, once it moved to the Explorer chassis, is built at their Chicago assembly plant.
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Ford Motor Company says that it assembled over two million vehicles in the United States more than any other original equipment manufacturer.
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Two million vehicles within the confines of the United States of America.
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The question is this though.
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Aside from the Navigator, I mean, do people really think about Lincoln?
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Do they think about the Nautilus?
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They think about the aviator.
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Did they think about the Corsair?
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Which Ford is bringing back?
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It was based on the escape.
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They discontinued it.
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They're going to bring it back here in a few years as an EV.
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Lincoln used to be, and I'm going to throw Buick under the bus too while I'm at it, because Buick's having the same problem.
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Because Buick builds uh one of their vehicles in China, looking at bringing it to Kansas City by 2030.
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I'm trying to think uh the envision, the Buick envision that they're going to bring back to the United States.
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Great for the Union, great for the towns.
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But the question is, is it too little too late if you're um Buick or you're Lincoln?
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I mean, if you're a certain age, those names still mean something.
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But what do they mean to the average buyer in their 40s today?
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Is Lincoln on their list?
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I mean, when I test drove the uh Nautilus, I was really impressed with it.
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Would have been even more impressed if the price was decent.
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But it it had the bling, but I'm a fellow of a certain age.
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Does what attracts me, which I'm above the uh target age Lincoln wants, would that attract a younger buyer?
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Do Buick's even count for anything anymore?
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Do people actually shop for Buick's?
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Or have they been Buick families, Buick owners?
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Are Buick is Buick winning new converts?
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Is Lincoln winning new converts?
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It's a big question.
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As the automakers not only are looking at reshoring these models, what about the brands?
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There's a lot of competition out there.
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And I gotta be honest with you, a lot of that competition is really, really, really good.
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And it doesn't matter whether you're a traditional automobile manufacturer or an EV upstart.
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Tesla's covered a lot of ground in the last 10 years.
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Rivion's gaining ground.
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Lucid's beginning to figure it out.
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And these are just three.
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I haven't even mentioned all the uh medium duty EV truck manufacturers that are.
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It'd blow your mind if you knew in the commercial side how many hybrids and EVs are getting built.
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A lot.
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By companies you've never heard of.
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And they're making inroads.
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But the circle back around here is a lot of swirl with brands.
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And we are partial to our brands, but brand loyalty doesn't mean what it used to mean when I was a kid.
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Chances are, back in the day, if you were a Pontiac owner, you were a Pontiac owner for life.
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My dad was, although I'm the I was the one that got him away from Pontiac.
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Ironically enough, I got him into his first and only Dodge.
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He bought a Chrysler after that, and then he went to Cadillac and he drove Cadillacs for the rest of his life.
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So he came back home to GM.
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He just didn't buy any Chevies, and he never considered an Oldsmobile or a Buick.
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That was not his thing.
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Cadillac made total sense, but my dad had a philosophy.
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If it wasn't rear-wheel drive and a V8 in front, it wasn't a real car as far as he was concerned.
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You know, a person from a certain time frame.
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And then those of us that remember the Buick Electra 225, now that, ladies and gentlemen, was the car.
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And for a class of us, for people of a certain age, it means something.
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Does that mean anything to anybody now?
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Buick Roadmaster, does that mean anything?
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Buick Park Avenue.
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Brands from before that had a certain cachet.
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Do they mean anything?
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Does anybody even remember the Buick Lacrosse?
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That was one of the last Buick sedans that they built before they got out of sedans entirely.
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We'll see.
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Ford may be bringing this, Buick may be bringing it over, but is it too little too late?
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And will there be an audience when they reshort?
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That's the big question I have for these models.
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And Ford has always struggled with Lincoln, particularly in the last 20 years.
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I'm hoping they may still figure it out.
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Till then.
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Manufactured by Toyota, assembled by Subaru, my review and impressions of the 2026 Subaru Trailseeker.
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You are listening to the Tech Mobility Show.
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If you are money, son, but if you want money by us, buy another Subaru.
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Sure, Dad.
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Dad, I did the new Subaru XT Coupe.
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See your local area Subaru dealer for a test drive today.
