S02E13 - EVs, Labor Issues & Dealer Relevancy with Jason Stein

The auto industry continues to face a rise in electric vehicles, shortages in labor and speculation over the future of dealership relevancy as direct-to-consumer manufacturers like Tesla impact traditional sales processes. Today’s guest, Jason Stein, is well-positioned to discuss these trends and others impacting  dealers, and spotlight what they can be excited (yes, excited!) about over the next few years.A legend in the automotive industry, Jason Stein’s career in journalism has lasted more than 25 years and spanned the globe. He’s lived in Munich, Germany as a reporter and publisher, attended auto shows in cities like Beijing and Shanghai, and contributed to national and international radio programs and various speaking engagements. He led industry-known Automotive News in various capacities – as reporter and publisher of Automotive News Europe, to publisher of Detroit-based Automotive News from 2013 until August 2021. Currently Jason is the Owner & CEO of Flat Six Media, a media services and broadcasting platform, and the host of SiriusXM’s radio show, “Cars & Culture with Jason Stein,” which has featured celebrity guests like Mark Wahlberg, Jay Leno and Formula 1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali.In this episode you’ll hear:How cars unite the world and why people experience emotional connections to vehiclesHow those emotional connections indicate that the traditional dealership model is still relevant Why dealers should not let the Teslas of the world cloud their growth goals Speculation over where consumers will gravitate in the future as it relates to powertrains Dialogue over whether there is a correct way for OEMs to approach EVs as a business modelThe importance of continuous learning for dealers to stay relevant as the industry changes and more For more about Jason, visit his LinkedIn profile.Liked this episode? Find our full episode library here.