🚗 Ford and VW Follow GM

TOGETHER WITH

Hiring managers make people into co-workers, but leaders make them into a team.

Time and time again, we talk with dealers who echo the fact that a culture of care serves the bottom line better than a culture of serving the margins does.

So, show somebody you care today, and watch how they carry it into their week.

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

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THE UNION

From the Automotive State of the Union

Friday, Paul and Kyle talked about an AutoNews report on the best dealerships to work for, a rough moment for car payments, and Ferrari taking a swing at branded EV noise. 🎸 

Check it out and subscribe to the audio version of The Automotive State of the Union podcast on Apple or Spotify!

Also in the Headlines

EV Lease Whiplash

Ford, GM, and now Volkswagen all hit the brakes on lease incentives tied to the expired $7,500 EV tax credit. After political pressure and IRS scrutiny, Ford and GM pulled programs that would’ve passed savings to customers, while VW wiped out as much as $12K overnight. Rivals like Subaru and Jeep are still sweetening the pot. The result? EV shoppers are suddenly paying luxury prices for what used to be middle-market cars.

Used Market Moves Faster

Carvana’s same-day delivery just hit its 20th state — Utah — tightening the “speed gap” between e-commerce and local dealers. Same-day isn’t just convenience; it’s customer expectation training. Every mile Carvana shortens adds pressure on dealers to meet digital buyers on time, not just online.

The Battery Belt Tightens

Across the South, EV factory dreams are idling. With credits gone and demand cooling, projects once promised as job engines are slowing. Communities that bet on batteries are hoping hybrids can keep the lights on.

Tesla’s Red-Light Moment

The NHTSA is probing nearly 3 million Teslas after 44 incidents linked to its “Full Self-Driving” software. The name promised autonomy — the data says supervision still matters.

TOGETHER WITH URBAN SCIENCE

Maximize Your Defection Data Knowledge

You have the keys to the car. Now it’s time to turn the ignition and fire it up.

Urban Science®️ presents SalesAlert™️ training courses and a free workshop at MRC to give your team the tools to drive performance and profitability.

SalesAlert™️ courses start Oct. 15, covering both the basic details of the system as well as a deeper dive into real-world strategies and case studies.

The MRC workshop on Sunday, November 16 provides insight into mastering defection data to provide the best competitive advantage. Click here to register.

Learn how to close more deals and maximize your impact today.

EVERYTHING ELSE

Quick Hits

• 🤖 AI: Two things: 1. GPT will soon stop saving your deleted chats. 2. GPT has been saving your deleted chats!?

• 🛒 Marketing: Times are tense. Maybe wholesome vibes are what you’re brand is missing?

• 👽 Weird: A woman was hospitalized for eating 8 live frogs in an attempt to stop her back pain. Apparently 7 is the limit.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Make It Meaningful: The Economic Story

The market’s still running—but you can hear it knocking.

Record $1,000+ payments, shrinking down payments, and a surge in late loans tell a story that isn’t a collapse, just compression. People aren’t broke; they’re stretched thin and still signing the paperwork.

Sales are strong, confidence is low, and service bays are full of both cars and questions.

We dug through the data, found the story, and gave it some lungs.

Read the full report here.

Today in History

• 1903: The Boston Red Sox win the first modern World Series, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates in the eighth game. ⚾️ 

• 1957: Designed to promote Ford’s new Edsel line, The Edsel Show premieres on CBS. 🚀 

• 1993: The 1,000,000th Toyota Camry is produced. 🥳 

It is Monday. Where do you want to be by Friday?