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I had to go back 40 years for that commercial.
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That is from 1986.
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And if you weren't around then or didn't understand, once upon a time, Subaru tried to break out of its shell.
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Subaru was known for reliable, bulletproof, four-wheel drive cars.
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In fact, their slogan, even prior to this, was inexpensive and built to stay that way.
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Subaru was a little bit boring, but if you were in New England and Colorado, if you were in the mountains, if there was snow involved, you owned a Subaru because you knew it was one of the only things you could get through.
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And for a long time, Subaru was that one.
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It was the four-wheel drive store.
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If you wanted to go and get a car, four-wheel drive when nobody else hardly was offering that for performance and just getting around at an affordable price, Subaru was your choice.
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But in the mid-80s, Subaru decided, you know what?
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We want to be more.
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We want to be a full line automobile manufacturer.
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So they came out with this little, and it is, you would not mistake it for anything.
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The Subaru XT6 coupe looked like nothing else on the road.
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And if I remember correctly, I believe it was front-wheel drive.
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So the commercial where dad said, get another Subaru, and the kid gets this flashy thing.
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Dad doesn't recognize it.
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Dad says, Well, I thought we agreed you get another Subaru.
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The kid, but Dad, I did.
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So the dad was a little confused.
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And unfortunately, so is the public.
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It would nearly kill Subaru, and they would come back in the 90s thanks to the Outback and go back to their roots.
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And I wonder if that is a cautionary tale about where we are now.
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So let me explain.
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Although the 2026 Subaru Trailseeker is a brand new addition of the automaker's lineup, the history of the platform is not.
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To be honest, the history of the automotive industry is full of platform and brand extensions, sharing, and badge engineering, haven't between rival auto manufacturers.
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The new, all new Trail Seeker is no exception.
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The history of this model actually goes back to April 2021 and was debuted, wait for it, by Toyota as the BX4, as the BZX4, I hate when they do that, concept.
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BZ4X concept.
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Based on the Automaker's ETNGA platform that was co-developed by Toyota and Subaru, the resulting production model, which would become the Toyota BZ4X, was introduced actually to the North American market in 2022.
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2025, last year, the model received a major refresh that included design updates and major mechanical improvements, such as more efficient electric motors, improved cooling, and higher output.
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Also that year, an extended length wagon-like version was also introduced.
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The BZ Woodland for Toyota and the Trail Seeker for Subaru.
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Editor's note the standard size version is also available in the Subaru lineup is the Soltera that was also launched in 2022.
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Compared to the Soltera, the Trail Seeker is over six inches longer overall, approximately an inch taller in height, and has standard roof rails.
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With eight and a half inches of ground clearance, it's available in three trim levels, and power for the Trail Seekers provided by two electric motors, one for each axle.
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Powered by a 74.7 kilowatt hour battery pack, they produce together 375 horsepower.
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Torque is communicated to all four wheels via a refined version of Subaru's symmetrical all-wheel drive, which is an electric, power controlled, variable power distribution system with paddle shifters.
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The electric propulsion system features X mode with snow dirt and deep snow mud modes, grip control, downhill assist control, and hill start assist.
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The stability traction system includes vehicle dynamics control, all-speed traction control, and active cornering assist.
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EPA estimated range is from 274 to 281 miles, depending on the trim level.
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And this equates to 3.66 to 3.75 miles per kilowatt hour.
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Miles per kilowatt hour.
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It's like gasoline.
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Miles per gallon, miles per kilowatt hour.
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Cargo capacity is 74 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.
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Towing capacity, 3,500 pounds.
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Inside the bright passenger cabin is a 14-inch touch screen, which is the largest ever in a Subaru vehicle.
00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:21.039
Metallic finishes along the dash emphasize the calming, horizontal themes throughout the interior.
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A large center console provides a centralized hub for device charging and personal item storage.
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Gray or black StarTex trim upholstery is standard on all Trailseeker models with black and blue trim leather upholstery available on the top-of-the-line Trailseeker touring models.
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Here's what I liked about the Trailseeker.
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Smooth, fluid, and responsive.
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The Trailseeker delivers an immediate response to driver inputs.
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It's a real joy to drive.
