🚗 CA Gas Ban Repealed?

TOGETHER WITH

Happy Monday, Friend!

There is a sense of anticipation in the air. The winds of change are a'blowin. But maybe this time, it's more than a feeling, and we can start to make real plans for the future we can actually see?

Then again, maybe not.

• The White House has just repealed California's 2035 ban on gas cars. But, as you'd expect in a country of voted, elections, and laws, California wasted no time rallying an 11-state response to the repeal.

• Summer thaws the coldest hearts. And it looks like it's having a (mostly) predictable effect on the used and new markets.

• Also, we wrote about this whole "China has all the magnets" thing happening. Turns out, India has a bunch too, and they're getting ready to start digging.

There are several other things in today's digest, so check it out and let us know what you see coming next.

Be well!

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

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THE NEWS

Bans Repealed, EVs Devalued, and Rare Earths Get Political

CA Ban Repeal Challenged

The California gas-car ban is out. President Trump tossed the 2035 mandate into the recycling bin and replaced it with a promise of “consumer freedom.” Dealers cheered. Automakers sighed in relief. Eleven states sued.

And the industry? It’s caught between “finally, some clarity” and “oh great, another court battle.” Trump also hinted at raising auto tariffs. Again. Because nothing says “economic stability” like turning the dial to 11 right before a negotiation deadline.

More w/ the Automotive State of the Union.

Industry Data: New, Used, EVs

Meanwhile, used car prices are climbing—except for EVs, which continue their sad trombone slide. Teslas in particular are losing value faster than a depreciating crypto coin, with some down over 16% year-over-year. Hybrids and SUVs are gaining ground, proving that range anxiety and $15K battery replacements are still dealbreakers for many.

On the new car side, prices are up (again), inventory is down (again), and the 2026 models? They’re ghosting the lot. Turns out, model year turnover is now a tariff timing game, not a design cycle.

Rare Earth Metal: India Enters the Fray

And finally, in the realm of “rare but suddenly very relevant,” India is trying to step up as the world’s Plan B for rare earths. They’ve got the beach sand and the ambition, but China’s still holding the real cards—and the processing plants. If India can modernize fast enough, it might ease the West’s material migraines. But don’t expect overnight miracles. This isn’t DoorDash, it’s geopolitics.

➕ More

We’ve got more on these and several other stories in our Daily Digest.

🥊 Quick Hits

• Wikipedia pauses AI summaries after editor revolt. 😠 

• LinkedIn says consumers are relaxing about tariffs. 🛒 

• A teen returned a wallet with $300 bucks in it, and was rewarded with an e-bike for his good deed. 🚲️ 

TOGETHER WITH AFFINITIV

Old School Scheduling Is Killing Your Service Lane

If your idea of online scheduling is a basic form that sends an email to someone’s inbox, you’re doing it wrong.

Affinitiv Book gives you real-time scheduling with real-time results:

• Customers see accurate availability right now

• Shop flow stays balanced and profitable

• Upsells from personalized service recommendations

Stop wasting time on a broken scheduler. Let’s bury the clipboard once and for all.

👉 See how Book brings scheduling into the present.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Start Selling the Way Buyers Want to Buy, Not How You Want to Sell

If today’s car buyer is on a journey, it’s definitely not a straight line.

At ASOTU CON, we asked some dealership pros to help us unpack what it means to sell the way buyers want to buy. Shout out to Jade Terreberry, Noah Lee, Ryan Rohrman, and Jeremy Nowling for the real talk.

We pulled three big takeaways from the convo:

✔️ Clicks don’t equal connection
✔️ You can’t sell what you can’t see
✔️ Your forms might be the problem

Watch the full video above, or read the full write-up on LinkedIn.

🔁 Today in History

• 1858: Abraham Lincoln delivers his House Divided speech in Springfield, Illinois. 🎙️

• 1903: The Ford Motor Company is incorporated. 🚘

• 1911: IBM founded as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company in Endicott, New York. 🖥️

Thanks for reading…