🚗 Slash Incentives, Add a Tax?

🚙 Crossing the Sahara and Managing Reputations

February 17, 2025

TOGETHER WITH

Welcome to Made it Monday, Friend!

Let’s take a moment, just a moment, today to think about the last time we didn’t think a challenge would ever end. Chances are, it did, you made it!

So chances are whatever you’ve got on your plate today will pass as well.

You’ll make it.

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

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🆚 Vs. China, Potholes, and Retention Data

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🪖 Is Detroit Ready? Are Any of Us?

Detroit’s facing a massive wake-up call—Chinese automakers aren’t just competing, they’re dominating global markets with cheaper, faster, and more efficient vehicles. BYD just one-upped Tesla by offering smart driving features for free, while legacy automakers are still untangling supply chain headaches. Ford’s CEO admits it: China moves at breakneck speed.

The good news? Smart dealers already see the shift and are adjusting accordingly. The industry isn’t crumbling—it’s transforming. Stay ahead, stay nimble, and keep making the moves that matter.

More From The Troublemaker:

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⚠️ Paving the Future or Taxing Competitive Innovation?

Senate Republicans are gunning for EV incentives with two new bills: one kills the $7,500 federal tax credit, and the other slaps a $1,000 fee on new EV purchases to make up for lost gas tax revenue.

Their argument? EVs aren’t paying their fair share for road maintenance. But with 39 states already charging EV fees and automakers investing billions, the move could slow adoption and frustrate buyers.

Dealers, expect more customer confusion and shifting demand. Stay sharp, stay adaptable—because Washington’s EV rollercoaster is far from over.

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Automotive Brand Loyalty Report w/ Reynolds

We got more data on Brand Retention from our friends at Reynolds.

  • Toyota remains king of customer retention at 61.9%, with Ferrari and Lexus rounding out the top three.

  • While the nationwide average retention rate barely moved (43.9%, up 0.2% from 2023), 24 brands lost ground.

  • Only six brands kept more than half of their customers coming back.

  • Domestic brands are seeing more customer defection than Asian manufacturers, and incentives are shaping buyer behavior more than brand loyalty.

  • Trucks? They’re still a “buy once, buy forever” club, with 74.1% of truck owners sticking with trucks—the highest in five years.

Webinar Alert: Reputation Management Masterclass

A bad reputation can tank a dealership’s sales… FAST. 🚨

→ 80% of car buyers say online reviews influence their decision.
→ One negative review can turn away dozens of potential customers.
→ Inconsistent or outdated listings make you invisible to shoppers.

But here’s the good news: You can take control of your reputation.

Join us for an exclusive webinar with Widewail to break down:

✅ The biggest reputation killers for dealerships
✅ How to generate real, positive customer reviews
✅ Strategies to manage & respond to negative feedback
✅ Using AI tools with the right up-to-date strategies

📅 Wednesday February 19th, 2pm EST

🌵 Alison Prowse, Bowker BMW Sales Executive, Takes on Sahara Trek for Breast Cancer Awareness

Jack Williams/CarDealer

Alison Prowse, a sales executive at Bowker BMW in Preston, isn’t just selling cars—she’s trekking 62 miles across the Sahara Desert to mark five years since beating stage three breast cancer.

Why? To raise $3,800 for CoppaFeel!, a charity dedicated to early breast cancer detection.

Over five days, she’ll brave scorching heat, rugged terrain, and desert nights under the stars. She’s already raised over $3,000, proving the auto industry is full of tough, determined people.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

🗓️ Coming Soon

🥊 Quick Hits

  • South Korea is feeling safer and safer for GM and Hyundai as tariff talk increases in the USA. 🇺🇸 

  • Retail sales fell the most it has in two years following the LA wildfires and harsh winter weather. 🎯 

  • A man, that same one, is trying to buy the dump where his $800M Bitcoin hard drive is hidden in the debris. 🗑️ 

🔁 Today in History

  • 1801 - A tie in the Electoral College between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr is resolved when Jefferson is elected President of the United States and Burr Vice President by the United States House of Representatives. 🗳️ 

  • 1972 – Cumulative sales of the Volkswagen Beetle exceed those of the Ford Model T. 🚜 

  • 1996 – NASA's Discovery Program begins as the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft lifts off on the first mission ever to orbit and land on an asteroid, 433 Eros. ☄️ 

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