🚗 GM’s Autonomy Reset

TOGETHER WITH

We’re talking a lot about automation today.

GM is dusting off lessons from its Cruise days, AI tools are quietly embedding themselves across dealership workflows, and regulators are still deciding what brands are allowed to promise when it comes to self-driving tech.

What ties it all together is trust, and where that trust actually gets handed off.

That can never be truly automated.

Keep Pushing Back
-Chris with Paul, Kyle & Kristi

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TOGETHER WITH TRADEPENDING

The Power Stack by TradePending

Car shoppers really only have two big questions:
“What’s my car worth?”
“Can I afford this thing?”

Now imagine answering both right on your website—side by side, no redirects, no friction, no “we’ll call you later” forms.

That’s what TradePending calls the Power Stack.

⚡ Trade builds trust and intent.
⚡ Payments anchors the deal to their budget.
⚡ Together, they keep shoppers engaged longer, moving faster, and converting at higher rates.

More leads. Less bounce. Actual opportunities instead of tire-kickers.

All without ever sending people off your site.
Crazy idea, right?

See it here.

THE NEWS

GM’s Autonomy Reset Puts Trust Back In Dealers’ Hands

About a year after GM axed its Cruise robotaxi program, it has announced a new autonomy push with a clear change in focus: personally owned vehicles, not robotaxis.

GM has deployed a new test fleet of Cadillac Escalade IQs and GMC Yukons to develop a Level 3 eyes-off driver-assistance system targeted for 2028. The work combines Cruise’s software and simulation experience with GM’s manufacturing, safety, and durability discipline, with plans to scale across multiple brands over time.

Why GM’s Autonomy Strategy Matters For Dealership Sales And Service Teams

An eyes-off system will not be judged by a demo video. It will be judged in the showroom, at delivery, and months later in the service lane. Customers will ask where it works, when it disengages, how it is maintained, and what ownership looks like long term.

That is where trust is earned.

GM Is Backing Its Autonomy Strategy With Manufacturing And Workforce Investment

The company continues investing heavily in skilled trades training and in-vehicle software experiences designed for everyday ownership. Those decisions matter because autonomy lives inside real vehicles, operated by real people, in imperfect conditions.

GM can engineer the technology. Dealers will translate it into confidence, responsibility, and long-term relationships.

Automation Is Already Inside Dealerships, Whether It Has A Name Or Not

Automation isn’t new to retail auto. Dealers are already using AI in pricing tools, chat, call handling, inventory merchandising, marketing automation, and fixed ops scheduling.

What’s new is the lack of shared understanding.

Gallup data shows 45% of U.S. employees use AI at work, yet nearly a quarter don’t know if their company uses it at all. In dealerships, that usually means tools are active, but guidance is fragmented across sales, service, BDC, and marketing.

The Dealer AI Opportunity Right Now Is Operational Alignment

We broke down what this data means for frontline teams, managers, and operators, and where clarity matters most, in the full piece here.

CA Gives Tesla 90 Days To Fix Autopilot Marketing

California’s DMV adopted an administrative law judge’s finding that Tesla’s Autopilot marketing misled consumers by implying the vehicles could drive themselves. The agency proposed a 30-day suspension of Tesla’s dealer and manufacturing licenses, but immediately stayed the order and gave Tesla time to remedy the issue.

What Tesla Has To Do Next And When

The DMV stayed Tesla’s sales license suspension for 90 days (and stayed the manufacturing license suspension indefinitely). To avoid the suspension, Tesla must either stop using the “Autopilot” name or confirm its cars can operate without active human monitoring. Tesla can also appeal or seek court review by February 14th.

Why This Still Matters To Dealers

Tesla may not have franchised dealers, but its marketing sets expectations for the entire category.

Shoppers don’t compartmentalize autonomy by brand. They walk into stores carrying assumptions shaped by headlines, naming conventions, and viral clips. When reality does not match those assumptions, the trust gap lands at the retail counter, not the OEM press office.

That makes clarity a competitive advantage. Dealers who explain ADAS capabilities accurately set better expectations for ownership, from calibration and software updates to glass replacement, tire wear, and post-repair validation. That understanding carries straight into fixed ops, where fewer surprises mean better conversations and smoother service outcomes.

Autonomy still lives or dies at the handoff even when the headline belongs to someone else.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Dealer Conferences and Industry Events (2026)

• February 3-6: NADA Show 2026, Las Vegas, NV

• May 12-15: ASOTU CON 2026, Hanover, MD

Trends Dealers Should Know

• Global EV Policy Is Getting More Flexible: European regulators are easing their 2035 ban on combustion engines, allowing room for plug-in hybrids and alternative fuels. The shift reflects infrastructure and affordability challenges and signals a slower, more mixed powertrain transition globally.

• Affordable Volume Is Shrinking: Ford's ending the Escape removes a key entry-level vehicle that many dealers relied on to attract first-time buyers. While OEMs point to alternatives, dealers worry that those customers may leave the brand altogether, raising long-term loyalty concerns.

• Direct Sales Pressure Is Growing: Scout Motors’ approval to sell direct in Colorado shows how quickly franchise protections can weaken at the state level. Expect more challenges as EV-backed brands test where direct-to-consumer models can gain ground.

Today in History: December 18

1898 – Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat sets the first officially recognized land speed record of 63.159 km/h (39.245 mph) in a Jeantaud electric car.

Check out the full history of land speed recording setting here.

Truly a pleasure to work on these emails, Friend. It touches on something a simple Google search can’t: Story. People are storytellers, and often enjoy learning most in narrative form. So, thanks for listening to this little glimpse into retail auto’s big story. Have a great day!