Ford's Reputation Problem Isn't the Trucks. It's the Price Tag.
Ford showed dealers a $25,000 crossover and a sub-$40,000 four-door Mustang at a private Las Vegas meeting, and the timing says a lot about where the brand thinks it needs to fight next.
🚗 The EV Lease Reality Check Is Walking Onto Your Floor Today
🚙 Plenty of these customers genuinely loved their EV, they just got priced out of staying in one. A plug-in hybrid is the natural landing spot for someone who liked having a plug but can't stomach the new payment.
EV Lessees Are Getting a Reality Check at Renewal, and Hybrids Are Winning the Rebound
EV leases were once the ultimate "why not" deal. Now that those leases are maturing, returning customers are discovering a very different market, and a lot of them are landing on hybrids instead.
VW Has 4% of the U.S. Market. A Pickup Truck Is How Every Underdog Brand Tries to Fix That.
Volkswagen is overhauling its U.S. strategy with new leadership and, in a very on-the-nose move for a German automaker, a plan to build an American pickup truck.
The Future Is Moving Faster Than Ever. Automotive Has Been Here Before.
Steve Greenfield, general partner at Automotive Ventures, opened his weekly Intel Report with something worth reading twice: a case for optimism at a moment when most headlines are pointing the other way.
"Work Slop" Is the New Leadership Risk, and Most Executives Don't See It Coming
Nearly three-quarters of executives now trust AI's business advice more than that of their own colleagues or friends. A growing number are letting it make the call outright.
A 14-Year-Old With No Job Is Out-Creating Your Dealership's Content
Peter McKay can't legally drive a car yet. He also can't legally work in most states until he's older. What he can do, apparently, is out-hustle your entire social media strategy from the passenger seat of his mom's minivan.
Would You Buy a Car Fully Online? That Question Is Lying to You.
A new Urban Science and Harris Poll survey of over 3,000 buyers and 252 dealers found shoppers are researching longer, cross-shopping harder, and putting price ahead of brand loyalty. But the most interesting number in the survey might be the one measuring the wrong thing entirely.
An Independent Dealer Got Tired of Waiting for Wholesale to Catch Up to Retail
Travis Baldwin started detailing cars at his family's dealership when he was 13 years old. Decades later, he's still the guy who notices when something doesn't look right, only now it's an entire industry's wholesale process he's trying to clean up.
🚗 Anything Carvana Can Do, Dealers Can Do (Better)
🚙 Car Dealership Guy spoke with 40 sources about Carvana's Stellantis stores, and dealers pointed to national pricing, no document fees, and a sales model that promotes itself as an alternative to traditional dealerships. Service is another flashpoint, with some nearby dealers absorbing more warranty and recall work from Carvana customers.
