🚗 Rivian's Expansion

TOGETHER WITH

July 21st.

Last week, we spun Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On. We liked it at first listen—by Friday, we loved it. An amazing piece of art that vividly conveys the time, place, and people who crafted it.

You agreed. About 60% of poll responses said it deserves that #1 spot on Rolling Stone’s list.

Shout-out to Bob and Keith for dropping wisdom:

This week, we’re diving into another all-timer: Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys.

Give it a listen. Let’s keep this thing rolling.

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

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MORE THAN CARS MOMENTS

More Than Ice Cream

When a dealership shows up with a scoop and a smile, the whole city feels it.

West Herr didn’t just show up for a football player or a marketing photo. They showed up for people.

At this year’s 7-1-6 CommUNITY Day at MLK Park in Buffalo, nearly 1,500 people received hot meals and fresh produce. They got sunshine, support, and surprise visits from Dion Dawkins and a crowd of volunteers—West Herr among them.

This isn’t the first year they’ve been there, and it won’t be the last. Because while cars may be their business, people are their purpose.

As Shannon Schunke of Trusted Gives put it:
“There’s power in numbers when you’re working together.”

We couldn’t agree more.

THE UNION

From the Automotive State of the Union

Rivian is expanding in Georgia with a new East Coast HQ and a massive $6B+ factory set to produce the R2 and R3. It’s a bold move toward U.S. manufacturing, right in the backyard of the franchise model conversation.

And OpenAI just leveled up ChatGPT with a “virtual computer,” letting it handle complex real-world tasks like building spreadsheets, booking travel, and running competitive analyses, all from a single prompt.

From The News w/ ASOTU

Our friend Tony Owens is celebrating 46 years in retail auto by telling the kind of Day One story most of us would hide. We’re celebrating him and the integrity it takes to fess up and keep going.

Stories to Follow:

• The Alliance and NADA are clashing over warranty laws and franchise protections, but behind the “holy war” language, it’s more conversation than conflict.

• Ram brings back the HEMI after customer backlash proves some vibes are stronger than specs.

• NHTSA is shedding over 25% of its staff as Trump-era buyouts reshape federal oversight.

• U.S.–Japan tariff talks are heating up with a 25% import tax deadline looming on August 1st.

• GM is investing heavily in AI to enhance production, marketing, and EV infrastructure, without replacing human workers.

TOGETHER WITH UBER FOR BUSINESS

Transform Your Dealership's Operations

Courtesy transportation isn’t optional anymore—it’s essential. 

That’s why 80% of dealerships say offering Uber rides helps retain customers. 

With Uber Central, you can book rides on behalf of customers—even if they don’t have the app. It’s a seamless way to elevate service, supplement shuttles or loaners, and streamline parts pickup and delivery. 

Request one-way or round-trip rides, add multiple riders or stops, set spend and distance limits, and track trips in real time. Plus, you'll get monthly reports to keep track of everything. 

Ready to cut shuttle costs and reduce loaner liability? Partner with Uber for Business today.

Click here to learn more.

SOMETHING ELSE

Technology!

Cloudflare is now blocking AI bots—unless they pay. That might sound far from the showroom floor, but here’s what it means for dealers:

• Your website content has value. As AI companies race to train models, businesses like yours may soon be able to charge (or block) access. That “About Us” page? Your service FAQs? They’re training someone’s chatbot.

• Expect conversations around who controls data to get louder. You already see this tension with OEMs. The internet’s next wave will challenge the old “ad-driven” model. Start asking: Who benefits when your content, data, and customer insights are reused?

Also, AI tools are starting to run entire tasks (like pricing audits or competitor reports) from a single prompt. It’s worth testing—even if just to stay sharp.

Final thought: Cooling AI chips is becoming its own industry. Not relevant yet? Maybe. But as dealerships grow their own tech stacks, infrastructure costs will be part of the conversation.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Nick Askew from Space Auto is back with us on Auto Collabs to explain why understanding software and data is now part of the job for anyone in automotive retail.

Dealers already have the tools. This episode shows how to start using them efficiently.

Watch the replay here.

🥊 Quick Hits

• Retail sales are rebounding as consumers pass the “wait and see” phase. 👀 

• Generative AI makes its debut in a Netflix show for the first time. 🤖 

• Research shows “Monday Anxiety” leaves scars. 🤕 

🔁 Today in History

• 1974: The last VW Karmann Ghia 🔚 

• 1987: The Ferrari F40 debuts 🥇 

• 2023: The Barb-enheimer phenomenon begins as two major motion pictures— Greta Gerwig's fantasy comedy Barbie and Christopher Nolan's epic biographical thriller Oppenheimer—are released in theaters on the same day. Instead of creating a rivalry between the extremely dissimilar films, audiences instead attended both as an informal, surreal double feature. 🎬️ 

You made it to the end of the beginning of your day, Friend.