Could there be a bigger picture behind the potential/likely bankruptcy of Wheel Pros / Hoonigan? Humor me & let’s put our tinfoil hats on for a minute. Wheel Pros / Hoonigan is owned by Clearlake Capital. Clearlake is also invested in EV battery technology. That’s not necessarily a conflict of interests, but it’s interesting. Because when you’re talking about investment companies of this scale, they’re big enough to manipulate agendas, policies, narratives, and influence politics. So theoretically, it would be ‘worth it’ to buy up an industry… especially if it stood in the way of a potentially BIGGER industry that you wanted a controlling stake in.
It shouldn’t be shocking to you at this point…
That the EV movement was unnaturally forced & rushed by corporations AND governments. Hardcore car lovers may only account for ~5% of the driving population. But we are a knowledgeable, passionate, & vocal minority. One that has largely been bringing EV shortcomings (and propaganda) to light. So – if you’re trying to push an EV transition & profit handsomely from transportation through the 21st century, it would behoove you to put that 5% on mute. Think it’s far fetched? Just look at how corrupt & backroom the transcontinental railroads got.
If you were making your playbook…
One way to take the strength out of car culture, would be to buy admired aftermarket brands… and let them lose their luster. Like for example – if you bought Hoonigan, the absolute leading voice of car culture to the up-&-coming generation. And then let it fizzle (because that’s what happened). If you can tarnish the intensity & appeal of car culture over a generation, then it becomes less magnetic, less obsessive, and less cool… especially to the youth. Kill the love for car culture, and kill the voice/obstacle standing in your way. Because people who don’t care, don’t put up a fight.
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They can try, but even if the big names fail, others will take their place
Just as EV’s are gonna fail, their plan to kill off the aftermarket will fail as well
heck yeah I dig it