🚗 EV Slowdown, Lease Wars, and China Rising

TOGETHER WITH

Welcome to the day, Friend!

We’re so honored when dealers share their stories with us. The big, epic, historic ones, but also the little, personal, and easy-to-miss ones.

We love big charity events, we love promotions, we love in-store toy drives, and service lane birthday parties.

A lot of people move through the world unsure anybody saw them at all, but we know that in every dealership, people are being seen and welcomed.

What a joyful career we've been entrusted with!

Hit reply, tell us what’s got your team celebrating today.

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

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THE UNION

From the Automotive State of the Union

Fairhurst Legacy, AI Negotiators, and TikTok Drama

Good morning! On today’s show, Paul and Kyle cover three stories that hit right at the heart of auto retail and beyond:

• Fairhurst Trust builds new owners — The late Ellenae Fairhurst’s entrepreneurial trust is funding and mentoring first-time Black dealers. Their first project: helping Ken Banks and Chris Justice take over a Stellantis store in Virginia. A new ownership model built on legacy and opportunity.

• CarEdge launches “AI Negotiator” — For $40, consumers can hire an AI to haggle with dealers over email and text. Over 2,000 have already tried it. Is this the tip of the spear for one-price retail… or just more noise in the deal?

• TikTok ownership deal — The U.S. and China have a framework that could shift TikTok to American hands. Global politics meets social media—and yes, auto dealers are watching.

From The News w/ ASOTU

EV Slowdown, Lease Wars, and China Rising

Good morning, friends. Quick scan of today’s auto headlines shows a common theme: EV momentum is wobbling.

• Nissan has cut new Leaf production by more than half due to battery shortages. Don’t count on fresh Leaf volume for Q4.

• Stellantis killed its all-electric Ram 1500, pivoting instead to a gas-assisted “Ram 1500 REV.” Customers seem more ready for “electric when convenient” than “electric only.”

• Ford will slash 1,000 EV jobs in Germany after weaker-than-hoped demand for its Explorer and Capri crossovers.

• Lucid is in lease-war mode: the Air Pure now starts at $509/month, the lowest yet, ahead of tax credits expiring Sept. 30.

• Meanwhile, Chinese automakers stole the spotlight in Munich, outshining BMW and Mercedes on home turf.

TOGETHER WITH STRATEGICSOURCE

Keep More of the Money You Make

When costs are spread across as many as 130 categories, it's easy to lose track of what's actually dragging down your bottom line.

This webinar will show you exactly where the biggest savings are, what targets to aim for, and how to hit them without slowing anything down.

StrategicSource has helped dealers Keep More of the Money They Make for over 30 years. If you want to protect profit without wasting time, this is 30 minutes you can’t afford to skip.

Join us September 24th at 2:00pm EST—grab your seat today!

(Can’t fit us into your schedule? No problem! Register now and we’ll send the video after it premieres.)

EVERYTHING ELSE

Quick Hits

• 🛒 Retail: Retail sales beat expectations as Americans keep buying things they need. Who could have guessed?

• 🎥 Entertainment: Comedian Nate Bargatze hosted the Emmys and used the time to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club of America in an interesting way.

• 👽 Weird: Amazon is working on AR tech for everyday use.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

On September 27th, the team at Vehicles for Change is hosting the annual Custom Cars, Cocktails & Change Gala and you’re invited!

If you’re into great design, delicious drinks, solid company and doing something that actually matters, this is your night. All of it fuels a mission to help families gain independence through car ownership and mechanic training.

Time is running out—get your ticket today!

Today in History

• 1849: American abolitionist Harriet Tubman escapes from slavery. 🇺🇸 

• 2001: The New York Stock Exchange reopens for trading after the September 11 attacks, the longest closure since the Great Depression. 📈 

• 2013: Grand Theft Auto V earns more than half a billion dollars on its first day of release. 🕹️ 

It’s Wednesday. Halfway there, Friend!