TOGETHER WITH:
Howdy, Fam!
Used EV supply just did something it hasn't done since February, and BMW learned the hard way what happens when a premium brand skips the part where the customer says yes.
Also in today's email:
Toyota is closing the gap on GM's century-long sales crown, and the two are betting on opposite playbooks to do it
The U.S.-Canada trade deal collapsed at the last minute, and 50% tariffs are already in effect
The new Jeep Cherokee is already getting replaced, and Reddit has thoughts
Keep Pushing Back,
—Chris with Paul, Kyle & Kristi
Reading time: 4 mins
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Used EV Supply Just Overtook Gas Cars for the First Time Since February
Used EV sales climbed more than 10% year over year in July, and for the first time in six months, buyers shopping for a used EV actually had more to choose from than buyers shopping used gas vehicles.
📊 The Numbers
36,810 used EVs sold in July, up 10.1% year over year
46 days' supply, higher than used ICE supply for the first time since February
Ford led high-volume brands with 18.9% month-over-month growth
$37,832 average listing price, up 8.3% year over year
You don't need incentives to let the market decide what it wants, when it wants it, and when the product is actually ready for them to acquire.
Want the full conversation?
🎙️ Listen to today's Automotive State of the Union episode for the complete discussion.
NADA Show 2027 Is Going to Be Epic!
This year’s NADA Show opens with a Welcome Reception that trades the usual industry backdrop for something a lot more memorable.
On Wednesday, Feb. 17 from 7–11 PM, registered attendees will get after-hours access to Universal Epic Universe, Orlando’s newest theme park. For one night only, dealers, executives, partners, and industry leaders can explore five immersive worlds, each built to bring a different story to life.
It’s a rare chance to move beyond the Expo floor and conference schedule for one evening with peers, partners and decision-makers from across the industry — all inside one of Orlando’s newest attractions.
BMW Just Found the Line Between a Connected Car and a Connected Billboard
BMW put a Spider-Man promotion on dashboard screens in more than 70 countries for two weeks. Owners who paid premium prices for premium vehicles did not receive it as a nice surprise.
Congratulations, you spent $100,000 on a 7 series but that's not enough money for BMW so here's a Spider-Man ad in your car.
BMW called it "optional themed content." Paul and Kyle's read was simpler: treat it like a Kindle, an upfront discount someone opts into, not a surprise dropped into a car they already own.
Consider this today
Brand is a feeling, and BMW produced the wrong one. Any customer-owned touchpoint at your own store, a service portal, a follow-up text, carries the same test: did the customer agree to this, or did it just show up.
Toyota Is Closing In on GM's Century-Long Reign
GM's lead over Toyota has shrunk to just over 100,000 vehicles through July, with both automakers around 1.5 million units sold this year. GM is protecting margin with high-margin trucks at 73% factory utilization. Toyota is chasing volume with hybrids and affordable models at 91.9%.
We haven't had a RAV4 on the ground in months. They presell all of them. The only thing they have is trucks.
A 100,000-unit gap in a 1.5-million-unit race is closer than it sounds, and worth watching monthly rather than settling in your head today.
The U.S.-Canada Trade Deal Just Collapsed. 50% Tariffs Are Already in Effect.
Talks fell apart at the last minute this weekend, and fresh 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion of Canadian goods took effect Aug. 22. The deal on the table would have cut auto tariffs to 15% from 25%. That's off the table for now, with neither side confirming when talks might resume.
Worth watching closely if any part of your inventory or supply chain touches Canadian-built vehicles or parts. This one moved fast, and it can move again just as fast.
🚘 Car Stuff
The new Jeep Cherokee is already getting replaced. Stellantis is planning a new platform and plant for 2029, and Reddit's reaction to the current model has been blunt, with complaints centering on pricing that lands in RAV4 and CR-V territory and dimensions bigger than a third-gen Lexus RX. One top comment: "I saw more Lambo Urus's than Jeep Cherokees this year."
China ordered its largest-ever auto recall, with Tesla and eight other automakers recalling 4.3 million vehicles over door handles that may be difficult to open in an emergency. Tesla's share alone is 2.98 million vehicles.
Hyundai is considering nearly doubling capacity at its Georgia Metaplant, from 500,000 to as many as 800,000 units by 2028.
Walmart's EV charging network just hit 100 stores across 20 states, with 400 kW fast chargers built into the regular Walmart app.
💰 Not Car Stuff
LinkedIn's "Seems like AI slop" button has been clicked more than a million times since launching July 30, and the company says the reports have helped cut views of flagged content by 40%. It's still unclear whether the actual volume of AI-generated posts on the platform is going down, or just getting seen less.
Buc-ee's is facing backlash over a lawsuit against a tiny Ohio mini mart called Beaver's Mini Mart, arguing its beaver logo is too close to Buc-ee's own. The town of Beavercreek passed a resolution making the beaver part of its official history in response, and Ohio's governor called the suit "absurd."
AI agents are starting to pay for things themselves, using stablecoins to buy small slices of data, computing power, and API access without a human approving each purchase. Coinbase's head of AI product compares it to the earliest, messiest days of file-sharing, the tech works, nobody's agreed on the rules yet.
1875: Captain Matthew Webb became the first person to swim across the English Channel unaided, completing the crossing from Dover to Calais.
1991: Linus Torvalds publicly announced the Linux kernel, a project that would grow into one of the most widely used operating systems in the world.
2006: The International Astronomical Union voted to reclassify Pluto as a "dwarf planet," ending its 76-year status as the ninth planet.
Thanks for reading, Friend! Let’s hit Monday strong!
