🚗 EV Service Grief?

PRESENTING

July 28th.

Last week, we listened to Pet Sounds, and ALMOST everybody (76.4% of responses) agreed: it’s a certified banger. (Sorry, Keith 😆 )

Personal Story:You know how Spotify does that yearly wrap-up? Well, when my daughter was 2 or 3, it told us we were in the top 1% of Beach Boys fans. Why? Because she played “Barbara Ann” roughly 40 times a day.

So yes, I love their music. But more than that, I love the way music becomes the soundtrack to our shared moments, like a little girl dancing in the living room to a 1965 surf-pop classic on loop.

Let’s make some more moments this week with Joni Mitchell’s #3 ranked album, “Blue.”

An album that is, all at once, impossible to sing along to… and utterly irresistible to try.

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

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THE UNION

From the Automotive State of the Union

EV Service Frustrations Rise
With EV sales hitting a record 607K in the first half of 2025, the service lane is starting to buckle. CDK’s EV Ownership Study shows declining same-day service, more repeat visits, and growing owner dissatisfaction, especially outside Tesla. Kyle shares his own Ford Lightning horror story, and the guys ask: Are service departments really ready for the EV wave?

Also:

• Honda launches its own licensed insurance agency, offering multi-channel quotes from top carriers. Full ecosystem integration is the endgame.

• Meet Sparky, Walmart’s AI-powered search replacement. It’s multimodal, agent-driven, and aims to make search bars obsolete. Retail just changed—again.

From The News w/ ASOTU

VW Takes a $1.5B Hit from Tariffs
Volkswagen’s Q2 profits dropped 29%, with $1.5B in costs tied to U.S. tariffs and restructuring. North American sales fell 16%, and operating margin forecasts are down. For dealers, this means more pricing pressure—and fewer easy answers.

BYD Builds EVs in Pakistan
The world’s top EV maker is setting up a 25,000-unit plant near Karachi. The Shark 6 plug-in pickup launches Friday, and early demand is strong. Global EV growth is going local—and it’s not just a U.S.-China game anymore.

Also in today’s headlines:

• APEAL scores are up, but tech setup still frustrates buyers.

• July retail sales spike, but much of it is pulled-forward demand.

• Consumer sentiment inches up, though confidence remains soft.

🥊 Quick Hits

• U.S. business activity rises; tariffs fuel inflation concerns. 🏭️ 

• Apple just dropped public betas for iOS 26 and more, debuting its new translucent design language called “Liquid Glass.” 🪟 

• Reports say the new Happy Gilmore 2 movie is “terrible and fans will love it.” ⛳️ 

PRESENTING MORE THAN CARS

The Show That Reveals Everything

More Than Cars is our docu-series about real dealerships, real people, and the real heart of this industry. It’s about the people who make it all work, the communities they serve, and the culture they build.

Season 2 is in the works.

Learn how your dealership can participate here.

SOMETHING ELSE

Goodbye SEO? Hello GEO.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is emerging fast as the next evolution of search. With 72% of consumers now using tools like ChatGPT for product recommendations—and AI-driven site traffic up over 3,000% YoY during Prime Day—your next customer might not be Googling at all.

For U.S. dealers, that means rethinking how your inventory, pricing, reviews, and even service pages are written. GEO favors natural language, clear product intent (not just keywords), and content that shows up across platforms, including Reddit.

Why it matters: As LLMs become shopping guides, your reputation, content structure, and language could determine visibility and trust.

We had some pros talk about the SEO to GEO shift at ASOTU CON 2025 and luckily, we recorded it all.

Watch the session here.

Read our session breakdown on LinkedIn.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Elizabeth Shults from RML Automotive breaks down what happens when factory rules ignore dealer reality in this ASOTU CON Session.

If you've ever wasted hours fixing duplicate GMB listings or chasing unclear directives from you OEM, this one's going to hit home.

Listen to the episode here.

🔁 Today in History

• 1854: The last all-sail warship built by the U.S. Navy and now a museum ship in Baltimore Harbor, the USS Constellation is commissioned. ⛵️ 

• 1868: The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution is certified, establishing African American citizenship and guaranteeing due process of law. 🇺🇸 

• 1939: The Sutton Hoo helmet is discovered. 🪖 

Ever wish the weekend were longer? Too bad! It’s Monday, Friend.