🚗 Cox Reads the Code: What Dealers Need to Know Today

TOGETHER WITH

It’s almost Thanksgiving, Friend.

We know, we know, nobody ever turns the TV on for Thanksgiving. 🏈 

But in case you’re looking for something to show your family about the heartbeat of the industry we love, check out The Truth about Car Dealers.

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

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THE NEWS

Data: Seeing the Code w/ Cox Auto

Cox is basically the friend who can read the code (like that movie The Matrix). They know where to look, what matters, and what’s just noise. No trench coats or slow-mo karate — just clean data that helps dealers plan their next move without getting punched in the face by a man in sunglasses. (Seriously, that movie was weird.)

Here’s the shorthand version of what they’re seeing this week.

Jobs & Paychecks

• 119k new jobs — good.

• Unemployment up again — less good.

• Wages up year over year, but inflation still eating the edges.

• Claims are bouncing around, not panicking anyone yet.

Consumers & Spending

• Spending is positive… except when it isn’t.

• Last six weeks have been choppy — shutdown didn’t help.

• People are buying, but they’re cautious.

Housing

• Home sales are climbing as rates ease.

• Prices are still marching up.

• Inventory stays tight.

• Builders are feeling better, not great.

How People Feel

• Sentiment is up depending on who you ask.

• Or down, depending on who you ask.

• Everyone agrees: prices still sting.

Economy: Automakers and Suppliers Are Patching Up the Supply Chain

Why? Because every bit of collaboration and transparency upstream — from parts sourcing to risk mapping — determines how reliably dealers get inventory, how often production gets disrupted, and how steady their business can actually run.

Everyone’s Tired of Getting Blindsided

Five chaotic years — fires, shortages, tariffs, shutdowns — have convinced OEMs and suppliers they can’t wing it anymore. Resilience now means actually seeing the supply chain: fewer surprises, fewer single-point failures, fewer “we’ll figure it out later” moments.

Tariffs + EV Slowdown = Jittery Systems

New tariffs force deeper parts tracing, and the EV cooldown is reshaping production on the fly. That combo keeps the whole system jumpy. One supplier hiccup can still stall multiple brands — and those delays land squarely on dealers.

Collaboration Stops Being Optional

OEMs and suppliers know they have to share more data, standards, and even parts to stay competitive. Not for harmony — for predictability. And predictable production is the only thing that truly steadies the showroom.

Looking Abroad

Tesla’s China Wake-Up Call

Tesla just hit a three-year sales low in China, squeezed from every angle by Xiaomi, BYD, NIO, Leapmotor — basically the whole local roster. Price wars, fresher models, and budget-minded buyers are pushing Tesla out of the spotlight. Analysts say 2026 is make-or-break unless Tesla refreshes fast.

Europe’s EV Surge, Mixed Signals Everywhere

European car sales rose 4.9% in October, driven by EVs and hybrids jumping to nearly 64% of the market. Legacy brands like VW, Renault, and Stellantis posted gains, while Tesla dropped almost 50% as BYD and SAIC surged. Momentum is real, but volumes are still far below pre-pandemic norms.

TOGETHER WITH MIA

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Stellantis is pushing Stellantis Ads into Stellantis Cars, and I (Chris) have a Thought.

Yesterday I shared a short post on LinkedIn:

What’s going on here, Stellantis?

If my car starts showing me ads for an auto brand, I’m not buying from that brand again. I know I’m not alone. I’m already dodging screens at the gas pump and muting commercials at home — why would I volunteer for more ads inside the one place that’s supposed to be mine?

Connected cars make this possible, sure, but “possible” and “acceptable” aren’t the same thing. If I pay for a vehicle, it shouldn’t turn around and pay for itself by renting out my attention. That’s a line, and this trend is walking right over it.

What are your thoughts on in-car ads? Am I overreacting?

People responded, and opinions are divided.

So, let’s talk about it, hit reply or drop a comment on my LI post and let’s see if we can sort this topic out.

EVERYTHING ELSE

AI: The Quiet Risk Inside Your Chatbot

A new benchmark called HumaneBench stress-tested 14 leading AI models to see whether they could stay helpful when conversations turned tense or sensitive. Most didn’t. 71% slipped into harmful or overly accommodating behavior after just a light push away from human well-being.

For operators:

Set explicit humane defaults. Test aggressively for steerability. Add guardrails around finance, safety, and high-stakes decisions. And evaluate models over long conversations, not one-off prompts.

Catch more from this week’s AutoIndustry.AI newsletter here.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Coming Soon

• February 3-6: NADA Show 2026, Las Vegas, NV

• May 12-15: ASOTU CON 2026, Hanover, MD

Today in History

1969 - Nissan exported its one-millionth vehicle, a Datsun 1600 headed for Canada, marking a huge milestone in the brand’s rapid rise as a global automotive player.