🚙 A franchise dealer wants to “skip the salesperson,” Walmart turns charging into a retail advantage, and Spirit’s internal data hits bankruptcy court.
Google Wants to Buy Spirit Airlines' Internal Data. The Real Question Is What Your Dealership's Data Would Be Worth.
Google's proposed purchase would include more than 175,000 employee records: employment contracts, tax records, crew scheduling and time-card data, emails, and even Microsoft Teams records, all intended to train AI systems.
Walmart's EV Charging Network Just Hit 100 Stores. It's Not Even the Fastest-Growing One There.
Walmart's charging network now spans 20 states, with most sites offering 8 to 16 stalls and chargers capable of delivering up to 400 kW. The retailer wants thousands of Walmart and Sam's Club locations equipped by 2030, leveraging a footprint that puts a store within 10 miles of roughly 90% of Americans.
Mark Miller Subaru Built Its Own Carvana. It Just Kept the Dealership Attached.
Mark Miller Subaru launched Promise Path this weekend, a fully digital purchase journey built by GM Chris Hudson and his team on top of the dealership's existing one-price "Promise Price" model. The pitch, printed right on the site: keep the dealership, skip the salesperson.
🚙 Amazon and Walmart have spent years testing drone delivery without fully cracking consumer logistics at scale. Jack Demmer found the use case those companies never had: a fixed, short-range need between a dealership's own buildings.
More Than Half of U.S. Consumers Would Consider a China-Made Vehicle, New Dave Cantin Group Market Outlook Report Finds
77% percent of consumers under age 35 indicate openness to Chinese vehicles as affordability, changing product demand and accelerating dealership M&A reshape automotive retail
Your Dealership's Reputation Now Has an Opinion, and It's Not Yours
AI search doesn't just rank your dealership anymore, it forms a judgment about it. On this week's Auto Collabs, Chad Graves of Reunion Marketing joined Paul and Kyle to unpack what that shift actually means day to day, and three things dealers can start doing about it today.
A Michigan Ford Dealer Just Delivered Auto Parts by Drone
Jack Demmer Automotive Group is testing drone delivery between its Ford dealership, warehouse, and service center in Wayne, Michigan, aiming to move smaller, time-sensitive parts faster while avoiding the traffic and road delays that can leave a vehicle sitting in a service bay.
🚗 Polestar Says It Was Blindsided. Dealers Say That's Not the Whole Story.
🚙 Polestar is telling U.S. dealers it never saw the ban coming. One of those dealers is suing for $25 million, arguing the company saw it coming from a mile away and used the government as a convenient exit. Both accounts can't be fully true.
Ford Just Handed Apple the Keys to Its Next EV Platform's Brain
Ford is deepening its partnership with Apple, using Apple Maps data to support both its next-generation EV platform and future BlueCruise development, another sign automakers are growing more comfortable relying on big tech for critical software, mapping, and AI capabilities.
Goodyear Just Turned an Oil Change Into a Destination
Goodyear opened its first destination-style concept store in Detroit on Aug. 15, timed to coincide with the Woodward Dream Cruise, an event that draws roughly 1.5 million people and 40,000 classic and custom cars. The Motor City Garage blends service, brand history, and car culture as Goodyear works to refresh its retail strategy and reverse a stock price down nearly 32% year-to-date.
Polestar Says It Was Blindsided. Its Own Dealer Says That's Not the Whole Story.
Polestar says it was blindsided by the U.S. government's decision to effectively push it out of the market, especially after Commerce officials reportedly indicated the company was on track for approval. Commerce told Polestar in 2025 it was preparing to recommend approval, and in April a senior official said it was reasonable to expect Polestar would follow Volvo if Volvo got the green light.
