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Automotive State of The Union
Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier don’t just read headlines, they make the most important connections across car dealerships, general retail, tech, and culture. The goal? To help automotive leaders think clearer and move faster in a world that refuses to slow down.
Whether you’re running a rooftop, building a brand, or just trying to keep up with everything shifting in the business of selling cars, this is your regular stop for a shot of news, insight, and a little bit of chaos…always rooted in people-first thinking.
From the showroom to Silicon Valley.
From Wall Street to Main Street.
Paul and Kyle connect the dots, keep it real, and make it make sense.
Learn more at https://www.asotu.com
Episodes
1307 episodes
Live from the NY Auto Forum, Checking in on Chinese OEMs in Mexico, GM Bets On Big Gas Trucks
Episode #1307: Today we’re at the NY Auto Forum (thanks to our friends at Force Marketing) for a day of interviews and content with some of the industry’s finest. Plus, Chinese brands promise profits in Mexico but miss on execution, while GM be...
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9:43
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$8B Off-Lease EV Loss, 800 Mile Range in 5 Minutes, Gen Z Ditches Brands
Episode #1306: A surge of off-lease EVs could bring billions in losses and create new opportunities for dealers. Meanwhile, battery breakthroughs are back in the spotlight, and Gen Z is reshaping how brands earn attention and loyalty.
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12:08
How A Weekly "Touch-A-Truck" Event Is Recruiting Employees 15 Years In The Future
Today, Head Writer Chris Reeves brings a story from our good friends at Carter Myers Automotive of how they do a weekly "Touch-A-Truck" event with the goal of showing kids that retail auto is an industry worth fighting to join.
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10:17
Doc Fees Must Be Included In Advertising, GM Grows Tech Number, Gen Alpha Starts Spending
Episode #1304: The FTC gave NADA clarity on their recent warning letters, GM has significantly cut down on their technician shortage and Gen Alpha is flexing their spending power.The FTC gave NADA direct clarity on advertising...
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12:46
China’s Dealer Meltdown, Stellantis Parking Police, AI Can't Actually Learn
Episode #1303: China’s price war is crushing dealers while a quirky Stellantis policy highlights a very different retail reality here at home. Plus, a new AI test reshapes how we define intelligenceChina’s brutal ...
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12:45
20 BYD Dealerships In Canada, Afeela Canceled by Sony-Honda Mobility, FedEx Goes Same Day
Episode #1302: BYD sprints into Canada with big retail plans amid tight EV quotas, Sony and Honda hit pause on Afeela as EV reality sets in, and FedEx jumps into the same-day delivery fight as Amazon raises the bar yet again.T...
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10:36
GM Takes Next Autonomous Step, EV and Hybrid Searches Surge, Zoox Expands
Episode #1301: GM hits the road with eyes-off autonomy testing, used EV demand rises as gas prices climb, and Zoox pushes into new markets while chasing Waymo in the robotaxi race.GM is putting its next
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11:40
(EP 1300) EV Deals Are Hot, GM's Charging Chain, A Strong Retail Year?
Episode #1300: EV bargains are stacking up as gas prices climb, GM patents a daisy-chain charger that could end the wait-time headache, and the NRF says retail is growing in 2026 but the spending power is concentrated at the top.Gas pric...
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10:48
How MileOneCares Makes Supporting Their Communities A Recurring Event
Today, Chris Reeves joins Paul and Kyle to talk about the monthly and weekly events that MileOne holds for their communities with car seat distributions and teen driver courses.
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10:31
John Bozzella Paints The Path For China to Bypass US OEMs
Episode #1298: The Alliance for Automotive Innovation CEO John Bozzella joins Paul and Kyle to discuss his automotive news op-ed that lays out the case for a recent Washington state piece of legislation that could pave the way for Chinese autom...
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16:17
Federal EV Fees Incoming?, $50B EV Hangover, Uber Bets Big on Rivian
Episode #1297: The EV world is getting hit from all sides — punishing fee proposals, $50 billion in industry write-downs, and a bold $1.25 billion Uber-Rivian robotaxi bet.A growing wave of state and federal
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12:11
GM Pivots to Battery Storage, VinFast Shrinks Its Dream, Nvidia Scales Autonomy
Episode #1296: GM and LG retool for energy storage as EV demand cools, VinFast restarts its North Carolina factory with a fraction of the jobs promised, and Nvidia adds four major automakers to its autonomous driving platform....
