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Automotive State of The Union
Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier don’t just read headlines, they make the most important connections across car dealerships, general retail, tech, and culture. The goal? To help automotive leaders think clearer and move faster in a world that refuses to slow down.
Whether you’re running a rooftop, building a brand, or just trying to keep up with everything shifting in the business of selling cars, this is your regular stop for a shot of news, insight, and a little bit of chaos…always rooted in people-first thinking.
From the showroom to Silicon Valley.
From Wall Street to Main Street.
Paul and Kyle connect the dots, keep it real, and make it make sense.
Learn more at https://www.asotu.com
Episodes
1146 episodes
Legacy Meets What’s Next, Elon’s Big Stock Buy, Too Many Grocery Choices
Episode #1146: Automotive News's 100th anniversary Congress celebrated industry icons and looked towards the future, Elon Musk bets big on Tesla, shoppers get overwhelmed by too many choices (sound familiar?)Show Notes with li...
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12:47
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A Golf Tournament For A Man Who Never Played Golf
On this Saturday, Chris joins Paul and Kyle to talk about the power of remembrance and how Carla Cosenzi and TommyCar Auto Group are connecting people in a meaninful way through the 17th Annual Tom Cosenzi Driving for the Cure Charity Golf Tour...
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9:54
The State of Dealership Cybersecurity, Chevy’s EV Affordability, 100 Years of Goodyear’s Blimp
Episode #1144: Dealers face rising cyber threats, Chevy launches big EV incentives, and the Goodyear Blimp marks 100 years over Detroit.Show Notes with links:Proton Dealership IT’s
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13:51
It’s About More Than Cars, EVs Hit Record Share, Fallon Goes To Detroit
Episode #1143: Today, we pause and reflect on the state of the union, in light of September 11th and the assassination of Charlie Kirk.This industry is about More Than Cars, and its our job to carry that light and that hope forward in ho...
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16:00
Canada Adds 3rd Shifts, Korea Trade Deal Wobbles, NCM Client and Friends Update
Episode #1142: Stellantis and GM double down on Canadian production with third-shift revivals. U.S.–South Korea trade tensions threaten key EV investments after a Hyundai-linked ICE raid. Plus, Kyle and Steve share takeaways from the NCM Digita...
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11:59
Tesla’s Master Plan IV, Flying an eVTOL, McKinsey Hires More Despite AI Growth
Episode #1141: Tesla drops a philosophy-heavy master plan that barely mentions EVs. Palmer Luckey becomes the first to fly the Jetson One eVTOL. And McKinsey pushes back on AI job fears with a boost in entry-level hiring....
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21:06
Ethanol in Fukushima, No CA Love for Leno’s Law, Retail in the Wild with Paul
Episode #1140: Today we’re talking about Toyota’s big ethanol play in Fukushima and California lawmakers slamming the brakes on “Leno’s Law” for classic cars. Plus, Paul’s back with some unexpected retail takeaways from his vacation travels.
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17:17
$70,000 of Generosity
The first weekend of September! Head Writer Chris Reeves joins Kyle Mountsier to discuss how the auto industry ramps up its community contributions in the fall towards the end of the year.We love hearing how dealers are giving back, and ...
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7:45
Mary’s Millions, Elon’s Trillions, Japan Tariffs to 15%, OpenAI’s Certification Push
Episode #1138: Mary Barra and her GM peers are selling big while Tesla bets even bigger on Elon. A new U.S.–Japan trade deal lowers tariffs and boosts investment in auto-related sectors. And Apple, OpenAI, and Walmart are teaming up to define w...
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16:25
VinFast Bets on Dealers, ID.4 Production Pause, Charging Cables Optional
Episode #1137: VinFast leans into a dealer-driven strategy while VW puts the brakes on ID.4 production despite rock-bottom lease pricing. Meanwhile, Porsche unveils a slick wireless charger for its next-gen Cayenne EV.Show...
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12:11
EV Tax Credit Extension-ish, Cadillac’s Comeback, Coding Gets Easier and Complicated
Episode #1136: An IRS update that could save EV buyers thousands, how Cadillac is quietly staging a luxury comeback and the deeper impact of AI on software development—and whether vibe-coding is helping or hollowing out the craft.