00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:58.480
In addition to the X mode choices, a motorist can also optimize performance by choosing on-demand if one of the three drive modes, eco, power, or normal.
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Occupant accommodations include heated ventilated seats and front and heated rear seats, fully reclining front seats, a heated steering wheel, dual wireless chargers, and a fixed glass panoramic roof.
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The split folding rear seat folds flat with a cargo floor.
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Displays, controls, and switch gear are user-friendly.
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While the doors can hold a decent sized bottle and the center bin storage compartment is also pretty decent.
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The cargo area boosts extra floor storage.
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I'm sorry, the cargo area boasts extra underfloor storage, and the power automatic windows go all the way down.
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Here's what I didn't like about the Trail Seeker.
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There's no spare tire.
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And it's an odd tire size.
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23550R20.
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And they are not run flats.
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There's no frunk, and that's a cargo space in front of the vehicle if you're not tuned in to the EV thing.
00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:53.599
It's an EV word.
00:18:54.319 --> 00:18:56.559
And the driving range could be better, really.
00:18:56.640 --> 00:18:57.839
I think it could be better.
00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:04.960
The height of the load floor is high, making access to the cargo area a challenge for shorter drivers.
00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:26.400
The charging plug, which is the NACS, which is short for North American Charging Standard, AKA, what I call the Tesla compliant one, is the plug that it's equipped with versus the former non-Tesla, what they call CCS, which is the combined charging system that most widely, well, most automakers weren't Tesla were using prior to 2025.
00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:31.039
I don't know if there is available an adapter.
00:19:32.079 --> 00:19:33.039
That's a question.
00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:40.400
Finally, the Trail Seeker is equipped with the worst of Toyota's nanny state safety features.
00:19:40.559 --> 00:19:41.599
I'm not a fan.
00:19:41.839 --> 00:19:42.720
Ooh, no.
00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:48.559
Bottom line, impressive pedigree, rugged high clearance, solid build quality.
00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:56.799
If you prefer your EV to look more like a station wagon, a la outback, and less like an SUV, this is your ride.
00:19:57.039 --> 00:20:10.720
The manufacturer suggested retail price for the 2026 Subaru Trailseeker starts at$39,995 for premium,$43,995 for limited, and$46,955 for the touring model.
00:20:11.119 --> 00:20:15.839
Destination charges add$1,450.
00:20:16.960 --> 00:20:29.440
I did enjoy driving it, but I'm going to tell you it says it on the plate on the inside, down below on the driver's side door, manufactured by Toyota, assembled by Subaru.
00:20:29.519 --> 00:20:30.559
I didn't make that up.
00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:33.279
Every Trailseeker will have that plate.
00:20:33.440 --> 00:20:34.240
Check it out.
00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:36.720
And again, not the first time.
00:20:36.960 --> 00:20:38.000
Really, really isn't.
00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:40.000
This happens all over the industry.
00:20:40.319 --> 00:20:48.240
An Orbital Power Grid in space targets a 10 times performance boost to support space-based computing and data centers.
00:20:48.400 --> 00:20:50.880
This is the Tech Mobility Show.
00:20:56.160 --> 00:21:03.359
Every great business starts with a spark, but taking it to the next level takes strategy, connections, and capital.
00:21:03.519 --> 00:21:06.240
That's where Playbook Investors Network comes in.
00:21:06.400 --> 00:21:14.559
We're your strategic partner for accelerating growth, navigating challenges, and capturing market opportunities before your competition does.
00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:16.720
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00:21:16.960 --> 00:21:18.240
Let's make it an impact.
00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:20.480
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00:21:20.640 --> 00:21:22.160
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00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:25.119
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00:21:25.359 --> 00:21:29.759
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00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:02.400
The final frontier.
00:22:02.880 --> 00:22:13.920
The newest technology out there is called wireless power beaming, and it could give orbital computers up to ten times more power without solar arrays.
00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:19.039
Imagine off-planet data centers that would be powered by this technology.
00:22:19.279 --> 00:22:22.799
The demand is there, and so will be the power brokers.
00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:24.799
This is topic B.
00:22:26.480 --> 00:22:37.519
We've talked some about the impact of data centers on planet Earth and all the nastiness that goes along with them.
