🚗 The Final Nail For The Merger

🚙 A Little NADA Flashback and some Valentine's Day Love

February 14, 2025

TOGETHER WITH

We made it to Friday!

Today, we dug into some news, data, and Reddit (🤷). Where will our restless urge to collect things for you to read take us next? Who knows, but we’re excited to find out.

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

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Reading time: 3 min

Nissan 💔 Honda, Some AI Data, and Used Inventory Acquisition w/ Reddit 🤷 

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🛟 Nissan: And Other News About Honda

Honda and Nissan called off their $60 billion merger after Nissan balked at being made a subsidiary. Nissan now faces yet another restructuring, plant closures, and an uncertain future while flirting with Foxconn as a potential partner.

Meanwhile, Honda posted solid 2024 sales, with electrified models making up over 25% of their mix. Oh, and if you’re driving a 2023-2025 Honda Pilot or a 2021-2025 Acura TLX Type S, check your mail—Honda just issued a recall on nearly 300K vehicles. Business as usual in the auto world: big shifts, big moves, and dealers making it all work, as always.

More About Nissan:

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🕰️ Living in the Future

AI isn’t here to take jobs—it’s here to take the busywork so your team can sell more, stay longer, and keep customers coming back.

  • Dealers using AI-powered lead management saw a 26% bump in closing rates. 

  • AI-driven inventory tools cut aged stock by 25-30%. 72% of dealers say AI makes jobs better, not redundant.

  • Personalized AI marketing boosts leads by 50%. Bottom line?

The best dealers aren’t replacing people—they’re giving them superpowers. AI is already here. The only question is: Are you using it, or is your competition figuring it out first? 🚀

Want to keep ahead of the industry’s adoption of AI? Sign up for AutoIndustry.AI’s weekly email.

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🔎 You Still Driving That?

Used car acquisition is brutal—so we did what any desperate soul would: we went to Reddit. Do we trust random internet strangers with dealership strategy? Not really.

But some of their tips actually check out. Calls getting ignored? Lead with value. KBB leads ghosting? Play the long game. Service drive? Absolute goldmine. 

Don’t throw out hard numbers (they’ll just shop you), and rejection is part of the job—detach, tweak, and text more. Think these Redditors are onto something? Got better tricks? Drop your best (or worst) acquisition war stories and let’s compare notes.

This Valentine’s Day, Show Your Dealership Some Love ❤️

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Love is in the air—and so is efficiency! Let’s talk about how digitizing vehicle documentation can transform your dealership’s sales process.

  • ✅ Speed Up Sales – Provide customers with all the info they need upfront, reducing back-and-forth and closing deals faster.

  • ✅ Enhance Customer Experience – Deliver transparency and trust by showcasing vehicle history, pricing details, and digital paperwork in one seamless platform.

  • ✅ Increase Trust & Transparency – Offer a complete digital portfolio of each vehicle, giving buyers confidence in their purchase decisions.

  • ✅ Boost Lead Conversion – Build credibility with customers by providing them with the most accurate and detailed vehicle information, leading to higher closing rates

By embracing digital solutions, your dealership can focus more on building relationships and less on administrative hurdles. Now that’s something worth celebrating!

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

🗓️ Coming Soon

🥊 Quick Hits

  • GM, Ford, Hyundai, and Kia are urging the federal government to phase out the EV tax credit gradually rather than repealing it immediately, warning that an abrupt cut could cost thousands of jobs, raise EV prices, and weaken the U.S. in the global EV market. ⏸️ 

  • Wash your hands, y’all. Flu is at a 15 year high. 🤧 

  • The endless slog just got more endless. YouTube-ists can now use AI to generate content into the platform’s shorts. 🤖 

EV Power For Life: How Dealers Can Profit from Renew Energy Home EV Charging | NADA 2025 Interview

At NADA 2025, Kyle Mountsier sits down with Robert Blessing (Renew Energy), Jayce Fitch (Renew Energy), and Michael Wood (Checkered Flag Jaguar) to explore how auto dealers can tap into new EV revenue streams.

Robert shares his journey from Tesla to launching Renew Energy, helping dealers offer home charging and solar solutions. Jayce explains how dealers can earn $2,000–$4,000 per EV sale, while Michael highlights the business impact. They also discuss solar energy, EV incentives, and why a slower rollout could benefit the industry.

Check out the full conversation and video on LinkedIn!

🔁 Today in History

  • 1876 – Alexander Graham Bell applies for a patent for the telephone, as does Elisha Gray. ☎️ 

  • 2000 – Chrysler PT Cruiser begins production 🏭️ 

  • 2005 – YouTube is launched by a group of college students, eventually becoming the largest video sharing website in the world and a main source for viral videos. 📼 

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