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13:36
How One Dealer Monetized Charging, BYD Battles Discounts, Google’s Nano Banana
Episode #1135: Friendly Chevy’s charging park is pulling in revenue and conquest sales, BYD takes a profit hit in China’s price war, and Google’s “Nano Banana” might just beat ChatGPT at the AI image game.Show Notes with links...
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14:42
Can a free van turn an 8 year old into an engineer?
Today, Paul and Chris bring you a story about Jacob Miller, a high school senior living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Jacob has big plans for being only eight years old and he just got a life-changing boost from our friends at West Herr Aut...
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9:50
Economist Jonathan Smoke Says The Market's Not Crashing—It’s Accelerating
Episode #1133: Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke joins Paul to talk tariffs, pent-up demand, and why Q3 might be best experienced with a little Abba. It's a data-rich conversation with serious implications for dealers navigating pol...
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16:34
Dealers Care About The Tech, Special Guest Shane Wilson of Connected Dealer Services
Episode #1132: As we kick off the last day of the NAMAD Annual Meeting, Paul J Daly and Erroll Bomar III reflect on how they’ve been witnessing dealers lean in on technology in order to stay ahead. Then they’re joined by Shane Wilson, CEO of Co...
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7:01
Strong August for Automotive Industry, NAMAD Day 1 Takeaways
Episode #1131: Live from Day 2 at the NAMAD Annual Meeting with co-host Erroll Bomar III! We recap our biggest takeaways from the first day of amazing conversations and content, plus look at the record $56.4B that consumers will spend on new ve...
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10:29
Robots Still Need People, Gen Z Buys IRL, Tax Credit Relief
Episode #1130: As we gear up for our NAMAD coverage in LasVegas, Paul and guest co-host Ben Hadley are digging into the IRS's EV tax credit extension, how Gen Z balances screens with store shelves, and why Hyundai's futuristic plant still count...
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18:34
AN All-Stars, Inventory Game-Changers, AI’s E-Comm Takeover
Episode #1129: Today Steve Greenfield joins Paul again as we spotlight the 2025 Automotive News All-Stars, including a few friends of the show. We also talk about some industry icons’ new digs. And a new survey shows just how deep Gen AI has ma...
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16:15
When a Minivan Becomes a Miracle
On this Saturday, Chris joins Paul and Nathan to talk about the frequency of a 5 Fri-Sat-Sun month and how auto dealers just keep on giving.
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10:20
EU & US Work Out Trade Deal, EchoPark Boosts Sonic, Gen AI Retail Traffic
Episode #1127: We’re diving into major tariff relief for EU carmakers, Sonic Automotive’s EchoPark outpacing expectations, and how generative AI is rewriting the rules for online retail traffic. Show Notes with links:...
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11:14
Hertz Sells on Amazon, VinFast Expands Dealer Network, Atlas Robot Gets Handsy
Episode #1126: Today we’re joined by Steve Greenfield and talking about Hertz vehicles showing up on Amazon, VinFast’s new San Diego dealership kicking off a coast-to-coast franchise push, and how AI is helping Atlas become a surprisingly capab...
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17:41
Affordability Is the Battlefield, Close Now or Cry Later, Target’s Intern CEO
Episode #1125: Today, we’re talking affordability trends, lead follow-up gaps, and a CEO who worked his way from intern to the top at Target.At the halfway mark of 2025, the Dave Cantin Group
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11:56
Fixed Ops Golden Metrics, Inventory Levels Off, Robotaxi Roulette
Episode #1124: Today we break down the latest Fixed Ops Golden Metrics, showing where service departments are winning and where there’s room to grow. We also look at how dealer inventory has returned to pre-tariff “normal” levels, and why Atlan...
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10:49
Rivian’s Credits Crunch, Ex-Tesla Superchargers, CEO Confidence Rebounds
Episode #1123: Today we cover Rivian’s fight over frozen EV credit revenue, ex-Tesla talent launching Hubber to fill urban charging gaps, and a sharp rebound in CEO confidence as recession fears cool but cost pressures remain....
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12:07
The Man Behind Ford’s Revamp, Mitsubishi Gallery Store, ChatGPT 4o’s Comeback
Episode #1122: Ford’s Doug Field maps a Silicon Valley–style path to a $30K EV truck, Mitsubishi debuts a luxury-inspired “Gallery” store concept, and OpenAI brings GPT-4o back after users missed its supportive “yes man” tone.
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13:54