00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:42.880
Imagine though, if these companies said, you know what?
00:22:43.200 --> 00:22:47.039
Building a land-based data center isn't worth it.
00:22:47.680 --> 00:22:49.599
We're gonna build one in space.
00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:52.160
Alright, well, how would you power it?
00:22:52.799 --> 00:22:54.880
How would you make it operational?
00:22:55.039 --> 00:22:56.960
Is that even a concept?
00:22:57.279 --> 00:23:00.559
Short answer, yes it is, and they figured it out.
00:23:01.359 --> 00:23:15.920
US-based US-based tech space tech firms, Star Catcher Industries, and Athero have partnered to scale high-performance computing and artificial intelligence in orbit.
00:23:16.160 --> 00:23:17.200
This is a thing.
00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:26.160
Under a power purchase agreement, Athero will draw electricity on demand for Star Catcher's planned orbital energy grid.
00:23:26.319 --> 00:23:36.960
The arrangement is designed to let spacecraft access additional power when computing loads rise without having to carry enough onboard generation and storage to cover those peaks.
00:23:37.599 --> 00:23:42.720
Power stations in space, filling stations in space, who knew.
00:23:43.839 --> 00:23:57.839
For Athero, which is developing the infrastructure for high-performance computing in orbit, this additional power is aimed at supporting space data centers and content distribution networks that process data closer to where it's generated.
00:23:58.000 --> 00:24:03.599
They're talking about all those spacecraft up there, all those satellites, gathering all kinds of information.
00:24:04.160 --> 00:24:08.000
Takes a lot of energy to beam that information down to Earth to be processed.
00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:09.839
What if they didn't have to?
00:24:10.480 --> 00:24:15.839
If they could just instead beam it over to a station in orbit.
00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:18.319
Less power consumption, number one.
00:24:18.559 --> 00:24:25.839
Number two, if Starcatcher can figure out how to generate this power, it's all self-contained.
00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:27.519
No wires, no nothing.
00:24:28.079 --> 00:24:29.119
Concentrates it.
00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:40.640
And they send this power that they concentrate from the sun directly to the satellite, but in a more concentrated area in a way that gives them 10 times better performance.
00:24:43.119 --> 00:24:44.720
Let that sink in a little bit.
00:24:45.279 --> 00:24:53.359
Because, you know, if there's a will as a way, and right now, with all the pushback people are getting, yeah, they're looking at, all right, maybe we just don't build them on Earth.
00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:55.200
Maybe we build them in space.
00:24:55.839 --> 00:24:59.599
Because, oh yeah, who needs more spacecraft up there?
00:24:59.920 --> 00:25:02.079
They're gonna need traffic cops up there at this rate.
00:25:02.160 --> 00:25:04.079
There's so much stuff floating around our planet.
00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:06.000
And then there are other questions.
00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:12.160
Yeah, Starcatcher and Athero are out there making deals in space, but do they have the legal authority?
00:25:12.400 --> 00:25:19.440
Who has jurisdiction up there with respect to making deals, how property is, all of this stuff?
00:25:19.519 --> 00:25:22.079
And what happens if there's a problem?
00:25:23.680 --> 00:25:31.119
The last agreement that the country signed was back in 1968.
00:25:31.839 --> 00:25:36.880
And at that time, they agreed that nobody would lay claim to space.
00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:44.240
I have a sneaky suspicion that that's gonna need to be revisited with all this stuff going on.
00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:51.440
I mean, for example, Starcatcher's network is built around wireless optical power beaming.
00:25:51.680 --> 00:26:06.799
The company says it can harvest solar energy and beam concentrated power directly on existing satellite solar panels, allowing spacecraft to generate up to 10 times more power on demand without installing specialized receivers.
00:26:06.960 --> 00:26:07.759
I wonder about that.
00:26:07.839 --> 00:26:15.599
If you've got 10 times more power coming through those circuits than it was originally designed for, it's a lot like down here.
00:26:15.759 --> 00:26:23.920
You've got newer cars that have higher voltage systems that can take a charge in way less time, but it generates a lot of heat.
