*By Amanda Weston*
After Mercedes-Benz's unveiling this week of its [first all-electric car](https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/4/17818836/mercedes-benz-eqc-suv-ev-specs-photos), automotive journalist and future Cheddar contributor Tamara Warren said the market is about to get a lot more competitive.
"It's huge news for Mercedes-Benz, and a real signal in this space that we are about to have a lot of options when it comes to the electric category, luxury, and the sweet space with crossover vehicles," Warren said Wednesday in an interview on Cheddar.
The model, dubbed EQC, is an all-wheel drive SUV with a range of more than 200 miles. Dieter Zetsche, the head of Mercedes and chairman of parent company Daimler AG, called it the ["dawn of a new era"](https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/4/17818836/mercedes-benz-eqc-suv-ev-specs-photos).
The announcement Tuesday further weighed on shares of Tesla, whose stock marked a seventh straight day of losses Wednesday. Warren said the electric automaker may certainly have cause to worry about its new competitor, but "that's the nature of the business."
"If there's no competition, where's the market going to go?" she said. "What I think it forces Tesla to do is to continue to push their vehicles and not stall on thinking about new features and products and innovation."
Whether Tesla can find that focus is something Warren says investors should watch.
"Tesla is a really tricky company to follow right now, and you're talking about companies that have sort of infrastructure internally as far as safety and all of the quality that needs to be there coming into this space, not just Mercedes-Benz. But we're also seeing Audi as a player in this field, BMW, and Volvo," Warren said.
"So it's going to get really interesting by spring when we start seeing some of these vehicles."
The EQC is set to begin production in 2019 and go on sale in the U.S. in 2020. Mercedes-Benz has not yet announced what the vehicle will cost.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/mercedes-benz-unveils-electric-vehicle).
Amid a rough week for Peloton's stock, as well as its image — its bikes being the cause of death for two fictional TV characters now — an activist investor is calling for a change in upper management. Chief investment officer of Blackwell, Jason Aintabi, petitioned in a letter that Peloton’s CEO, John Foley, must be fired. Joining Cheddar to discuss the ultimatum, Hatem Dhiab, a portfolio manager and managing partner at Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management noted the conditions leading to the demand for Foley's removal. "The stock is basically 85 percent below the high," he said. "I think there is some change that needs to happen, and that's just the reality."
Talent Resources Sports is partnering with ABG Entertainment to host Sports Illustrated The Party during the weekend of Super Bowl LVI, featuring musical performances by Kygo, Jack Harlow, and other guests. David Spencer and Mike Heller, co-CEOs and founders of Talent Resources Sports, joined Cheddar to discuss the details behind putting on the event. “We’re just really pumped that after all of the things that got canceled people will finally have a place to let some steam off in such an exciting moment, such a charged moment with the Super Bowl,” Mike Heller said about putting on the live event after previous COVID-related cancellations.
Mayors in cities like Miami and New York City are considering introducing cryptocurrencies as a way to reduce economic inequality. Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez has even pushed for distributing Bitcoin dividends to the city's inhabitants.
As companies look toward the metaverse concept to further move their companies online, Shep Ogden, CEO and co-founder of Offbeat Media, spoke with Cheddar about questions investors should be posing to businesses like how customized the metaverse experience will be. "One of the best things that people can do, or companies can do, to be competitive is really find those influencers within the community that are very deep in the space," Ogden added.
Coming off of a horrible week for Peloton on the stock market, another character from a TV series died after riding the stationary bike. Mike Wagner on "Billions" was the latest fictional tragedy, just a month after "Mr. Big" suffered a similar fate on the "Sex and the City" reboot "And Just Like That." Peloton tweeted it had not worked with the Showtime series on the episode.
Ann Berry, Chief Investment Officer at Wheelhouse, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to break down why Netflix stock saw such a steep decline in after hours trading on Thursday.