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12:00
FTC Compliance Fallout with Ted Smith of FLADA
Episode #1295: Automotive trade associations nationwide are rallying dealers around FTC advertising compliance and we're joined by Ted Smith of FLADA.Don Hall and the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association responded to Friday...
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17:22
FTC Warns Dealers Over Advertising, The $1K Negotiator, BYD Eyes North America
Episode #1294: The FTC puts 97 dealership groups on notice over deceptive advertising, a former car salesman is making $200K a month helping car buyers negotiate deals, and BYD is quietly building a path into North AmericaThe ...
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19:05
Free Oil Changes For A Bag of Food Donations
Today, Chris Reeves joins Paul and Kyle talk about how the Mitchell Automotive Group supported the Christian Mission Center ‘Stock the Pantry’ by offering free oil changes on Wednesday to anyone who brought in a bag of food donations.
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8:12
Honda’s $15B EV Reset, Rivian Bets on R2, Farley Fights for the Clutch
Episode #1292: Today we unpack Honda’s massive $15.7B EV write-down and pivot back to hybrids, Rivian’s make-or-break R2 SUV aimed at the mainstream market, and Ford CEO Jim Farley’s vow to keep the manual Mustang aliveShow N...
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16:00
Starboard Puts CarMax on Notice, Carvana Goes Hollywood, Lucid's CarPlay Win
Episode #1291: An activist investor pushes CarMax to overhaul its digital game, Carvana accelerates same-day delivery into Los Angeles, and Lucid rolls out CarPlay and Android Auto updates while resetting its software strategy.
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11:17
75 Day Supply, Honda's Identity Crisis, AI Bully Wanted
Episode #1290: Guest host Jamie Butters joins as we cover New-vehicle inventory hits 3 million units but slower sales are aging the lot. Honda begins importing cars from four countries. And a startup will pay you $800 to spend a day bullying AI...
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14:19
Chevy Bolt Is Back (For Now), Scout Waits Until 2028, AI Brain Fry
Episode #1289: GM revives the Bolt—but only briefly—as EV strategy shifts again. Scout Motors confirms its rugged Terra and Traveler won’t reach customers until 2028. A new study finds heavy AI tool use may cause “AI brain fry.”<...
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14:06
Dealership Deals Surge, VW Dealers Sue Scout, Ford Reinvents the Car Door
Episode #1288: Buy-sell activity ramps up as more dealerships and franchises change hands in Q4. Meanwhile, Volkswagen dealers launch a 600-store class action over Scout’s direct-sales plan, and Ford patents a smart door system designed to prev...
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12:31
Dealer Covers All Student Meal Debt In Montgomery County Public Schools
Today, Chris joins Paul and Kyle to share how DARCARS Automotive Group donated $230,000 to Montgomery County Public Schools to eliminate two years of outstanding student meal debt for hundreds of families — one of the largest single acts of dea...
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9:12
Scout Rides The EREV Wave, Atlanta's Car Subscription Boom, UPS Wants Fewer Drivers
Episode #1286: Scout Motors discovers that American truck buyers want a generator backup with their electrons, Flexcar bets big on Atlanta's appetite for flexible wheels, and UPS makes the largest buyout offer in company history as it braces fo...
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11:15
Record Negative Equity, Dealers Optimistic About Service and Parts, Generational Sales Team Conflict
Episode #1285: Today we unpack record negative equity making deals harder to pencil, service and parts lanes regaining momentum as dealers look for profit stability, and a surprising $56B productivity hit caused by generational friction and AI ...
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13:09
Carvana Buys Another Store, GM Changes Pre-Owned Strategy, Nano Banana 2
Episode #1284: Today we’re looking at Carvana quietly buying franchised dealerships, GM reshaping used-car sales around CarBravo, and Google’s newest AI image model.Carvana is continuing its quiet march into the franchised dea...
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14:53
How The Iran Conflict Will Impact Auto, BYD’s Flash Chargers, Search CarMax On ChatGPT
Episode #1283: Oil markets are on edge as global conflict pressures fuel prices and supply chains. Meanwhile, BYD may have cracked the code on five-minute EV charging, and CarMax becomes the first U.S. auto retailer to launch a shopping app ins...
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15:00