00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:30.799
So you have to take a look at how to deliver it because not every vehicle can take power at that level.
00:26:31.119 --> 00:26:41.759
So I got questions relative to satellites that have been up there anywhere from a year to 20 years, how they will be able to do this and not overwhelm the circuits.
00:26:42.240 --> 00:26:51.119
Or is this a case of, okay, maybe satellites that were built in the last 10 years can do it, but everything else prior to that is not compatible.
00:26:51.279 --> 00:26:52.720
They don't talk about that.
00:26:52.960 --> 00:26:54.640
And I really wonder about that.
00:26:54.880 --> 00:26:56.480
But here's their argument.
00:26:56.720 --> 00:27:04.960
That capacity, that capability is intended to separate computing requirements from the physical limits of a spacecraft's onboard power system.
00:27:05.200 --> 00:27:08.480
Every spacecraft up there had to carry its own power.
00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:15.680
Now imagine if they don't, or if they only have to have a limited or a backup power as opposed to running the whole place.
00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:16.799
What does that do?
00:27:16.960 --> 00:27:18.960
Smaller, lighter, cheaper.
00:27:19.519 --> 00:27:23.359
But they're going to be paying somebody for the privilege, of course.
00:27:24.240 --> 00:27:34.640
It could allow satellite operators to allocate more mass towards processors, storage, and other payloads while relying on the orbital grid to handle periods of elevated demand.
00:27:35.519 --> 00:27:39.839
And you're probably saying, okay, Ken, this sounds all well and good, but it's theory, right?
00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:40.960
Yeah, no.
00:27:41.519 --> 00:27:49.839
The commercial agreement is Star Catcher's tenth major customer deal for its planned orbital energy grid.
00:27:50.240 --> 00:27:54.079
Tenth customer already in the year of our Lord, 2026.
00:27:54.319 --> 00:27:57.680
10th customer for a grid that hasn't been built yet.
00:27:58.960 --> 00:28:02.720
It brings their reported backlog to more than$60 million.
00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:10.079
The company is preparing for its first in-space power beaming demonstration later this year with another mission already in development.
00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:10.880
Wait a minute.
00:28:11.039 --> 00:28:12.640
So wait a minute, let me get this straight.
00:28:12.799 --> 00:28:18.799
You have signed 10 customers with an average ticket of six million dollars.
00:28:19.440 --> 00:28:20.559
$60 million.
00:28:21.279 --> 00:28:24.160
And you don't even have a proof of concept yet?
00:28:25.759 --> 00:28:26.079
Okay.
00:28:27.039 --> 00:28:28.319
That's interesting.
00:28:29.200 --> 00:28:30.400
That's interesting.
00:28:30.960 --> 00:28:38.799
But any satellite operator will tell you that power has been a recurring constraint across base infrastructure projects.
00:28:39.039 --> 00:28:42.640
And that is what Starcatcher is attempting to resolve.
00:28:43.599 --> 00:28:56.480
They said that shifting peak power requirements to its grid could produce a 1.9 times to 3.5 times revenue multiplication for orbitable computing architectures.
00:28:56.640 --> 00:29:07.359
In other words, there is some serious money for being able to put provide a satellite power on demand as needed and data centers which are power hungry anyway.
00:29:08.319 --> 00:29:11.039
But that does kind of assume a few things.
00:29:11.359 --> 00:29:18.079
One, that space is stable, that the sun is stable, that no crazy stuff's gonna happen.
00:29:18.160 --> 00:29:20.720
What happens if a meteor gets in the way all this stuff?
00:29:20.880 --> 00:29:21.359
Then what?
00:29:21.519 --> 00:29:23.920
And then what about all that other space junk up there?
00:29:24.160 --> 00:29:28.160
These folks are talking about even more satellites in space.
00:29:28.319 --> 00:29:31.920
Let me give you another angle in case you think it's just Starcatcher.
00:29:32.240 --> 00:29:34.240
Nvidia, you've heard of them.
00:29:34.400 --> 00:29:37.279
They're the ones making all the data center chips, right?
00:29:37.519 --> 00:29:44.720
They're talking about 20 gigawatts of computing capacity, backed up US backed U.S.
