- ASOTU Daily Pushback
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- 🚗 Dino DNA?
🚗 Dino DNA?
🚙 A Week of Emails, Podcasts, and Content
TOGETHER WITH
Happy Saturday, Friend!
We had a good week back after ASOTU CON and can’t wait to reveal some of the content we captured in Hanover.
As of today, we have no tickets to sell you for 2026, but we’d like to invite you in this low-pressure moment to subscribe to our YouTube channel, follow our LinkedIn, and pass this email along to a friend.
The videos, articles, and posts coming out of the event are useful today and will help you make a decision about next year way before tickets go on sale.
Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris, and Kristi
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Reading time: 4 mins
ICYMI
Emails, Podcasts, and The People
The Daily Pushback Email
On Monday:
Vermont delays its gas car ban, admitting EV demand isn’t there yet. Used car sales dipped, Polestar's earnings surged, and "Made in the USA" isn’t as simple as it sounds. Plus, dealers are tripling appointments using personalized video. Codify your vibes, build trust, and convert those leads on camera.
Then on Tuesday:
ASOTU CON fades into memory, but the news keeps rolling. California dealers push back on Afeela. Used prices dip. China guards its rare earths. GM opposes EV-only mandates. Meanwhile, AI tools like Mia and Upstart are winning dealerships more leads and deals—faster. Retail auto's future? Smarter, sharper, more human.
On Wednesday:
GM halts China exports due to economic jitters. Subaru raises prices but dodges tariff blame. The Senate aims to block California’s gas car ban. Meanwhile, F&I profits near $1,900 per unit, and Walser’s NextGen internship empowers diverse students. Big policy moves meet grassroots innovation—both shaping the future of retail.
On Thursday:
Toyota’s next-gen RAV4 goes all-hybrid with real-time AI software. Stellantis invests $388M in local parts to soften tariff blows. Honda scales back EV spend, and Volvo puts Google’s Gemini AI in dashboards. CarMax and Carvana dominate trade-ins by earning attention early—time for dealerships to rethink brand trust strategies.
And on Friday:
Porsche stumbles in China and axes gas models. EV sales drop, but used EVs under $25K are flying. BYD outsells Tesla in Europe. Waymo’s robotaxis beat Tesla to market. Plus: A techie’s EV selling tips, a $70K dealer donation, and a call to fuel AI with better data.
The Clock is Ticking
Tenor
With growing momentum in Congress to eliminate EV incentives and the solar panel Investment Tax Credit, these potential policy changes make this the perfect moment for EV owners to invest in home charging infrastructure—especially when it’s paired with solar.
Renew Energy offers unbeatable savings on energy costs by combining EV home charging with solar power and the current federal tax credit. Not only does this solution deliver the lowest cost per kilowatt-hour through local utility rates, but it also empowers customers to save thousands of dollars annually—while making a sustainable impact.
For dealerships, there’s even more to gain. Renew Energy’s new referral program offers $500 for every EV charger referral, turning your customer relationships into a reliable revenue stream.
Don’t let your customers miss out—partner with Renew Energy and start driving savings, sustainability, and dealership success today.
PODCASTS
Auto Collabs: Find the Pony with Carol Marshall
Carol Marshall unpacks how culture, trust, and hospitality can supercharge your dealership.
In this episode, Paul, Kyle, and Michael sit down once again with the ever-insightful Carol Marshall, COO of ActivEngage, to talk about the power of intentional hiring and world-class hospitality. Carol shares the secret sauce behind her company’s team-building approach—spoiler alert: it involves “hiring for attitude,” a heat-packed conference room, and a pair of brown shorts. Drawing inspiration from industry classics like Be Amazing or Go Home and The Speed of Trust, she dives deep into how great workplace culture and thoughtful recruiting aren’t just HR buzzwords—they’re how you build a business with staying power.
ASOTU On The Street: The Philosopher of Used Car Buying
“When you’re young, your persona is your ride. When you’re old, it’s your transportation.” 👏
Craig (72 years young) gave us a masterclass in used car buying.
From Craigslist to Carfax, under 100K miles to “whatever I feel I need at the time,” this convo covers it all.
Big thank you to CARFAX for making this man-on-the-street interview possible.
AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE
AI is Only as Good as its Fuel
Most folks are still making big decisions with data that’s three months old. 🙈
In our upcoming 30-minute webinar with StoneEagle, we’ll talk about how real-time data is helping dealers, lenders, and F&I providers spot missed sales, plan better, and offer products people actually want.
We’ll also dig into why quality data—not just the quantity—is the real secret to powering AI platforms with the “high-octane fuel” they need to drive smarter systems, personalized experiences, and improve results across the board.
If you want clearer answers and fewer missed chances, this one’s worth your time.
SOMETHING FUN
Jurassic World Rebirth
After seeing the trailer, I (Chris) decided to do some “research.” (I asked GPT if we’re any closer to cloning dinosaurs in 2025 than we were in 1990)
So…
Can We Clone Dinosaurs Yet?
Short answer: Nope.
Longer answer: Not unless you count chickens.
🦖 In Jurassic Park, scientists extract dino DNA from mosquitoes fossilized in amber and fill the gaps with frog genes. Cool idea—terrible science. DNA breaks down over time, and 65 million years is way past the expiration date. The oldest confirmed DNA we've found is only about 2 million years old (sorry, T. rex).
🐸 Also, no one’s ever actually found dino DNA in an amber-locked mosquito. And frog genes? Slapping those into dino code would be like repairing a Tesla with lawnmower parts.
🐘 So, where are we in 2025? Closer to bringing back woolly mammoths than Velociraptors. Scientists are tinkering with gene editing to create “cold-resistant elephants,” but even that’s a maybe. Dinosaurs? Still extinct.
🧬 The real legacy of Jurassic Park? It inspired a generation of geneticists—and reminded us that just because we could doesn’t mean we should.
🐔 Until then, if you want to see a dinosaur, check your Chick-fil-A sandwich. Or your backyard rooster.
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