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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.
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Automotive State of The Union
Memorial Day Traffic and The Return of Big Incentives
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Episode #1353: Memorial Day travelers are hitting the road in record numbers while automakers roll out massive incentives to move inventory.
Show Notes with links:
- Memorial Day originated in the aftermath of the Civil War as "Decoration Day"—a time for communities to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers—and later evolved into a federal holiday honoring all American military personnel who have died in service.
- An estimated 45 million Americans are packing up for Memorial Day weekend, and 87% of them are doing it the old-fashioned way: by car. Even with higher gas prices, travelers are choosing the road, the snacks, and the “are we there yet?” energy.
- AAA projects a record 45 million travelers will go 50+ miles from home, up 0.4% from last year.
- About 39.1 million people will travel by car, despite gas averaging $4.52 per gallon as of May 11.
- Air travel is also up slightly, with 3.66 million domestic flyers expected. Round-trip domestic tickets are averaging $800, down 6% year over year.
- Other transportation methods including buses, trains, and cruises are expected to grow 5.3%, helped by a strong Alaska cruise season.
- AAA Travel’s Stacey Barber said, “Despite higher fuel prices, many people are prioritizing leisure travel during holiday breaks.”
- New car shoppers heading into Memorial Day weekend are being greeted with something we haven’t seen much of lately: serious incentives. From EVs to pickups to hydrogen sedans, automakers are tossing thousands on the hood to clear inventory and spark demand.
- Hyundai is offering $7,500 off the 2025 Ioniq 6, nearly 19% of the car’s starting MSRP, as dealers work through leftover inventory.
- Chevy is putting up to $9,000 on the hood of the 2026 Silverado 1500, one of the biggest incentive percentages on the market at over 22%.
- Hyundai’s new three-row Ioniq 9 EV gets a $10,000 incentive as the automaker looks to boost slower-than-expected sales.
- Toyota may win the “please just take it” award with a staggering $35,000 incentive on the hydrogen-powered Mirai, plus 0% financing for 72 months.
- The story behind many of these incentives? Rising inventories, slower EV demand, and OEMs trying to move leftover or underperforming models before summer heats up.
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