00:29:44.880 --> 00:29:47.599
startup building data centers in space.
00:29:47.839 --> 00:30:03.039
And they're talking about ultimately the company that's building those, they think they want they envision a constellation of 88,000 satellites providing 20 gigawatts of computing capacity in orbit eventually.
00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:05.279
88,000.
00:30:05.599 --> 00:30:08.559
Not in the next year, not in the next two years, but that's what they envision.
00:30:09.359 --> 00:30:11.519
On top of all the other stuff up there.
00:30:13.839 --> 00:30:15.759
Space is getting crowded, folks.
00:30:16.720 --> 00:30:23.519
I think Captain Kirk might be more of a traffic cop now than exploring, trying to dodge all the junk up there.
00:30:23.920 --> 00:30:25.279
Let alone clean ons.
00:30:26.559 --> 00:30:27.359
Space.
00:30:27.839 --> 00:30:29.200
People are making the move.
00:30:29.599 --> 00:30:31.839
Maybe where that's the data center should go.
00:30:32.240 --> 00:30:32.880
We'll see.
00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:34.880
Data centers in space.
00:30:35.200 --> 00:30:36.319
Oh my god.
00:30:37.440 --> 00:30:40.559
And we'll remove the AI bottleneck, as they call it.
00:30:41.119 --> 00:30:44.960
America runs on diesel, and that could trigger runaway inflation.
00:30:45.200 --> 00:30:47.920
We are the Tech Mobility Show.
00:30:57.519 --> 00:31:01.839
Tired of business advice that means quitting your job or grinding all night?
00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:03.359
I'm Gen Chester.
00:31:03.519 --> 00:31:06.400
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It's not just a book, it's a step-by-step system you run in two hours a week.
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Get it in eBook and Paperback at KennethJchester.com, Amazon, and most online bookstores.
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Reading a book is easy.
00:32:29.680 --> 00:32:31.039
Doing the work is hard.
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00:32:59.759 --> 00:33:05.440
Big rig trucks, railroad locomotives, farm equipment, tugboats.
00:33:05.759 --> 00:33:10.000
These are but a few examples of the vehicles that run on diesel fuel.
00:33:10.240 --> 00:33:18.079
With the price of diesel setting record highs across the United States, operators will have little choice but to pass on the increased cost of doing business.
00:33:18.240 --> 00:33:26.960
And that means pretty much everything that our economy uses, consumes, or otherwise gets delivered will go up and up substantially.
00:33:27.200 --> 00:33:28.720
Talk about a double whammy.
00:33:29.200 --> 00:33:30.640
This is topic C.
00:33:31.440 --> 00:33:32.960
We've talked about gas prices.
00:33:33.119 --> 00:33:33.839
You've seen that.
00:33:34.000 --> 00:33:36.319
We've talked about the price of pretty much everything.
00:33:36.480 --> 00:33:40.400
We've talked about conflicts around the world which are pushing prices up.
00:33:40.559 --> 00:33:47.759
The closing of the Strait of Hormuz, the other strait that's been closed, crimping available supply.
00:33:48.240 --> 00:33:52.880
Whether you like it or not, petroleum is a global business.
00:33:52.960 --> 00:33:58.160
And what happens in one part of the world messes with what's going on in another part of the world.
00:33:59.200 --> 00:34:03.039
But let's talk about this because I want you to know.
00:34:03.279 --> 00:34:05.359
Let me drop a statistic on you.
00:34:06.160 --> 00:34:06.559
U.S.
00:34:06.720 --> 00:34:12.800
trucks handle 72.5% of domestic freight by weight.
00:34:13.519 --> 00:34:16.960
And diesel powers virtually all of those trucks.
00:34:17.199 --> 00:34:19.360
Let me give you another number.
00:34:19.760 --> 00:34:21.760
Let me just give you another number.
00:34:21.840 --> 00:34:22.639
I want to find it.
00:34:22.719 --> 00:34:23.599
Here it is.
00:34:25.280 --> 00:34:31.760
94% of the freight crisscrossing the United States depends on diesel.
00:34:32.400 --> 00:34:33.280
94%.
00:34:34.639 --> 00:34:42.719
If it's last mile, like to your grocery store or to your local target or Walmart or whatever, it's a truck.
