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Howdy, Fam!
I think it's safe to say we're well past the early-adoption phase of EVs. Honestly, we're on the back end of just "adoption" at this point.
So when Bentley announces one, it feels like one of two things: patient planning about to produce a genuinely top-shelf ride, or a dose of FOMO, cramming batteries into things until shareholders are convinced you're still relevant to the next generation. What do you think?
Truth be told, nobody I actually know makes enough money to have hard opinions about Bentley anyway.
But first:
A bipartisan Senate bill wants to permanently ban Chinese vehicles, and for once, nobody in Washington seems to disagree
And also…
Bentley just unveiled its first EV, and it's betting wealthy buyers don't want a completely different car just because it's electric
Related: Walser Automotive just made the largest acquisition in its history, right in its own backyard
Keep Pushing Back,
—Chris with Paul, Kyle & Kristi
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A Chinese Vehicle Ban Just United a Congress That Agrees on Almost Nothing Else
Sens. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, and Bernie Moreno, an Ohio Republican, are pushing for unanimous Senate approval this week of a bill that would permanently ban Chinese vehicle sales and manufacturing in the US. It already has 51 Senate co-sponsors and more than 100 in the House.
The Line That Says It All
Slotkin didn't hedge: "Whether you are a Democrat or Republican, no one wants Chinese cars in America." In a Congress that struggles to agree on almost anything, that's worth noticing on its own.
The bill would codify an existing Biden-era regulation into permanent law and strip the White House of the ability to grant waivers, a direct response to Trump saying this month he'd be open to Chinese automakers building plants on US soil.
Where This Lands for Dealers
Six industry groups, representing GM, Toyota, Volkswagen, Ford, Hyundai, Stellantis, and Tesla, back the effort.
This is the exact tension we wrote about here: the public position and the private hope aren't always the same thing, and a permanent ban would settle that question by removing the choice entirely.
Worth sitting with: genuine bipartisan agreement is rare enough that it's worth asking why it's happening here. If you want the fuller take on what this means for the dealer relationship specifically, we covered it in today's first editorial.
Almost $100K in After-Hours Revenue, Monthly
Every dealership has hours it can't fully staff: nights, weekends, after the service department closes. Those calls used to go to voicemail, or a competitor.
At McGovern Automotive, Mia turned that gap into a revenue stream:
800+ after-hours appointments booked every month
~$100K in RO revenue captured every month, nights and weekends alone
See how Mia helped McGovern Automotive Group stop over a million dollars from falling through the cracks.
Bentley Just Bet Wealthy Buyers Don't Want a Completely Different Car, Even an Electric One
Bentley unveiled its first EV Wednesday, the Torcal SUV, starting at £173,000. Unlike Ferrari's electric Luce, which drew criticism for barely resembling a Ferrari, the Torcal kept the diamond-shaped grille lights and even recreates a V8 soundtrack through orchestral timpani that quicken as the car accelerates.
CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser was direct: "Our intention was always to make a Bentley first. We feel people are not asking for a completely different car just because it's electric."
Half the interest so far comes from existing Bentley owners. The other half is entirely new to the brand.
Consider this
Bentley isn't trying to convince skeptics that EVs are exciting. It's trying to convince loyal customers that going electric doesn't mean giving up what made them loyal in the first place. That's the harder sell, and it's the same one facing anyone introducing something new to a customer base that already trusts what you had before.
Walser Automotive Group Just Made the Largest Acquisition in Its History
Walser has completed its acquisition of Freeway Ford, Metropolitan Ford, and Suburban Chevrolet in the Twin Cities, the biggest deal in company history.
Nearly 300 employees join the organization
Ford returns to Walser's portfolio for the first time in 20 years
Suburban Chevrolet expands Walser's Chevy presence into the southwest metro
The stores pass from one longtime Minnesota dealer family, the Grossmans, to another
"We have tremendous respect for what the Grossmans and their employees have built. As a family-owned business ourselves, we understand how much those relationships matter." — Andrew Walser, CEO
No Pressure, Mary: Barra's Seat at Last Night's Dinner
Mary Barra will sit down at Wednesday night's White House state dinner for Xi Jinping. Tech leaders from Meta, Apple, Amazon, and Tesla were there too. So was the biggest open question in the industry right now: whether Trump lets Chinese automakers manufacture on US soil.
Who skipped it? Stellantis's Antonio Filosa, out of the country. Ford wouldn't even confirm whether Jim Farley showed up, amid its own tension with the administration over its China ties.
Whatever was actually said over dinner matters less than the fact that Barra was in the room at all, at the exact moment this might be getting decided without a vote from anyone else at the table.
Toyota's Building a 620-Mile EV. We're Still Not Getting It.
What it is | Range-extender EVs, a small gas engine that only recharges the battery, never touches the wheels |
Where it's headed | China, 200,000 units in 2027, ramping to 400,000 by 2028 |
What it promises | 620+ miles of range, none of the charging anxiety of a pure EV |
Coming to the US? | No indication yet |
Why not | US hybrids are already selling like crazy, no urgent business case for a new powertrain |
If a customer asks why they can't get one, the answer isn't "it's not ready." It's "it's not needed here yet, because what you can already buy is still winning."
🚘 Stuff
Saudi Arabia unveiled its first EVs, Tron-inspired, with gullwing doors, backed by oil money betting on life after oil.
Tesla registered in Vietnam, setting up a fight against VinFast's 92% market share.
Would You Turn Someone Away Over an Iced Coffee? Our take on the workplace debate nobody expected.
1928: Motorola is incorporated in Chicago by the Galvin brothers, starting out by building battery eliminators for radios.
1948: Honda Motor Company is incorporated.
1992: NASA launches the Mars Observer mission to study Mars's geology and climate.
Thanks for reading, Friend! We can’t wait to see you for our one-day event on the West Coast!
