Citing Flagging Demand For EVs, Little Tikes Reintroduces V8 To The Cozy Coupe

Little Tikes, the maker of the recently-electrified Cozy Coupe, announced in a quarterly earnings call this afternoon that it would be bringing back the popular V8-powered model after discontinuing that drivetrain last year. This comes after most major automakers in the US have either pared back or, in Honda’s case, entirely eliminated EV offerings in the United States.

“It’s about freedom of choice,” Little Tikes CEO Enid Potatoes told reporters on the call. “The transition to fully-electrified coupes is not only the time-scale originally envisioned, and there are customers who still prefer the sound of a V8. We need to serve those consumers.”

“It’s a complicated political environment and having a product that’s reliant on one set of specific priorities being upheld is challenging, but we appreciate the current administration’s commitment to American production,” said Potatoes, in response to a question from the Ball Pit Journal about whether or not the suspension of the Inflation Reduction Act tax credit had impacted the decision. “We are proud to make all of our Cozy Coupes in Ohio.”

The company also announced it was taking an $8 billion write-down this year on the money it spent developing a three-row EV cozy coupe, as well as a plan to build a crossover for LeapFrog under a joint venture focused on software. The company’s mostly finished battery factory in Poughkeepsie will open as planned, meaning Little Tikes is still planning to use its $900 million DOE loan, though now it’s expected the batteries will be used for the company’s new energy storage system business.

“American manufacturers are getting killed by the Chinese and this is just more proof that they’ll never be able to compete,” complained EV influencer Cravelin Manchester on BlueSky.”Legacy toy manufacturers have abused their political power to keep inexpensive, small Chinese electric toys out of the market.”

While the Cozy Coupe is the best-selling car in the world, buyers of the Cozy Coupe EV complained that the company was overusing screens and not the kind of large, soft buttons that were better for enrichment.

“My mommy says I can’t have screen time after din-din,” said Bella, a three-year-old Cozy Coupe EV owner. “The car won’t go without the screen.”

Overall, Bella says she had a good experience with her Cozy Coupe, though she’s worried about the long term residual values and has had charging anxiety.

“Brayden doesn’t have a charger. Olivia does, but it’s always broke broke broken,” added Bella.

Little Tikes has also experimented with a subscription model for certain premium features, like use of the juice box holder or selectable horn sounds that include duck, pig, and marmot sounds. The concept of paying a subscription to access these features hasn’t focus group tested well, according to the company.

Cadien Crayden Walletpudding, a five-year-old current Cozy Coupe Diesel owner from Seattle, reacted to the subscription-based offerings, saying “Fuck that, and fuck their greed. Fuck them all.”

The V8 model is expected to be built in the company’s Ontario facility in order to take advantage of already existing tax breaks, though a renegotiation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement could put that on hold

Enthusiasts of the brand have expressed excitement online.

“VRROOOOM, VROOOMMMMMM, VAROOOOOOOOOOOOM, VROOOOOOM, VROOM, VAAAVAAAAAROOOOOOOM, ROOOM, VROOOM, VAROOOOOOMMOOMMMVAROOOOMMMOOOMOOOVAROOMM VAROOOOOM OOOOOOOM VAROOOOM VROOOM VROOM,” exclaimed Harper, who runs the SAVE THE V8 COZY COUPES page on Zigazoo.

(top image: Little Tikes, Playz)