00:34:43.280 --> 00:34:45.280
Produce, it's a truck.
00:34:46.800 --> 00:34:49.440
Overnight packages, it's a truck.
00:34:50.559 --> 00:34:52.159
The price is gonna go up.
00:34:52.559 --> 00:34:53.360
Price is gonna go up.
00:34:53.599 --> 00:34:56.239
Produce, pretty much anything and everything.
00:34:56.480 --> 00:34:57.840
And the railroads.
00:34:58.239 --> 00:35:00.000
Think about this for a minute.
00:35:00.320 --> 00:35:03.519
The railroads haul commodities predominantly.
00:35:03.920 --> 00:35:08.719
Primarily, coal, grain, cement, aggregate.
00:35:08.960 --> 00:35:12.800
All of that stuff is pulled by a diesel-electric locomotive.
00:35:12.960 --> 00:35:19.519
The diesel doesn't turn the wheels, but the diesel turns and all turns a generator that turns the wheels, the traction motors.
00:35:20.079 --> 00:35:22.239
Been that way for almost a hundred years.
00:35:22.400 --> 00:35:23.440
That's the way they work.
00:35:23.760 --> 00:35:26.079
But it takes a diesel engine.
00:35:27.119 --> 00:35:39.920
If tariffs got baked in and prices went up, now you've got diesel, which even here is right around$6 plus a gallon in the Midwest, and it's higher in other places around the country.
00:35:40.960 --> 00:35:44.639
Right now is beginning a harvest season in the upper Midwest.
00:35:44.719 --> 00:35:48.000
We're talking about corn, soybeans, whatever you crop.
00:35:49.679 --> 00:35:51.840
Those combines are diesel.
00:35:52.159 --> 00:35:54.159
Their tractors are diesel.
00:35:54.880 --> 00:35:59.920
Farmer had enough of a hard time just getting um fertilizer earlier this year.
00:36:00.239 --> 00:36:04.800
The seed that he's gonna plant next year was hauled by a truck, which means seed prices are higher.
00:36:05.199 --> 00:36:07.840
And if he can get fertilizer, higher still.
00:36:08.800 --> 00:36:14.480
If he can get any sort of insecticide or herbicide, higher still.
00:36:15.039 --> 00:36:16.800
All of that's coming us.
00:36:18.960 --> 00:36:20.079
It's a problem.
00:36:20.880 --> 00:36:25.119
You've heard some things, so let me clarify a couple of things for you.
00:36:25.360 --> 00:36:34.239
You may have heard some folks say, well, you know, we can mitigate by pulling um reserves out of the strategic reserve.
00:36:34.400 --> 00:36:35.119
Well, two things.
00:36:35.280 --> 00:36:41.360
One, the strategic reserve was created in 1982 after the dual oil shocks in the 1970s.
00:36:41.599 --> 00:36:50.079
And right now, because of previous discharges from the reserve, it's at its lowest point since they filled it the first time.
00:36:50.719 --> 00:37:02.159
So, and they said even in the millions of barrels that are available, it would only satisfy the United States' need for crude for a couple of days.
00:37:02.320 --> 00:37:09.519
So if you're looking for the strategic petroleum reserve to help drop prices, no, no, that's not gonna happen.
00:37:09.760 --> 00:37:10.079
Okay.
00:37:10.559 --> 00:37:11.920
You heard another thing.
00:37:12.159 --> 00:37:15.519
Well, let's just prohibit them from exporting diesel.
00:37:15.599 --> 00:37:21.119
And the reason why they're exporting diesel is that Europe is in a bind and they can't get it.
00:37:21.280 --> 00:37:23.840
And jet fuel, even worse.
00:37:24.079 --> 00:37:30.079
You realize that the average European right now is paying 70% more a gallon than they were?
00:37:30.320 --> 00:37:33.519
70% more for diesel fuel.
00:37:33.679 --> 00:37:35.440
And jet fuel is even worse.
00:37:35.679 --> 00:37:43.679
So in capitalism, you send your resources where the demand is, where you can make the most for it.
