TOGETHER WITH

Howdy Fam!

Tomorrow morning, you’ll get the usual ASOTU Daily Pushback email, but about an hour later, we will also be sending out the AutoIndustry.AI email.

Our goal is always to keep you equipped with the info you need to lead, serve, and work well.

And, as I heard a few times at the JD Power Auto Summit, the future of managing includes managing AI.

So, it’s time to lean in.

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

_{Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here!
Reading time: 4 min and 39 sec}

Waiting for a shuttle is so 2013. 

Uber for Business lets you offer customers a premium-feeling ride without running a fleet or babysitting a schedule. 

One click, and they’re headed home, to work, or wherever they need to go—without awkward waits in the service lounge or hoping the shuttle route loops back soon. It’s an easy way to make service feel like service, not a DMV. 

Track it, tie it to the RO, and turn what used to be a stress point into a high-five moment.

Discover how you can offer service and ease with Uber for Business today.

If you’re working the retail side of this business right now, this week’s headlines read like two markets happening at the same time.

One market is pulling back to what customers will still buy, afford, and trust.
The other is doubling down on what comes next, even if profitability is still a fight.

Here’s what that looks like in real terms.

Reuters reports Stellantis is bringing diesel back across Europe on at least seven models, including passenger vans and cars like the Peugeot 308 and DS No. 4. The message is not subtle: EV demand has not matched the plan, and Stellantis wants growth tied to what customers are actually choosing.

Two details matter for retailers watching this from the U.S.

This is not a love letter to diesel. It’s a reminder that when demand softens, the “future” starts getting packaged as “optional.” Dealers should read that as: the next 18–24 months may be more mix-and-match than anyone predicted a few years ago.

CNBC reports Rivian beat fourth-quarter expectations and guided 2026 deliveries of 62,000 to 67,000 units, a 47% to 59% jump vs. 2025. The bet is the R2, expected to launch in Q2, priced around $45,000, and designed to cut material costs and simplify production.

Rivian also made the quiet part loud: it expects adjusted pre-tax losses of $1.8B to $2.1B in 2026, with capex around $2B. Translation for the retail side: even when EV brands talk “inflection point,” they are still paying heavily to get to scale.

That matters because consumer curiosity does not automatically become stable service traffic, predictable parts flow, and consistent gross.

Automotive News shared Lithia CEO Bryan DeBoer’s logic for not rushing to sell Chinese brands in the U.S. or Canada: there’s no built-in car parc to feed the service drive. Lithia’s aftersales generated 41% of gross profit in 2025, at a 58% gross margin.

That is the cleanest sentence spoken in auto retail: if there’s nothing on the road, there’s nothing to fix.

In the U.K., Lithia can sell Chinese brands under the same roof as another franchise with under $100,000 in capex, keeping service volume steady through the legacy brand. In the U.S., that structure is far harder, which turns “new franchise opportunity” into “service absorption problem.”

Cox Automotive says used inventory started February at 2.18M units and 48 days’ supply, with the used retail pace strong: 1.37M units sold in January. Average listing price sits at $25,533, down from December’s revised $26,120.

Affordability is still pushing shoppers to used, but the lower end remains thin: vehicles under $15,000 are sitting at 37 days’ supply, well below the overall market.

JD Power’s 2026 Vehicle Dependability Study shows problems after three years rose to 204 PP100, the highest since the study redesign.

Lexus leads overall, Buick leads mass market. The bigger story: infotainment and phone integration are still the pain point, and OTA updates often feel like “no change” to owners.

Dealers can use this. Not as dunking on brands, but as simple education: set expectations, explain updates, and turn “tech frustration” into trust-building.

Thanks for reading, Friend! Let’s work hard, rest well, and keep an eye out for folks we can help.