🚗 EV Credits on the Clock, Hybrids in the Lead

TOGETHER WITH

Wednesday, July 2nd.

Welcome to your day!

Today, you’re going to encounter two kinds of people: transactions and relationships.

You get a pretty big say in which is which and who is who.

Serve somebody well today, Friend.

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

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THE UNION

Fast-Tracks, Deepfakes, and The Q2 Data Rollout Begins

From the Pod:

• Congress is fast-tracking the end of federal EV tax credits—new and used—by September 30, 2025.

• Global automakers are paying up to 30% more to escape reliance on Chinese magnet materials.

• And small businesses are fighting a rising wave of AI scams—deepfakes, fake stores, and brand impersonation—with real financial loss.

From the Digest:

Ford led a strong Q2 with a 14.2% sales jump

The real mover was hybrids, not EVs. GM, Kia, and Hyundai also posted gains. Dealers leaning into the “middle lane” of electrification are outpacing those still caught in the gas-vs-EV binary.

Meanwhile, Jaguar’s rebrand has turned into a freefall.

Just 49 cars were sold in Europe in April. When a brand forgets why customers loved it, reinvention becomes erasure.

In China, four major dealer groups are publicly pleading with OEMs

Chinese dealers are asking to stop the inventory dumps and below-cost pricing. It’s a regional crisis with global echoes—especially for any U.S. store feeling the pressure to “take more units.”

Renault and Nissan made their split official.

Renault booked an $11B hit. For dealers connected to either brand, this is less about history and more about preparing for strategic reshuffling.

And one viral Reddit post…

…exposed the downstream effects of bad financing: a jobless teen handed a $900/month burden on a used Subaru. It’s a reminder—financial education is no longer optional. It’s part of the value proposition.

After the dust settles, somebody’s gonna be the “villain” in this story.

➕ More

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

🥊 Quick Hits

• Minimum wage increases hit 880K workers in the US today. 🤑 

• Tests show a new brain implant helps immobilized people turn thoughts to words with expression and even sing. 🧠 

• Half a million Spotify users are listening to the AI-generated music of the AI-generated band, The Velvet Sundown, which HAS to be an AI-generated name too. 🤖 

TOGETHER WITH UBER FOR BUSINESS

Customer Transport Costs Down, Repair Volume Up

According to industry data, transportation services now rank as the third-highest expense on dealership P&L statements. Yikes!

In the upcoming ASOTU Edge webinar, we talk with Stephen Chapman (Manager at Automotive Verticle) to learn how smart transportation solutions like Uber for Business can help optimize these expenses and eliminate bottlenecks.

Ready to rethink your service capacity with intelligent transportation management? Register today to learn how!

CULTURE

A Latte Lesson in Disruption

So here comes Luckin Coffee—China’s answer to Starbucks, but faster, cheaper, and unapologetically Gen Z. They just opened two U.S. stores in New York. Drinks under four bucks. Flavors with names that sound like a social media filter. And no one behind the counter is spelling your name wrong.

Let’s be real: it’s not about coffee. It’s about relevance.

Starbucks had a 50-year head start. Luckin beat them in China in five. Now they’re here, and they’re not trying to be better. They’re trying to be next.

If you’re running a store, this should sound familiar. Legacy brand. Challenging with speed and style. Customers are shifting faster than old playbooks can handle.

We talk a lot about being “customer-first,” but Luckin is moving like a brand that started with today’s customer, not one trying to win them back.

So what’s the move?

• Don’t assume brand equity protects you.

• Don’t wait for your competition to look serious.

• And don’t forget that speed, clarity, and cultural fluency still close deals.

We’re not in the coffee business. But we’re absolutely in the attention business.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Auto Collabs

The Auto Collabs crew sits down with Jade Terreberry—formerly of commercial real estate lending and dealership operations, now leading analytics and insights at Cox Automotive.

With her roots planted firmly in the car world (thanks to a dad who spent 40 years winning national Honda sales contests), Jade shares how her love for data and love for people collided to shape her journey back into automotive. She’s a natural mixer of entrepreneurial instinct and analytic rigor.

🔁 Today in History

• 1962 – The first Walmart store, then known as Wal-Mart, opens for business in Rogers, Arkansas. 🛒 

• 1992 – The one millionth Corvette is built 🧑‍🏭 

• 2002 – Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly solo around the world nonstop in a balloon. 🎈 

Until tomorrow…