🚗 Tariffs Might Blink, Dealers Won’t

TOGETHER WITH

Many dealers chase the usual goals — sales records, stronger margins, better KPIs. Last year, Walser set a different kind of goal: earn a Yellow Ribbon designation from the Minnesota National Guard.

This year, they did it.

Walser was officially named a Beyond the Yellow Ribbon employer for the real, structural support they’ve built for veterans, active-duty service members, and their families.

If you want to see everything that went into the work, from hiring pipelines to community partnerships, Dayna Kleve’s post on LinkedIn lays it out beautifully.

Outstanding work, Walser. A standard worth following.

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

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THE NEWS

Tariffs Are About to Blink…But Not the Ones You’re Paying For

The Supreme Court is reviewing whether the administration even had the authority to drop those sweeping IEEPA “Liberation Day” tariffs. If the Court strikes them down, it could shave some cost pressure out of the system — but don’t start celebrating in the F&I office.

Here’s the catch:

• The auto-specific Section 232 tariffs (the big ones) stay right where they are.

• IEEPA exposure is ~$1.8B. Meaningful, but not the main pricing engine.

• Any relief is marginal, not market-changing.

Let’s not wait for Washington to hand us cheaper cars. It doesn’t seem to be on their to-do list.

Used Cars Are Telling a Real Story

Manheim’s mid-November pulse check is basically saying: “Relax. This is normal.”

• Index: down just 0.2% YoY

• Supply: still tight at 27–28 days

• EV values: +4.3% YoY

• Retail pace: slightly up

We’re not falling off a cliff — we’re drifting back toward seasonal gravity. Your appraisals can stay disciplined. Your used-car manager doesn’t need smelling salts.

The floor is holding for now.

Is Nissan Showing Us How to Manage Risk?

While everyone else is debating EV futures on panels, Nissan rewrote its U.S. production strategy. Espinosa kept a shift they planned to cut, doubled down on U.S.-built Rogue volume, and even floated a Rogue-based Infiniti.

And they’re exploring localizing e-Power hybrids since tariffs turned Smyrna and Canton from “challenging assets” into “strategic advantages.”

Seems localization wins.

Porsche Built a Supercar in SUV Clothing

The 1,139-hp Cayenne EV is Porsche’s loudest admission that EVs are now halo products, not volume plays.

They’re keeping ICE. They’re keeping hybrids.
But they’re using EVs to keep the brand exciting.

We’re going to watch what companies actually build, not what they announce.

Robotaxis Aren’t Stealing Customers

Zoox is letting people ride for free in SoMa, Mission, and the Design District. Waymo is adding freeway routes. Tesla’s doing its Tesla thing.

None of this dents your new-car sales.
But it does change customer expectations about convenience.

Every new robotaxi raises expectations for your pickup/dropoff, mobile service, and communication experience.

TOGETHER WITH TRADEPENDING

What’s Better Than a Lead?

A lead that tells you exactly what they want.

When your site visitors use Trade and Payments together, they’re quietly handing you insights: what they’re driving now, what they can afford next, and how serious they really are.

All of that intel shows up in our dealer console, like magic, but smarter. Multiple interactions across tools? We connect the dots. You'll know if they’re shopping a truck in the morning and calculating payments on a crossover at lunch.

This isn’t just about getting more leads (though you will). It’s about knowing more about the ones you already have better, faster, and with way more context.

Capiche?! (That's Italian for 'Understood?')

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Coming Soon

• TODAY, November 20: Automobility LA at the LA Auto Show, Los Angeles, CA

• February 3-6: NADA Show 2026, Las Vegas, NV

• May 12-15: ASOTU CON 2026, Hanover, MD

Today in History

Bikes Were Here First…But Only Barely

We tend to imagine bicycles as ancient history compared to cars.
But the first modern pedal bike was patented on November 20, 1866—and just 20 years later, Carl Benz patented the Motorwagen in 1886.

Transportation history moves fast; advantage goes to whoever scales innovation, not just invents it.