🚗 Biggest Jump in Years

🚙 Google Reviews and the United Way

March 18, 2025

TOGETHER WITH

When we say troublemakers, we mean that in a good way. 🙌

Stirring up the industry and putting people first.

How are you making trouble today?

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

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AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

⌛ ASOTU CON 2025

Every day, ASOTU CON gets closer, and with it, the most innovative ideas in auto!

Conversations that will shape the days, weeks, and months of 2025 and beyond begin when we intentionally gather around what the auto industry really is. Not some outside perspective, not something that exists only in the data.

Humans who choose to serve humans professionally and personally.

The industry is great because people are committed to making it so!

Come meet those like-minded, like-hearted people at ASOTU CON.

Biggest Sales Jump, Tesla Toons, BYD in Germany, and Toyota To Supply Batteries for Honda’s Hybrids

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📊 Used-Car Market Sees Biggest Jump in Years

Retail used-vehicle sales surged 16% in February, marking the biggest month-over-month jump in recent years. Inventory is tightening, and tax refund season is in full swing—dealers should stay proactive on sourcing and pricing to keep up with demand.

Hear more on the shifting prices, affordability, and sales with Paul and Kyle:

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🚹 Tesla’s Autopilot Gets Fooled by a Cartoon Trick

A new test showed Tesla’s camera-only Autopilot crashing into a fake painted road, while a LiDAR-equipped vehicle detected and avoided the obstacle. The debate over Tesla’s reliance on cameras versus LiDAR is heating up once again.

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⚡ BYD’s 5-Minute Charge—and Big Move in Germany

BYD unveiled a 1,000-kilowatt charger that adds 249 miles of range in just five minutes—twice as fast as Tesla’s Superchargers. The company is also planning a third European factory, likely in Germany, bringing the EV battle straight to Volkswagen’s home turf.

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đŸ€ Toyota & Honda Join Forces on Hybrid Batteries

Toyota and Honda are partnering up—Toyota’s U.S. battery plant will supply Honda’s hybrids, helping both brands cut costs and avoid potential tariffs. With hybrid sales booming, this alliance could be a game-changer.

More

Check out more on these stories and several more in our news digest for today.

đŸ„Š Quick Hits

Widewail’s Review Rundown

Click to sign up now!

Our friend Jake Hughes at Widewail is ranking, exploring, and visualizing dealership and OEM Google review data each week, delivering quick, insightful takeaways in under two minutes.

Recently, he broke down the Asbury/Herb Chambers acquisition and found that positive mentions of communication show up 23% more often in Herb Chambers reviews than Asbury’s. Will Asbury take that feedback to heart and apply it nationwide? We’ll see next year.

Get these insights for free—subscribe today: widewail.com/rev.

Howard Bentley Buick GMC with United Way

Photo courtesy of Howard Bentley Buick GMC.

Car dealerships do more than sell cars—they build communities. Howard Bentley Buick GMC in Alabama just proved that in a big way.

Their team’s commitment to the United Way of Marshall County didn’t just make an impact—it made history. With a 60% increase in total contributions and an 86% boost in employee participation, they earned the Star Award for the most improved workforce campaign.

Dealer principal Taylor Bentley Conner put it best: “We are making a difference where we live and work. I couldn’t be more proud of our work family at Howard Bentley.”

From fundraising to hands-on volunteering, their dealership family is showing what happens when business meets purpose.

Now that’s More Than Cars. 🚗💙

🔁 Today in History

  • 1899: Phoebe, a satellite of Saturn, becomes the first to be discovered in photographs taken by William Henry Pickering. đŸȘ 

  • 1933: Studebaker goes bankrupt. 🏩 

  • 1968: The U.S. Congress repeals the requirement for a gold reserve to back U.S. currency. đŸ’” 

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