TOGETHER WITH :
Howdy Fam!
Welcome to Monday and our new email look and feel. Shout out to Paul, Hannah, and the creative team for bringing it to life!
While we still believe in pushing back against things that need a good pushin’, we are committed to this place and our daily content, giving you a full, useful, and concise look at the automotive state of the union, that is, the state of the industry we love and people we serve.
Enjoy the email, friend. And of course…
Keep Pushing Back,
- Chris with Paul, Kyle & Kristi
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Ford’s Uptime Assist: Faster Repairs or a New Layer in Fixed Ops?
Click for more with Paul and Steve Greenfield
Ford is stepping deeper into dealer service operations with a new initiative called Uptime Assist, aimed at increasing same-day repair completion across its franchised network.
The program monitors repair orders at participating dealerships. If an RO runs past two days, Ford can proactively reach out with technical help or parts support. Ford says about 70% of repairs already close within 48 hours, but overall repair cycle time across the network is still closer to five days. Participating stores have reportedly reduced repair time by 10% to 15%.
Why this is showing up now: vehicles are more software-dependent, and diagnostics, programming, and calibration can create real variability. Ford is trying to reduce that variability with dedicated hotlines that route dealers to specialists faster.
What it means for dealers: cycle time already drives profitability, so the real question is whether escalation support removes actual bottlenecks or just adds visibility to them. Either way, the customer-facing advantage stays the same: stores that set expectations clearly, explain delays in plain language, and proactively update customers will win trust.
Read more on Ford’s update and some helpful resources for communicating these changes clearly here.
“Super Easy and Super Fast”
How West Auto Sales is closing more profitable deals with Upstart Auto Finance
West Auto Sales wanted to better serve first-time and thin-file buyers while protecting speed-to-close. With Upstart Auto Finance, the team is getting fast credit decisions and competitive rates without sacrificing margin.
“If a customer is here in the store, it’s going to be an Upstart deal because it’s super easy and super fast,” says Jamin Van Sickle, Store Manager at West Auto Sales.
Early results: avg $3,500 PVR, Upstart is now a near-default first look (~95% of apps), and the store completed 80+ deals in the first two months.
Check out the full story here
Automakers Bring Humanoid Robots Into Factories
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Humanoid and autonomous robots are moving from “cool demo” to “plant tool.”
Toyota (TMMC) reportedly signed a Robots-as-a-Service deal with Agility Robotics to deploy Digit humanoids for logistics and manufacturing support after a year-long pilot, with rollout said to start early April in Woodstock.
Tesla is said to be planning a Fremont factory area conversion to support Optimus manufacturing and assembly, tied to recent production planning talk.
Hyundai announced a 9 trillion won South Korea plan that includes its first dedicated robot plant, plus an AI data center and hydrogen facilities.
Automakers are pushing robots into the unglamorous work first: moving parts, scanning inventory, and repetitive internal transport.
BYD Sales Drop in February as China EV Price War Intensifies
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Reuters reports BYD’s February global sales fell 41.1% year over year, its steepest drop since early 2020, marking a sixth straight month of decline. The story notes overseas shipments rose (100,600 in February), but China sales dropped sharply (89,590), following a January shake-up where Geely reportedly overtook BYD domestically. BYD and peers have leaned on low-interest financing, and BYD is expected to unveil major tech updates later in March.
International growth is helping, but the home market fight is getting brutal.
Honda Leads EPA Fuel Economy Rankings
Honda is having a strong efficiency moment.
The EPA’s latest Automotive Trends data shows Honda at a 31.0 mpg fleet average for the 2024 model year, well above the industry average among full-line automakers. Hybrid demand is doing a lot of the heavy lifting, and the brand continues to benefit from a reputation for lower ownership costs.
That story carries into the used market too. When buyers believe a vehicle will run cheap and run long, values tend to hold. Honda keeps earning that benefit.
Consumer Reports Flags Five Brands on Reliability
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A Consumer Reports list naming Jeep, Land Rover, GMC, Dodge, and Alfa Romeo as low-ranked is making the rounds. Dealers don’t have to agree with the ranking, but they do need to be ready for it, because shoppers will see it before they walk in.
A few things worth remembering:
These lists reflect aggregated model data, not every vehicle in a lineup
The scoring leans on predicted reliability plus CR’s testing criteria
The rankings only apply to brands with enough current models tested
Dealer move:
Meet it head-on with model-specific proof like warranty coverage, CPO programs, third-party awards, and real service retention outcomes.
Dealer Conferences and Industry Events
Tue, March 31: NY Auto Forum. We’ll be there taking in the vibes, making content, and moderating a session.
May 12-15: ASOTU CON 2026, Hanover, MD
Get ready for the Year of the Human
🤖 AI: OpenAI released a statement about its current relationship with the United States Department of War.
🛒 Retail: Restaurants are seeing a bit of growth as folks look to drown their anxiety in sweet treats.
💰 Economy: Oil prices jumped 10% following US strikes against Iran.
👽 Weird: A hotline in WA gave the option to speak to a Spanish representative, but instead sent callers to an AI with a “Spanish accent.”
1901 – United States Steel Corporation is founded as a result of a merger between Carnegie Steel Company and Federal Steel Company, which became the first corporation in the world with a market capitalization of over $1 billion.
1969 – First flight of the Concorde
1962 – Wilt Chamberlain sets the single-game scoring record in the National Basketball Association by scoring 100 points.
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