TOGETHER WITH
Thanks for joining us yesterday for the premiere of More Than Cars Episode 4: Mohawk Chevrolet!
Check out the replay and keep it handy.
Feel free to use it if/when the Thanksgiving table starts talking about politics. Nothing brings folks together like eating too much and looking at the TV together!
Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi
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Today's Email
🚀 Electric Shake-Ups & Sticker Shock
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We’re standing in a big swirl of new tech, green pledges, and surprising trends.
Rivian and VW are tying the knot with a $5.8 billion venture aiming to bring fresh EVs by 2027, while Honda’s Prologue quietly edges into Tesla territory with a loyal fan base.
Ford, on the other hand, is easing off its EV pedal as demand cools.
Price tags? Steady on the upswing—don’t expect budget cars back soon.
Meanwhile, Japanese car enthusiasts are going full “American” with carefully curated car trash, and Stellantis is going green-diesel for fleets.
Global drivers seem on board with EVs, but many still expect practical basics like solid charging options.
Read the full digest at Daily.ASOTU.com.
5 Key Strategies to Elevate Your Digital Impact
Like it or not, 2025 is just around the corner. Your competitors are already gearing up for success and planning their online strategies. Are you?
Join our webinar on November 20th at 2:00pm EST where CarCutter shares five techniques to help dealerships improve their digital merchandising.
From better imagery to stronger branding, this webinar will teach you everything you need to dominate the online sphere and drive more, high-intent buyers into your showroom.
Webinar: The Smart 5 for 2025
Time & Date: Wednesday, November 20th @ 2:00pm EDT
Presented By: Brian Free, formerly of AutoNation and Daniel Able, CarCutter
🛒 Ease of Purchase Takes a Hit in October
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According to a recent CDK Global study, shoppers struggled a bit more in October with finding the right car as inventory disruptions—from stop sales, model turnovers, and natural disasters—took a toll on the Ease of Purchase.
EOP Loses Gains — 87% of buyers reported an easy car-buying experience, down from September’s 89% and August’s record 93%. However, it’s still an improvement over the 85% reported in October of last year.
Inventory Strains — Only 49% of shoppers could buy their preferred vehicle on the lot, down from 54% in September, with the test-drive ease rate also slipping to 78%—a rare dip below 80%.
Paperwork Pains — Complaints about "too many things to choose from" and excessive paperwork led to a slight drop in ease for form completion, falling to 70% in October from 72% in September.
CDK Global
Longer Wait Times — The time it took to finalize purchases increased for 32% of buyers, up from 25% in September (although still an improvement from last October’s 35%). Just 15% experienced a quicker purchase process, a significant drop from last month’s 25%.
Higher Orders and Transit Sales — More shoppers are opting for vehicles in transit (25%, up from 24%) or factory orders (19%, up from 15%). Still, 76% rated the process easy, showing that demand for customized options is steady even with delays.
CDK Global
Ready to make every sale smoother? Find out how with these quick adjustments.
AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE
🗓️ Coming Soon
⚜️ January 23-26th, 2025 — NADA Show in New Orleans.
🦀 May 13-16th, 2025 — ASOTU CON in Baltimore, Maryland.
🥊 Quick Hits
Amazon is pulling the plug on its free ad-supported streaming service, Freevee. 🪦
After a filed merger with Frontier, rumors are swirling that Spirit Airlines is preparing to file for bankruptcy. 🛬
Spotify projects its first-ever profitable year since launching nearly two decades ago. 🎵
🔁 Today in History: Marking Many Firsts
1832: The first streetcar (horse-drawn) debuts in NYC. 🐴
1914: The first Dodge car leaves the factory. 🥇
1996: GM releases the EV1, their first electric vehicle. ⚡️
Thanks for reading, friend! With two weeks until Thanksgiving, tell us…
