Automotive State of The Union

Episode #1450: The FTC gets specific about what dealers need to put in advertised prices, GM reverses course and brings CarPlay and Android Auto back. Today’s show is made possible by our friends at AutoHub, helping dealers buy cars from their own cust...

Episode #1449: The secret is finally out: ASOTU CON West is coming to Los Angeles this November. We’re breaking down the speakers, sessions and why we’re heading west—plus, Carvana’s early new-car success gets us talking about simplicity, flexibility a...

Episode #1448: It’s Monday as Kyle returns from NCM Friends and Family with four C’s for dealers navigating AI: community, context, confusion, and one very real concern after a dealership employee handed Claude the keys to the kingdom. Today’s show is ...

Today, Chris joins Paul to talk about Earnhardt Auto Centers marking 75 years in Phoenix with a $75,000 donation to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. "We're told this money will supply 135,000 pounds of food," said Dodge Earnhardt, who co-owns the de...

Episode #1444: Our next big announcement is on 9/15! Stay tuned!Today, Amit Chandarana joins Paul for a wide-ranging conversation about where mobile service is headed next, what Dealers are learning as adoption accelerates, and why the next phase may b...

Episode #1443: Stay tuned on 9/15 for our next big announcement! Today, Jimmy Douglas of Plug joins Kyle to unpack the growing wave of used EVs, why prices haven’t cratered as lease returns arrive, and what separates dealers who dabble from those who w...

Episode #1442: Chris Reeves joins Kyle Mountsier to talk about how the auto industry created some joy for children's hospital patients this last week.Kristen Bell brought a little Arendelle ( https://finance.yahoo.com/healthcare/articles/kristen-bell-b...

Episode #1441: Michael Dunne joins the show to unpack China’s growing automotive influence, why Stellantis may be the “canary,” Lexus’ surprising Shanghai move, and what dealers should consider before partnering with Chinese brands. Plus, a first look ...

Episode #1440: Today, Steve Greenfield is back with us as we talk about how dealership workers are mostly satisfied, but younger and mid-tenure employees are showing some cracks, Ford is betting big on a $30,000 EV pickup, while one Alabama dealership ...

Episode #1439: Bozard Ford Lincoln COO/GM Ed Roberts joins Paul J Daly to talk about Bozard Ford Lincoln’s 47-unit mobile service operation, why the team changed platforms, cutting its communication center from 32 screens to nine, and how making “depos...

Episode #1438: Guest host Ben Hadley joins as Dealers rethink fraud incentives by paying employees to stop suspicious deals, JD Power finds drivers prefer technology that quietly works, and OpenAI’s young ad business races to a $1 billion annualized ru...

Episode #1437: Today, Steve Greenfield, General Partner at Automotive Ventures joins us: Carvana’s nationwide new-car sales raise questions about who handles the customer after the sale, Nissan and Honda reunite to share software development without sh...

Episode 1436: Today, Chris and Nathan join the show to talk about how Findlay Subaru Prescott donated $12,500 and school supplies to its local schools and teachers, adopting 25 classrooms that serve over 500 students.

Episode #1435: Today we sit down with Rhett Ricart to talk about a career in automotive and what dealers should be watching next, from Chinese competition and direct sales to affordability and fixed ops. Fresh off receiving Ford’s Lifetime Achievement ...

Episode #1434: Today, host of the Autotown podcast Jamie Butters joins to talk about how a Subaru dealer built its own Carvana-style buying experience. Walmart hits 100 locations in its growing EV charging network, and Google bids $10 million for 34 ye...

Episode #1433: Today, we’re joined by the legend Jim Fitzpatrick of CBT News. Canada is firing back at the U.S. with $20 billion in retaliatory tariffs, while Jack Demmer Automotive Group is testing drone delivery to get critical auto parts where they ...

Episode #1432: Ben Hadley, CEO of Auto Genius joins as guest host and we look at automakers getting more comfortable handing key tech duties to Silicon Valley, Polestar still searching for answers after its U.S. setback, and Goodyear turning tire servi...

Episode #1431: Today we’re joined by Steve Greenfield, General Partner at Automotive Ventures and we’re talking about lenders opening the credit taps even as delinquencies stay near record highs. Plus Amazon’s Zoox clears a major robotaxi hurdle and th...

Episode #1430: Chris joins the show today to talk about how Chapman Ford of Horsham filled up their local food bank with half a ton of food, plus how no one knows how to love unless they've been shown.

Episode #1429: It’s Friday as Toyota threatens GM’s long-held U.S. sales crown while taking a very different approach to the market. We also talk about growing used EV sales and inventory, plus BMW finding out how customers feel about ads showing up on...

Episode #1428: NADA President Mike Stanton joins us to talk about the biggest issues facing dealers through the rest of the year, plus, we look ahead to an already sold-out NADA Show floor and an Epic return to Orlando. NADA President Mike Stanton join...

Episode #1427: Apparently convenience is worth a few bucks as Carvana proves customers will pay more for a streamlined experience. Plus, Tesla is getting closer to putting the Cybercab on public roads and ChatGPT’s brand-new teen homework guardrails ge...

Episode #1426: Today, we talk about a $40 million charity bid for Ferrari’s new Luce EV. We also look at Group 1 Automotive’s strategy of building deeper dealership clusters and consolidating store names, plus new data showing brand-conscious shoppers ...

Episode #1425: Sonic is turning down margin to turn up used-car volume, Chinese automakers are looking overseas as sales struggle at home, and a $25 million dealer lawsuit is challenging Polestar’s explanation for its potential U.S. exit. Show Notes wi...

