GM Is Backing Off Killing Apple CarPlay. Here's Why That's the Right Call.
GM may be easing off its plan to eliminate Apple CarPlay and Android Auto after real customer backlash, and the 2027 Cadillac Lyriq configurator is the tell.
312 Cars a Month in a Town of 2,700. The Math Still Works.
Rob Dell's team bought 312 vehicles last month in a town of 2,700 people. That's not a typo, and months after this panel was recorded at ASOTU CON, the playbook behind it still checks out completely.
🚙 Leasing has recovered to just 23% of new-vehicle deals, still well below its pre-pandemic 30% share, as pricier renewals push more buyers into 84-month loans instead. Average lease payments still run cheaper than financing, but many returning customers are seeing renewal quotes $100 to $200 higher than before.
Rivian's R2 Bet Is Working. The Cash Clock Is Still Running.
Rivian's second quarter was all about the R2 launch, stronger revenue, and narrowing losses, though the company is still burning serious cash to get there.
Leasing Is Coming Back. The Deals Aren't as Good, and That's an Opportunity.
Americans still want to lease, but the deals aren't what they used to be, and the gap is quietly pushing more buyers into loans that will follow them for seven years.
Toyota Built an AI Version of Its Chairman. Here's the Line It Shouldn't Cross.
Toyota created a digital twin of Chairman Akio Toyoda, an AI avatar built to teach management philosophy at scale, and it already got basic facts wrong in its first public interview.
🚙 Edmunds found the average has grown nearly $4,000 since 2021, largely because buyers who couldn't get into the market over the past few years simply held onto their cars longer and paid them down.
Tesla's China Split Isn't About China. It's About SpaceX.
Tesla may be preparing to separate its China business as Elon Musk weighs a potential merger with SpaceX, a move driven more by defense-contractor restrictions than by competition on the ground.
Hybrids Just Took Back the Lead, and Franchise Dealers Are the Ones Who Win
For the first time in four years, hybrid registrations overtook EVs in California, and the shift structurally favors franchised dealers over direct-sales brands that don't offer hybrids at all.
