🚗 The Conversations Are Changing

Welcome to Saturday!

There’s always that moment when ASOTU CON really starts coming together.

At first a few tickets roll in. And then more. And then it’s kinda overwhelming, like an avalanche. And we’re right there in the thick of it.

When we see all the names of our friends and colleagues and community ready to get together for a week of conversation and connection, that’s when we really know it’s on like Donkey Kong.

ASOTU CON is almost here. You in?

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

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Washington’s move to allow Rivian and Lucid direct sales may look narrow, but dealers know small exceptions can turn into bigger policy shifts fast. Add in Tesla’s deeper FSD scrutiny, growing use of AI shopping tools, and more overseas pressure from BYD and Xpeng, and the theme was clear: the rules, the shopper, and the competition are all changing at once.

Tuesday felt like a reminder that EV interest and EV demand are not the same thing. Shoppers are taking a fresh look as gas prices rise, but hesitation is still real. At the same time, Toyota is expanding U.S. production, Nissan is bringing a different kind of hybrid to market, and Volkswagen is looking to China for lessons on speed and execution.

Autonomy got more tangible midweek. GM put eyes-off test vehicles on public roads, while Zoox kept building toward wider robotaxi rollout. At the same time, used EV and hybrid interest picked up, wholesale values stayed selective but healthy, and Chinese brands kept pushing closer to North America.

Thursday’s big takeaway was simple: customers keep telling dealers exactly where friction lives. Reviews, surveys, and service data all point to the same problems, unclear timelines, weak communication, and missed follow-through. Beyond fixed ops, the wider EV story kept splitting in two: lower-cost competition keeps moving forward, while expensive or uncertain programs like Afeela keep getting cut back.

Friday brought a grounded read on the market. U.S. sales look steadier than the headlines suggest, but affordability is still doing the heavy lifting, with payments, long terms, and negative equity shaping the deal. Overseas, China’s dealer pain kept rising even as brand rankings shifted, while battery innovation and a possible national AI framework hinted at where the next pressure points may land.

AI is already in your store. The real question is what role it’s actually playing.

In this session, Scott Traylor and Thuy Adomitis break down a clearer way to think about it. Not as a tool you “add on,” but as something that supports coverage, sharpens coaching, and works alongside your team in real conversations.

If you’ve been trying to make AI not only useful, but genuinely helpful, you need this framework.

Catch the replay, or dig into the breakdown here.

What if your “lost” customers are still your best opportunity?

In this episode, Kristine Lentz breaks down how defection data reveals exactly who bought elsewhere, when it happened, and what you can still do about it. The real shift happens when you stop chasing the sale and start rebuilding the relationship through service, timing, and better follow-up.

It’s a different way to think about leads, one that turns missed deals into future customers.

Watch the full episode to see how top dealers are putting this into practice.

Spring is here, which means Jeep owners are preparing for Easter in their own way. Less rabbits, more ducks.

The Easter Jeep Safari kicks off today in Moab and Jeep showed up with six new concept builds, each more egg-stravagant than the last.

Leading the lineup is the Wrangler Anvil 715, a 1960s military-inspired build with a Hemi, skylights, and enough gear to live off-grid. The XJ Pioneer revives the 1984 Cherokee with a lift, bigger tires, and a cooler disguised as a vintage Macintosh.

Then there’s the Wrangler Buzzcut, big, bright orange, and impossible to miss.

If you’re in Moab, go check it out. They’ll be on display through April 3th. No directions needed, just follow the trail of tiny plastic birds.