🚗 News and Innovation

TOGETHER WITH

Monday! The weekend was yesterday, but it's also as far away as it can get. Time to work well, think big, and do what is ours to do for our family, team, and community. Holy crap, what a good day Monday is.

Today, we've got a few pieces of interesting information:

• GM is apparently winning the EV game in Canada. Yes. Canada, where the children ride moose to school and the cars run on maple syrup. Let's hope they've figured out that "EVs get wacky in the cold" thing.

• Hyundai is going high tech. Not just the cars, but also the factory where they make the cars. You know what they say: Robots don't ask for health insurance and DC can't tariff cars made in Georgia. Ok. Nobody says that, but if Hyundai wins, they may start.

• Reuters called this period of tariff-free operations a "sugar rush." Pointing out that since the tariffs are still looming over our heads, like any sugar rush, we may be heading for a little crash. (Maybe a nap?)

There is more below. Enjoy!

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

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THE NEWS

Canada’s New EV Leader, The Haig Report, and a Tariff Sugar Rush

🇨🇦 GM is now Canada’s EV king.
That’s right—GM outsold Tesla in Q1 thanks to a 252% EV sales surge led by the budget-friendly, range-rich Equinox EV. Quebec’s paused rebates crushed Tesla’s numbers, but GM said “no thanks” to excuses and kept delivering across Chevy, GMC, and Cadillac. Oh, and they quietly re-upped a trademark for “Panther,” the Camaro’s original codename. So yes, the muscle car whisper mill is back on.

💼 The Haig Report says profits are great, but rooftops aren’t moving.
Public dealers made a cool $1M in Q1 pre-tax profit on average, double pre-pandemic levels. But only 68 rooftops changed hands, the slowest Q1 in a decade. Why? Tariffs, uncertainty, and maybe a few owners waiting to see how the wind blows before they list. Still, blue sky values are holding strong, and big deals are on the Q2 horizon. For smart operators, this might be the perfect moment to make your move.

💸 Tariffs are on pause, but don’t get cozy.
Reuters dubbed the current trade moment a “sugar rush” as companies race to front-load shipments before the next policy twist. U.S. imports jumped 30% since October, but this high won’t last forever. When it wears off? Inventory crunches, cost spikes, and fun times for anyone not planning ahead.

➕ More

We got several more stories, too packed with knowledge and VIBES to fit in the email. Check them out in our Daily Digest.

🥊 Quick Hits

• New tariffs pledged on metal. Not you, Ozzy, the useful kind. 🤘 

• “White-collar” graduates and job seekers are already feeling the sting of AI replacement. Quick, somebody remind me which end of the wrench is the hand part? 🔧 

• There is a theorized chance that North America and Europe are actually part of the same “continent.” (Don’t mind the ocean) 🌍️ 

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Time to turn chaos to order, my friend. Time to book a demo with iPacket.

CULTURE

Innovation: 10 Takeaways From ASOTU CON 2025

Let’s be honest…

“Innovation” gets tossed around in auto like confetti at a dealership grand opening. But at ASOTU CON 2025, a panel featuring Danny Zaslavsky, Brian Benstock, Patrick Abad, and Dinos Constantine showed what real innovation looks like on the ground.

We’re talking tech that serves process (not the other way around), pricing that updates faster than your OEM changes incentives, lead data as your new inventory roadmap, and DMS deep dives that turn margins into mission statements.

Oh—and a reminder that innovation dies when it’s bottlenecked at the top. Spoiler: Brian’s doing less, on purpose.

These operators aren’t theorizing—they’re doing. And inviting us to join in.

Check out 10 takeaways we grabbed from the session.

🔁 Today in History

• 1896 – Guglielmo Marconi applies for a patent for his wireless telegraph. 📶 

• 1910 – Charles Rolls, a co-founder of Rolls-Royce Limited, becomes the first man to make a non-stop double crossing of the English Channel by plane. 🛩️ 

• 1992 – National Corvette Museum breaks ground 🏎️