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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
Automotive State of The Union
Breaking Down The Tariff Situation, Plug-In Lambos, Return of the iPod
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Episode #1277: The Supreme Court narrows emergency tariffs—but most auto duties remain, reshaping pricing and payments. Lamborghini shelves its EV plans in favor of hybrids. And Gen Z is ditching smartphones for iPods, chasing simpler tech in a distracted world.
In our ASOTU daily email this morning, the team broke down the recent tariff news and what they mean for dealers. While one layer of trade pressure is gone after the Supreme Court’s ruling, most auto-related tariffs affecting dealers and buyers remain in place.
- The ruling targeted emergency tariffs under IEEPA, not those imposed under Sections 232 and 301—where most auto exposure still sits.
- Steel and aluminum levies remain active, keeping pressure on parts, repair costs, and supplier pricing.
- VIN-level data shows uneven price impact: Canada-built vehicles up nearly $4K, Japan-built up ~$3.3K, Germany-built ~$2.8K, and Mexico-built over $1.5K.
- Pricing is largely baked into 2026 MSRPs, so expect stabilization—not rollbacks. Incentives and allocation will move before stickers do.
- Bottom line for dealers: focus on payment certainty, availability, and clear next steps—not promises of price drops.
Lamborghini is officially backing away from its all-electric ambitions. CEO Stephan Winkelmann says the brand’s customers just aren’t ready—and going all-in on EVs risks becoming an “expensive hobby.”
- The Lanzador EV, first shown in 2023, has been quietly canceled after internal debate stretching into late 2025. Instead, by 2030, every Lamborghini will be a plug-in hybrid.
- Winkelmann says the “acceptance curve” for EVs among Lambo buyers is flattening and “close to zero.”
Gen Z is rediscovering the iPod—and not just for the nostalgia. With schools banning connected devices and digital burnout on the rise, Apple’s discontinued music player is becoming a low-tech escape hatch from the algorithm-driven chaos of smartphones.
- Google Trends shows 2025 searches for iPod Classic and Nano up 25% and 20% year-over-year.
- Refurbished iPod sales have climbed an average of 15.6% annually since 2022, according to Back Market.
- Students are using iPods as a workaround in phone-restricted schools—offline music without the distraction.
- The vibe shift? A simpler, distraction-free tech era that “felt more hopeful”—and a reminder that sometimes less tech is more freedom.
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Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.
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