💬 Automakers And Dealers Chat

TOGETHER WITH

There are people on your team that exude the exact energy of your brand and there are those who don’t.

The lever is that those with the right energy may not be ‘title holding’ leaders, but you can certainly give them the freedom to lead from where they are at!

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, & Chris

DEALERS

Food For The Hungry

In its 15th annual Subaru Share the Love Event, Chilson Subaru in Eau Claire, WI demonstrated its commitment to community service with nearly $30,000 in donations to local charities.

Over $23,000 went to the Feed My People Food Bank, and another $6,500+ was gifted to the Family Promise of the Chippewa Valley Homeless Shelter.

As exampled by their giving, Jeanne Chilson emphasized the dealership's dedication to addressing hunger and need in their community and expressed gratitude to Subaru for enabling this philanthropy.

Telling it like it is – Hunger is humanity’s oldest enemy, so feeding others without cost is our oldest form of heroism. Fantastic work, Chilson team! 🥗🦸‍♀️

AUTOMOTIVE

Detroit Dealers Debate

Despite the noise, dealer EV opt-in programs like Ford's and dealer buy-out plans like GM's reinforce the reality that the US electrification story will be written in dealerships.

In Detroit, the conversation between Ford, GM, and dealership owners has outlined some key points preventing an all-in attitude on each side of the issue.

• 🦉Who pays for charging? While front-running Tesla has built and maintains its own charging network, legacy brands Ford and GM are working to make public charging the responsibility of the dealerships.

• 🚔Are we sure this is copasetic? Some have raised questions about the legality of using the EV transition to make demands they would not have before. OEMs dictating EV reservations, sales, trade-ins, and service contracts doesn't seem like a crime, but it also doesn't seem to follow franchise laws.

• 🤔Aren't customers always right? Between legality and logistics is the ever-present consideration of what customers actually want, not just what they will accept.

Telling it like it is – Every conversation moves faster when both parties are able to talk, not just listen. The OEM-EV-Dealership conversation may finally get over some of the hurdles that have been slowing things down now.

TOGETHER WITH CONGRUENT

Creative That Connects

Round and round they go…plug-and-play marketing strategies that live and die on a 30-day cycle. Leaving consumers with an exhausted fish-in-a-barrel feeling and lacking the sustainable value people actually want – connection.

Congruent is a full-service creative agency rooted in Retail Auto. Packed with people who love working together, Congruent builds brands with smart data and powerful content so that your marketing can genuinely connect.

From Agency of Record to individual campaigns, check out what Congruent is spinning here.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Word-Ro-Nymns

GA4
Google Analytics 4
A new version of Google Analytics that enables users to measure traffic and engagement across websites and apps. It goes into effect July 1, 2023.

AUTOMOTIVE

Motor Morsels: Limbo, Shovels, Kentucky, and Falling

👍🤷‍♀️👎

Limbo two ways. Tesla says all its Model 3s are now eligible for full $7,500 tax credits. However, the IRS has not approved the claim, and no specific timeframe is public. If approved for reinstatement, the credit would take the total price of a Model 3 below $35K, which is about as low as any US EV option can go lately.

⛏️👨‍🏭🌍

Have shovel, will travel. VW is easing off its reliance on China for essential EV materials. The company is looking around South America, Canada, Indonesia, and Australia to secure materials, but ultimately hoping to create a self-sufficient European supply chain.

🚙👨‍🌾🔋

Going up the country. Baby, don't you wanna come? Toyota will build its upcoming three-row electric SUV in Kentucky using batteries built at its North Carolina plant. Some $2.1B will be invested to bring the plan to life by 2025.

📉🎾⁉️

Waiting for a bounce... XPeng has reported its ninth consecutive month of declined sales. Globally the company had a 26% drop in deliveries for May, majorly reflecting the heated competition between XPeng and Tesla in China, where XPeng makes the vast majority of its sales. The brand is hoping the upcoming release of its Ultra Smart Coupe SUV will reclaim some interest from Tesla Model Y.

TL; DR – Tesla waits for IRS approval, VW gets into digging, Toyota electrifies Kentucky, and XPeng’s sales are free-falling.

CULTURE

TV, Medicine, and Social Media

Cheers' iconic bar, where TV's Sam Malone charmed and complete with star carvings, auctioned for $675,000! It even survived storage with a deceased skunk. Cheers to sitcom history!

George Washington University researchers created a joystick-controlled, magnetically-guided capsule for stomach imaging. This 'NaviCam' offers 95% visualization success, which 80% of patients prefer over traditional endoscopy—future AI self-driving software in the works.

French Parliament passed a law to regulate social media influencers to curb the promotion of dangerous products. Violations could lead to jail time and heavy fines. In addition, the law includes requirements for offshore influencers and sets guidelines for product promotion.

Telling it like it is – We really hope the remote-control pill article we read is true. We would hate to go to prison in France before visiting the Cheers set in person.

Quick Hits

• The US considers requiring automatic braking systems in new cars. 🛑

• Saudis cut oil production again to boost prices. ✂️

• Study shows a dramatic reduction in post-surgery deaths for lung cancer patients who take Tagrisso medication.🩺

History

• 1925: Chrysler is founded 🚙

• 1933: The first Drive-In movie theater opens in Camden, New Jersey.🍿

• 1999: Napster, the peer-to-peer music-sharing service, is launched. 🤘