🚗 Affordability and Inventory

TOGETHER WITH

My Friend!

We are so excited to say that the ASOTU CON 2025 agenda is not only done, but it is posted for your enjoyment.

Check it out here, and let us know what you’re most interested in.

Keep Pushing Back,
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

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THE NEWS

Affordability, Inventory, Hybrids, and TRUCKS

🚘 Affordability is Up. But Don’t Get Comfortable

March was the most affordable month for new vehicles in nearly four years. Prices dipped. Payments dropped. Incomes helped. But April brought a 25% tariff-shaped storm cloud. If you're riding the wave now, make sure you're also prepping for what's about to hit the shore.

📦 Inventory Is Falling Like It’s 2021

Vehicle supply dropped fast: 91 days to 70 in one month. Dealers are selling hard to beat tariff hikes, but when the stock runs dry, gross profits might too. Some OEMs are offering “employee pricing” to clear lots. Enjoy the rush. But plan for the pause.

🚙 Hyundai’s Hybrid Palisade Hits the Sweet Spot

Hyundai’s new Palisade is bigger, bolder, and finally hybrid. With a 329-hp powertrain and off-road-ready XRT Pro trim, it’s landing this fall with timing, and tech, that could steal family buyers from gas-only SUVs. CEO Randy Parker calls it “a bold leap forward,” and we agree.

🔋 Harbinger Doesn’t Talk. It Builds.

While most EV startups chase headlines, Harbinger quietly delivered 100+ American-built Class 4–7 work trucks. No diesel premium. No vaporware vibes. Just real orders, real production, and a real threat to the old guard of commercial fleets. Dealers serving fleets: this one’s worth a call.

➕ More

Read more on these and several other stories in our Daily Digest.

🥊 Quick Hits

• Bitcoin drops to $74,000 before rebounding as cryptocurrencies join global market rout. 🪙 

• Google is pushing AI-driven solutions on some of its advertisers in growth plans. 🤖 

• California is taking the tariff fight to court. 🧑‍⚖️ 

TOGETHER WITH IPACKET

Move Faster, Sell Smarter, Build Trust

Born inside a dealership, iPacket gets it.

Their CRM-integrated Digital Vehicle Presentation platform takes all the chaos of paper docs, window stickers, and spec sheets and turns it into one seamless, clickable buyer experience.

From OEM automations to real-time recon insights, they’re helping dealers move faster, sell smarter, and build trust right from the first click.

We’re grateful to have iPacket as a Collaborator for this year’s ASOTU CON.

Come meet them in person this May 13–16th in Hanover, MD to see what they can do for your store!

CULTURE

Dealer. Senator. Still One of Us.

Paul and Kyle caught up with Senator Bernie Moreno (yeah, you read that right—the first car dealer in the Senate) for a quick-hit convo you don’t want to miss.

Fresh off the NY Auto Forum stage, Bernie drops wisdom on calming your team, tuning out the noise (yes, even CNN), showing up locally, and why EV demand might be breaking up with Washington faster than Taylor and Elon.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

ACTIVATOR @ ASOTU CON 2025!

Activator isn’t just another marketing tool. They’re a full-blown customer data platform built for dealers.

By unifying your data and running smart multichannel campaigns (email, SMS, direct mail, digital ads), Activator helps you engage everyone from first-time visitors to long-lost service customers. From equity mining to lease-end outreach, their Salesforce-powered CDP drives revenue while cutting waste.

We’re honored to have Activator as a Collaborator this year. Want to see the Activator Advantage in action?

Visit Activator.ai or come meet the team at ASOTU CON 2025!

🔁 Today in History

• 1964: The Ford Mustang goes on sale. 🐎 

• 1970: Apollo program: The damaged Apollo 13 spacecraft returns to Earth safely. 🚀 

• 1986: An alleged state of war lasting 335 years between the Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly declared peace, bringing an end to any hypothetical war that may have been legally considered to exist. 🕊️