TOGETHER WITH:
Howdy, Fam!
Jeep's sitting on 160 days of inventory and still won't move on price. If your showroom's carrying similar Stellantis stock, that's worth a look today.
But first up: the UAW's federal oversight was supposed to wind down in January. A new investigation into President Shawn Fain just made an extension look a lot more likely, and that kind of instability doesn't stay contained to internal politics; it eventually shows up as fewer vehicles reaching your showroom floor.
Also in today's email:
Why your car's data just became a legal and security problem, not just a feature
Why Toyota's own engineers say they're "losing to China," building the Corolla EV under real internal pressure
Solar-powered tricycles are apparently a thing now
Keep Pushing Back,
—Chris with Paul, Kyle & Kristi
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The UAW's Corruption Scandal Isn't Over. It Might Just Be Starting a New Chapter.
A new federal investigation into UAW President Shawn Fain makes it increasingly likely that government oversight of the union gets extended well past its planned January expiration.
The UAW has operated under an independent federal monitor since 2021, following a corruption investigation that led to more than a dozen convictions of former union leaders. That oversight was scheduled to end in January.
A new development is complicating that timeline. The Justice Department has subpoenaed the union's monitor as part of a grand jury investigation into President Shawn Fain, stemming from allegations he sought preferential treatment for his fiancée and retaliated against officials who challenged him. Fain has denied wrongdoing and calls the allegations politically motivated ahead of the union's election.
If you file a motion and say there are 'good grounds' to extend it, then the court should grant that, and it seems like a case could be made for that right now.
🎙️ Want the full conversation?
Listen to today's Automotive State of the Union episode for the complete discussion, additional context, and the conversations that shaped our perspective.
Legal experts say the bar for extending oversight is low, and several now consider an extension likely regardless of the election outcome. Ongoing instability at the top of a union doesn't stay contained to internal politics; it affects negotiating leverage and how predictable labor relations stay at the plants building the vehicles reaching your lot.
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Jeep Dealers Are Sitting on 160 Days of Inventory and Still Won't Budge on Price
Jeep's supply sits at 160 days, double the industry average and the worst of any major brand. Its incentives, though, are running at 6.7% of transaction price, under the 7% industry norm.
✅ What's Actually Happening
One-third of all new inventory nationally is priced under $40,000
Toyota's supply sits at just 37 days, the tightest in the market
Jeep, Ram, and Dodge are the clear outliers on the other end
Real customer sentiment backs up the data. One frequent complaint online: buyers say they'd move on Jeep's reliable new engines and transmissions if the price matched the actual demand, not the sticker.
Manufacturers force dealers to take less desirable vehicles before they allow the dealer to have the cars everyone wants.
🎯 Action!
If you're carrying Stellantis inventory in this range, this is a moment to get ahead of the pricing conversation rather than defend the sticker. Customers are already comparing your days-of-supply against your discount publicly. Matching the two builds more trust than either extreme.
Your Car's Data Is Becoming a Real Security and Legal Liability, Not Just a Feature.
Two separate stories, one shared theme: vehicle data now carries real regulatory and security weight.
Analysts are raising concerns about over-the-air update systems creating genuine cybersecurity exposure, including foreign-actor access risks already under investigation in Norway, the UK, and Denmark.
Meanwhile, automakers are scrambling to comply with a patchwork of 23 state privacy laws, with GM and Ford both facing California enforcement actions totaling more than $13 million combined. No federal standard exists yet, and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation is actively lobbying for one.
Toyota's Building the World's Best-Selling Car as an EV, Under a Real "Sense of Crisis."
Even Toyota's own engineers are worried they're losing to China.
The next-generation Corolla, the best-selling vehicle of all time, is being rebuilt on a platform supporting every powertrain, gas, hybrid, plug-in, and full electric.
Chairman Akio Toyoda openly described "a considerable sense of crisis" inside the company, with one engineer admitting on Japanese television, "I think we are losing to China."
🎡 On Wheels
Zoox recalled all 105 of its robotaxis after one drove into a smoke-obscured fire scene in June. Regulators say it reflects a wider pattern across the AV industry, not one company's failure.
Honda is considering an eighth North American assembly plant as its existing factories run at roughly 90% capacity, with any new site almost certainly landing in the U.S. to minimize tariff exposure.
Genesis is evaluating a more affordable, mass-market EV, likely built on the same platform as Hyundai's compact Ioniq 3, as the luxury brand looks to widen its reach beyond its current lineup.
🚂 Off The Rails
Gas is back up to $4 a gallon on average. But walking is still free at least.
Some other planet has an atmosphere. It’s unclear if they’re willing to sell it to us though…
Solar-powered tricycles. That’s a thing.
1861: The first major battle of the U.S. Civil War was fought at Bull Run near Manassas, Virginia, resulting in a surprising victory for the Confederate army.
1873: Jesse James and his gang executed the first successful robbery of a moving train in the American West near Adair, Iowa.
1969: Neil Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface during the Apollo 11 mission, becoming the first human to walk on the Moon.
