🚗 Penske’s People-First Playbook

TOGETHER WITH

Got that Friday feeling, Friend?

The air feels a bit more exciting, like anything could happen. Even magic.

Until the wizard shows up, enjoy this info we gathered to keep you ahead of the news.

Also, how real is BMW right now? “Turns out some people like gas, and some like electric, we wanna sell to both.”

It all seems so simple now…

Keep Pushing Back,
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

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THE NEWS

Penske’s Playbook, BYD Slows, and BMW Likes Both.

🏁 Penske’s People-First Playbook

At 88, Roger Penske just won the Automotive News Centennial Award—and reminded us all that people still beat products.

With 74,000 employees and 95% of leaders promoted from within, his “effort equals results” mindset is alive and well.

He also warned: the franchise model is under pressure. Dealers need to defend it, one store at a time.

Hear more on this from Paul and Kyle in The Automotive State of the Union with the link above. 👆️ 

🧠 AI That Doesn’t Break Your Store

Webinar Rewind: How Earnhardt CDJR Made AI a Win, Not a Wreck

Forget the fear—AI just wants to help. That was the vibe in our latest ASOTU Wedge Webinar with Luke Morris (Earnhardt CDJR) and Scott Traylor (Mia).

The big takeaway? AI doesn’t need to replace your people to be valuable. Mia’s voice assistant now handles after-hours calls, books real appointments, and adds to the bottom line—like $850 ROs, booked in the middle of the night.

BDC staff were skeptical… until they started learning from Mia’s tight, efficient scripts. Now they’re refining human conversations with robot lessons.

If you're still on the fence about AI in your store, start here with the replay. This one’s real, it’s working, and it’s not scary.

📉 BYD Hits the Brakes

China’s EV Overload Might Be Slowing Down

BYD—the world’s largest EV maker—is dialing back factory shifts and canceling new production lines after sales stalled. Deep price cuts couldn’t fix the pile-up of unsold inventory.

Good news for U.S. dealers worried about a flood of ultra-cheap imports: the wave might be receding.

Also, China’s biggest players are looking abroad (including Africa) to move metal. The EV arms race? Not as one-sided as it looked six months ago.

🍎 CarPlay: Blessing or Trojan Horse?

Apple Wants All Your Screens. OEMs Aren’t So Sure.

Apple’s new CarPlay Ultra goes deep into speedometers, climate control, and radio. Some brands (Porsche, Hyundai) say yes. Others (GM, Audi) say nope.

Customers? They just want their iPhone to work seamlessly.

If your showroom includes brands saying no, prepare for pushback—and know how to sell the real benefits beyond tech flash.

⛽ BMW: Gas Pays for the Future

ICE Isn’t Dead, It’s Funding EV R&D

BMW’s still burning gas, proudly. Execs say combustion engines are the cash cow that’s bankrolling their next-gen EVs.

Translation: If the market’s mixed, your inventory should be too. Flexibility is the real win.

➕ More

We’ve got more on these and several other stories in our Daily Digest.

🥊 Quick Hits

• Meta and Anthropic got legal wins this week in copyright lawsuits. Bottom line? You can keep using AI tools without fear—just don’t pirate content. 🤖 

• GDP data shows U.S. economy shrank more than previously thought in early 2025. 💰️ 

• Is crypto confusing? Is the housing market causing anxiety? Why not combine them? 🏘️ 

TOGETHER WITH DLRdmv®

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DLR50™️: The gold standard in out-of-state title & registration.

MORE THAN CARS MOMENTS

Way to Go, CMA!

Our friends at CMA just finished their Cars & Can Food Drive, and the results are staggering!

Thank you, Robert Migliaccio, for sharing the story on LinkedIn.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

In this episode of Auto Collabs, we welcome back our pal Greg Uland of Reynolds & Reynolds, who brought with him some major updates.

With their Amplify conference heating up, Greg breaks down how Reynolds is evolving from just a tech provider to a full-on dealer efficiency partner. From technician workflows to CRM cleanup and AI-powered insights, this convo isn’t about buzzwords—it’s about real solutions.

Watch the replay to see how Reynolds is helping dealers work smarter, not just harder.

🔁 Today in History

• 1895: The inaugural run of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Royal Blue from Washington, D.C., to New York City, the first U.S. passenger train to use electric locomotives. 🚃 

• 1898: The first solo circumnavigation of the globe is completed by Joshua Slocum from Briar Island, Nova Scotia. 🌍️ 

• 1950: The United States decides to send troops to fight in the Korean War. 🇺🇸 

Friday is here, and Fam lemme tell you…