TOGETHER WITH:
Howdy, Fam!
Before we get into the day's headlines, you should know: On September 15th, we've got a pretty big announcement. So make sure you're staying tuned in for the next cool thing we're cooking up for our favorite folks. (That's you, obviously.)
That's all we're saying for now. Cryptic on purpose. You'll thank us later.
Also in today's email:
Dealers in Istanbul are asking AI the same "show me it actually works" question American dealers asked a year ago
Stellantis told a journalist it can't beat China, so it's joining instead
Jaguar Land Rover is cutting nearly 10% of its global workforce
GM and Ford's century-old rivalry has a new battlefield: defense and energy
Keep Pushing Back,
—Chris with Paul, Kyle & Kristi
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Dispatch from Istanbul: Global Dealers Are Asking AI the Same Question American Dealers Asked a Year Ago
"Show me it actually works." That's the pushback happening in dealer meeting rooms worldwide right now, and new research backs the skepticism up.
One of our own sat in on a major automotive gathering in Istanbul this week, where AI dominated the agenda and the audience, largely dealership owners and senior leaders, wasn't shy about pushing back on speakers who talked adoption without proof it moves the needle.
📊 The numbers behind the skepticism, from a survey of 27 dealership group executives:
47/100 — average AI maturity score across the group
63% — stuck between buying AI tools and actually using them
59% — can't name AI's financial impact from last quarter
63% — don't know what share of requests AI closes without a human
~50% — flying blind on both financial and operational impact at once
One voice in the room, friend of MTC Aleks, offered the counterpoint:
AI can scale the humans already on staff. He paired it with a real warning, information security staffing needs to grow right alongside adoption, not after.
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Stellantis Just Told a Journalist It Can't Beat China. It's Joining Instead.
Stellantis's Jeep joint venture in China went bankrupt. What replaced it: a quiet partnership with Chinese automaker Leapmotor, which will now build Opel, Dodge, and Fiat-badged vehicles for global export.
We have come to the conclusion that we cannot compete against the Chinese. Our best bet is to basically join the Chinese.
Lexus just made a similar bet, announcing Shanghai production for global export. If two very different automakers are both bending toward the same conclusion, "compete or join" may already be the real choice facing the whole industry.
Jaguar Land Rover Is Cutting Nearly 10% of Its Global Workforce
~4,000 jobs cut globally over the next two years
£1.7 billion in targeted savings
300,000 vehicles — the new break-even target
Comes one week after Volkswagen's 50,000-job cut announcement
JLR is still recovering from a 2025 cyberattack that halted production for weeks
GM and Ford's Century-Old Rivalry Has a New Battlefield: Defense and Energy
Both automakers lost billions on EV bets that didn't pan out. Now both are redirecting that leftover battery capacity elsewhere:
GM | Ford | |
|---|---|---|
New focus | Defense contracts | Energy storage (ESS) |
2026 outlook | ~$700M defense revenue | Kentucky plant converting to ESS by 2027 |
The logic | Idle capacity → new vertical | Idle capacity → grid/home storage |
🚘 Car Stuff
Audi revived the A2 nameplate as an all-electric entry-level model. 400+ miles of range, starting around $45,000, built in Germany, and not coming to the U.S.
Geely is building an 1,800kW ultra-fast charger, more than 5x faster than the fastest public chargers currently available in the UK or Australia, aimed at competing head-on with BYD's Flash Charging network.
Why does your "gray" car have a name like Gravity Gray? Automakers spend real time crafting paint names to build emotional connection, terrain-inspired names for rugged SUVs, sophistication-coded names for luxury, bold aggressive names for sports cars.
💰 Not Car Stuff
UnitedHealthcare is dropping prior authorization requirements for a wide range of conditions starting October 1, part of a push to eliminate the paperwork requirement for 30% of healthcare services by year's end.
Researchers turned giant cockroaches into remote-controlled first responders. The "Paraborg" project straps cameras and drug-injectors onto Australian burrowing roaches, aiming to deliver aid to disaster victims trapped in rubble rescuers can't reach.
LG smart TVs are reportedly recording audio and scanning home networks even when appeared off, according to a security investigation, feeding the data into LG's advertising arm. Recommendation from researchers: disconnect the TV from the internet entirely.
1504: Michelangelo's statue of David is unveiled in Florence, Italy. 🇮🇹
1930: American inventor Richard Gurley Drew creates Scotch tape. 📼
1971: The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts opens in Washington, D.C. 🎭
Thanks for reading, Friend!
usagif
