Honda and Nissan Are Chasing the Scale Dealers Already Feel
Honda and Nissan's growing partnership isn't just about building future EVs. It's about finding a faster, less expensive way to compete in a market where complexity has become a liability.
I Went on CDG and Ended Up Thinking About Brand (Big Surprise)
Most dealerships start by asking who they should market to. Instead, we should pump the brakes and ask “who are we?” Brand isn't something you create with a logo or a campaign. It's what customers experience every day and technology is only amplifying what's already there.
A Smaller Market Would Make Better Retailers More Valuable
Affordability continues to weigh heavily on the industry. Monthly payments on new vehicles have climbed roughly 30% over the past four years, and nearly one in five new vehicles now carries a payment exceeding $1,000 per month.
Amazon Autos Just Became Another Door Into the Dealership
Amazon didn't replace the dealership. It added another place for customers to begin the buying journey, and that's a model more dealers should be paying attention to.
🚙 Most stores already have inventory data, transaction data, customer data, and service history. But the real operating knowledge often lives in people. How decisions get made. Who handles exceptions. What standards shape the customer experience? What gets said in coaching sessions, meetings, and hallway conversations.
AI is becoming more capable by the week, but I think most dealerships are overlooking a foundational issue. Before AI can communicate, recommend, automate, or improve operations, it needs context. The dealerships documenting how they operate today will be in a much stronger position tomorrow.
Wayve Wants to Be the AI Driver for Everyone Not Named Tesla
If autonomous driving becomes an off-the-shelf supplier product, legacy brands may get a faster path to compete, and dealers may get a new customer education challenge.
Deep Texas Is Becoming the Market Automakers Can’t Ignore Wide
As Texas closes in on California’s retail sales lead, dealers should watch how national product, pricing, and consumer assumptions start shifting with it.