00:37:44.159 --> 00:37:56.880
Problem is, even the even folks in the oil business said, hey, if you impose uh restrictions on our ability to export, we're gonna cut production, which means you don't win.
00:37:57.119 --> 00:38:01.920
In other words, if you're not exporting it out there, it's a refiner's issue right now.
00:38:02.239 --> 00:38:07.119
It's not that the refiners have a whole bunch of extra capacity waiting to bring online.
00:38:07.519 --> 00:38:08.400
They don't.
00:38:09.360 --> 00:38:12.960
But running as hard as they are, there's maintenance issues and everything.
00:38:13.119 --> 00:38:18.719
They will restrict supply, prices will remain the same or get worse, even if they do that.
00:38:21.519 --> 00:38:27.280
Now, on top of all of that, we've talked about this before, in the middle of all of this, sits China.
00:38:27.679 --> 00:38:38.159
China is the reason why we ain't paying in the Midwest$650,$750,$8 for diesel and$5,$6 a gallon for gasoline.
00:38:38.400 --> 00:38:46.320
Because when all this broke out earlier this year, China cut back by two-thirds because their strategic reserves were mammoth.
00:38:47.039 --> 00:38:57.920
And they used being a net user to their advantage to basically impose because they rolled back their imports by over two-thirds.
00:38:58.559 --> 00:39:08.320
Because they weren't in the market, the resulting supply could go to mitigate the crisis, which why it wasn't as bad as you may have heard it was supposed to be earlier this year.
00:39:08.480 --> 00:39:12.159
It wasn't because somebody did something brilliant, it's because China said, you know what?
00:39:12.320 --> 00:39:13.519
We see an opportunity.
00:39:13.599 --> 00:39:15.679
We're gonna cut back because we can.
00:39:16.320 --> 00:39:19.119
And we're going to be work to be self-sufficient.
00:39:19.679 --> 00:39:22.320
That's a whole nother conversation for another time.
00:39:23.679 --> 00:39:25.199
And they're using that leverage.
00:39:25.360 --> 00:39:27.039
Let me give an example.
00:39:28.320 --> 00:39:42.880
China offered what it said would be energy stability to Taiwan if it agreed to Beijing's rule, meaning that we'll give you all the natural gas you need since you can't get it from Qatar anymore, Taiwan.
00:39:43.199 --> 00:39:46.400
But you know, you bow to us, we'll hook you up.
00:39:47.119 --> 00:39:54.320
Fortunately, Taiwan secured alternative supplies uh from the United States and elsewhere.
00:39:54.559 --> 00:39:56.000
So they didn't have to bend.
00:39:56.800 --> 00:39:58.880
But this is the world we're in now.
00:39:59.119 --> 00:40:08.400
And because certain components are not available that are only available through refineries in the Gulf, it's really made things real bad across the board.
00:40:08.880 --> 00:40:10.480
Let me be blunt with you.
00:40:10.719 --> 00:40:13.360
There's no easy fix for this.
00:40:13.679 --> 00:40:21.360
Even if the war ended today, even if the strait opened today, it could be months before things get back to normal.
00:40:21.920 --> 00:40:28.639
You're not going to see the strait open tomorrow and then see diesel prices fall by$2 a gallon the following week.
00:40:28.800 --> 00:40:30.079
That's not happening.
00:40:30.559 --> 00:40:33.280
So the question is, is this an opportunity?
00:40:33.440 --> 00:40:34.000
Maybe.
00:40:34.480 --> 00:40:36.639
We make biodiesel here in the Midwest.
00:40:36.800 --> 00:40:39.280
Maybe it is an opportunity to grow that business.
00:40:39.519 --> 00:40:40.559
Because we got corn.
00:40:40.639 --> 00:40:42.000
We got plenty of that.
00:40:42.239 --> 00:40:43.280
Maybe it is.
00:40:43.519 --> 00:40:48.960
Maybe we need to take a look at still being a hostage, even though we produce more than anybody.
00:40:49.280 --> 00:40:52.000
It's not a supply issue, it's a refining issue.
00:40:52.079 --> 00:40:58.880
And that's always been a bottleneck in the oil industry, more so now given what's going on.
00:41:11.679 --> 00:41:14.559
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