Episode 1424: Chris Reeves joins the show to share how Fred Beans Automotive contributed to the Red Cross and helped fight the on-going blood shortage with a drive that raised 282 units of blood and has a mobile service twist

Episode #1423: We’re wrapping up the week with EVs coming at the market from two very different angles: Tesla is back above 60% market share while Kia introduces a sub-$30K EV with over 300 miles of range. Plus, we close out our time at NAMAD with our ...

Episode #1422: As NAMAD starts to wind down, we’re looking to the West Coast, where Steve Greenfield dropped a stat at Amplify that had the room go breathless. Show Notes with links: AI may be the shiny object, but the bigger story from Reynolds and Re...

Episode #1421: We’re live from Miami at the 46th NAMAD Annual Meeting, where community, opportunity and the next generation of dealership ownership are front and center. Paul and Kyle sit down with CarRx President Shane Wilson to talk about customer re...

Episode #1420: Ford previews a $25K crossover for 2029, why the return of lease returns is great news for Penske, plus Nissan’s AI-powered factory cameras that are watching workers. Show Notes with links: Ford is circling back to the affordable end of ...

Episode #1419: We’re kicking off the week with Steve Greenfield’s optimistic take on technology and AI, plus Volkswagen’s very American plan to grow its U.S. presence with a pickup truck, and EV lessees discovering their once-in-a-lifetime deals may ac...

Episode #1418 Today, Chris joins Paul to talk about West Herr Subaru of Orchard Park and Lockport spending the day at Cradle Beach's Sunshine Day camp, playing games, making s'mores, and helping campers make bracelets. West Herr topped it off with a ch...

Episode #1417: Today we meet a 14-year-old already building his path toward dealership ownership, examine buyers who are shopping longer and prioritizing price, and look at the leadership risks that emerge when executives trust AI more than their own p...

Episode #1416: Today we unpack dealer concerns about Carvana’s expanding Stellantis experiment, Ram’s premium-priced return to street-truck performance, and Telo’s Mini-sized electric pickup claiming enough towing power to beat a standard Cybertruck. C...

Episode #1415: Today we’re tracking margin pressure across the largest dealer groups, Lithia’s behind-the-scenes push to improve affordability and efficiency, and LinkedIn’s new user-powered effort to clean AI slop out of the feed. Average gross profit...

Episode #1414: Toyota raises its outlook and launches a massive share buyback, GM appears to reconsider its CarPlay and Android Auto phaseout, and consumer sentiment improves even as high prices continue to squeeze household confidence. Toyota is raisi...

Episode #1413: Today we’re talking about Toyota turning Akio Toyoda into an AI management coach, why fewer Americans are leasing vehicles, and Rivian’s R2-fueled quarter as revenue improves, losses narrow, and cash burn remains firmly in the passenger ...

Kicking off the first day of a new month is always a special time. Today, Paul, Kyle, and Chris talk about the meaning of a five-Saturday month and also dive into what a very special group of Chevy dealers in Upstate New York is doing to serve a very s...

Episode #1411: California hybrids reclaim the lead over EVs, Tesla reportedly weighs separating its China business ahead of a potential SpaceX merger, and record trade-in equity gives dealers and buyers more room to make a deal. California buyers are p...

Episode #1410: Today we’re talking about Carvana’s record-setting quarter and massive growth ambitions, Zoox becoming the first paid U.S. robotaxi approved without human controls, and a hands-on summer camp helping middle schoolers discover the skills ...

Episode #1409: Ford raises its profit outlook despite slowing sales, GM bets AI will revolutionize vehicle development, and new research shows consumers aren't anti-AI—they just want honesty. Show Notes with links: Ford says fewer sales don't mean weak...

Episode #1408: Toyota assesses earthquake impacts in Japan, Ford jumps back into military vehicle development, and a new McKinsey study reveals affordability is squeezing buyers while technology—not brand loyalty—is increasingly driving purchase decisi...

Episode #1407: Dealership buy-sell activity surges even as profits normalize, GM proves subscriptions are becoming a serious profit center, and Waymo's robotaxis discover that finding a legal parking spot might be harder than driving themselves there. ...

Episode 1406: Chris Reeves joins on this Saturday episode to talk about his chicken adventures and then share how regional Western New York Dealers have been working together to donate a van every year to a worthy non-profit.

Episode #1405: Tesla posts record deliveries while doubling down on AI, Ford embraces Apple to make affordable EVs more compelling, and a coalition of industry giants launches a nationwide effort to solve the technician shortage Show Notes with links: ...

Episode #1404: The nation's No. 2 auto retailer looks to go private in a $3.8 billion deal, a viral TikTok perpetuates the stigma that dealers are the problem and Ford teams up with Carhartt, Google, and BlackRock to invest in the next generation of sk...

Episode #1403: GM raises guidance as North American profits jump 43%, despite ongoing EV-related charges. Independent repair shops struggle to keep pace with increasingly complex vehicles. Plus, South Korea’s Hyundai department store is betting that di...

Episode #1402: Polestar dealers demand answers as the EV brand abandons the U.S., Stellantis recruits new leaders to revive Jeep and Ram, and back-to-school shoppers prove convenience is the new value as families spend more but shop smarter. Show Notes...

Episode #1401: The UAW's federal monitor may be sticking around longer, Amazon's Zoox recalls every robotaxi after one drove into a smoke-filled fire scene, and author Dave Eggers makes the case for protecting your authentic voice in the age of AI. Sho...

Episode 1400: Chris Reeves joins Kyle to break down NADA's $3M donation to the American Cancer Society, why it matters, and how the auto industry continues to make an impact beyond the showroom. NADA is putting the industry's commitment to community ( ...

Episode #1399: During their time at the ATAE Summer Conference, Paul and Kyle sit down with Zach Doran, President of the Ohio Auto Dealers Association to talk about how dealers need to amplify the impact they’re making in the community. Show Notes with...