TOGETHER WITH :
Howdy Fam!
I keep seeing headlines that say people are having a hard time connecting AI to profit.
But retail auto is doing it every day. Check out this session coming to ASOTU CON in a few weeks.
Keep Pushing Back,
-Chris with Paul, Kyle & Kristi
Reading time: 4 mins
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What Customers May Be Bringing In This Week
A quick read on the stories shaping how people may be thinking about cars before they ever talk to you.
Premium brands are trying not to chase discounts
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Volvo says it underestimated the impact of the removed U.S. EV tax credit, especially on plug-in hybrids. U.S. sales dropped sharply, but leadership is holding the line on premium pricing rather than following competitors into discounting.
Porsche and Mercedes are facing similar pressure from tariffs, China softness, and EV transition costs, but are still focused on protecting margins.
What customers may be wondering
If automakers are under pressure, why aren’t prices falling faster?
Useful context to have ready
Some brands are choosing to protect long-term value instead of reacting to short-term pressure. That can lead to uneven pricing across models, segments, and markets rather than broad price drops.
China keeps showing up in every earnings story
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Mercedes saw a 27% drop in China sales. Porsche is also losing ground to lower-cost local brands. Volvo’s China sales fell as well.
What customers may be wondering
Are global brands losing their edge?
Useful context to have ready
China is shaping pricing, speed, and expectations globally, but each market still operates differently. What is happening there does not always translate directly to what is available or relevant here.
Ford earnings are another checkpoint for EV strategy
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Ford reports earnings with attention on tariffs, supply chain disruptions, and costs tied to shifting EV investments.
What customers may be wondering
Are automakers pulling back from EVs?
Useful context to have ready
Most brands are adjusting timing and investment, not direction. That is showing up as more variety across gas, hybrid, and electric options rather than a single path forward.
Close More Deals with Virtual Retailing
It’s 10 PM. The showroom is closed. Your team has gone home.
But Jane’s night just got quiet. She finally got her five grandkids to sleep, and that SUV she’s been thinking about? It’s back on her mind.
She does not want to wait until morning to ask basic questions. She wants to see payments. She wants to know what her trade might be worth. She wants to understand if this vehicle actually fits her life and her budget.
If your website cannot help her, she is one click away from one that can.
With Gubagoo Virtual Retailing, your website is ready when Jane is.
She can explore payments, get an instant trade value, and start shaping the deal online. And, when she comes in, your team already has the context.
Less friction. Better handoff. More momentum.
Don’t let Jane become someone else’s customer. Meet her when she’s ready with Gubagoo.
Theft trends are improving, but still visible
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Vehicle thefts dropped 23% year over year, but nearly 660,000 vehicles were still stolen. High-volume models continue to top the list.
What customers may be wondering
Does the vehicle I choose affect my risk?
Useful context to have ready
Theft patterns tend to follow volume, geography, and ease of access. Ownership experience is shaped as much by local conditions and security features as it is by the vehicle itself.
A reminder of how closely operations get watched
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A lawsuit from Toyota Credit alleges a dealership group sold vehicles out of trust and failed to repay floorplan and capital loans.
What customers may be wondering
How common are issues like this?
Useful context to have ready
Cases like this are specific, but they reinforce how much visibility there is into pricing, inventory, and financing practices. Trust is built in the details customers can see and understand.
Where rubber meets the road:
Across all of this, the thread is not one specific headline. It is how many variables are moving at once.
Pricing pressure, EV timing, global competition, ownership risk, and operational transparency are all showing up in the same scroll.
That tends to lead people to a simple question:
How do I make a confident decision right now?
The opportunity is to help connect broad headlines to real decisions.
Not by answering everything, but by helping people understand what actually applies to them.
You’ve Got Questions. Rey Has Answers.
Running a dealership means answers can’t wait, and there isn’t enough time to track down every answer.
But with Rey, you can just ask.
Rey is your AI ally, ready to answer any question about your storefront. Ask for performance metrics, and Rey pulls the numbers instantly. Need to understand what’s driving them? Rey surfaces insights based on your store’s trends and activity. Stuck on a process? Rey connects you to the help team right away. And bringing your team in? Rey keeps everyone aligned with shared answers and context.
All from one place. All in seconds.
Because when every answer is within reach, your whole operation moves faster and more efficiently.
Join us May 11 in Baltimore at the AutoIndustry.ai Summit, where AJ McGowan, vice president of research and development at Reynolds, will join the panel “Building the Data Foundation Your AI Strategy Actually Needs.”
🤖 AI: For over a decade, Siri has been the voice assistant we all loved to complain about. But Gemini is looking to change all that.
🛒 Retail: Uber is getting into the Priceline business by adding hotels to their platform.
💰 Economy: Fed holds rates, and the quiet
contemptof folks.👽 Weird: Wisconsin recycling center posts 17.3 mph speed limit sign
1803 – Louisiana Purchase: The United States purchases the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million, more than doubling the size of the young nation.
1925 – Automaker Dodge Brothers, Inc is sold to Dillon, Read & Co. for US$146 million plus $50 million for charity.
1939 – NBC inaugurates its regularly scheduled television service in New York City, broadcasting President Franklin D. Roosevelt's N.Y. World's Fair opening day ceremonial address.
Thanks for reading, Friend!
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