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Episode #1072: Ferrari eases off the EV pedal, LAZ Parking launches a game-changing 50,000-charger rollout, and TikTok’s AI influencers threaten to upend the creator economy.

Show Notes with links:

• Welcome to the franchise side, Benji Urra! A seasoned dealer since 1985, Benji is entering the franchise world after nearly 40 years in the independent auto business.
  • He acquired Bravo Nissan of Victoria, TX, from Bravo Autos' Raymond Palacios and Alex Flores.

• Even the prancing horse isn’t immune to the EV slowdown. Ferrari is postponing its second electric vehicle—originally planned for 2026—by at least two years, signaling ongoing hesitance in the high-performance luxury EV market.
  • Ferrari’s first EV, a larger, atypical model co-designed by ex-Apple design chief Jony Ive, will debut in October with 2026 deliveries starting at over $500,000; it's seen more as a symbolic milestone than a volume play.
  • Internally, the second EV is viewed as the true strategic launch, with targets of 5,000–6,000 units over five years.
  • That second model has now been delayed twice, with no real demand yet from Ferrari’s core enthusiast base.
  • The delay also gives Ferrari time to refine its proprietary EV tech while competitors like Lamborghini, Porsche, and Maserati similarly reevaluate or scale back their EV timelines.
  • “Real, sustainable demand is non-existent for an electric sports car,” said a source close to the matter.

• In one of the largest EV infrastructure deployments in North America, LAZ Parking is installing 50,000 Level 2 chargers at its facilities—bringing EV access directly into the daily routines of city dwellers and commuters.
  • The rollout spans over 4,000 locations across 43 states and 536 cities, integrating charging into where people live, work, and park.
  • LAZ is partnering with Epic Charging and Autel Energy, with Autel providing the preferred hardware for the project.
  • The initiative avoids the highway model of fast-charging stops, instead embedding EV access into residential and urban life.

• TikTok is stepping deeper into the AI marketing game, unveiling new tools that let brands generate influencer-style videos using synthetic avatars—potentially redefining who gets paid to promote.
  • The Symphony AI ads platform now lets advertisers create virtual avatars that model clothes, demo apps, and showcase products.
  • These avatars mimic human influencers in both look and behavior, offering content at scale without contracts or shoot days.
  • For brands, it means lower costs and faste

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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Episode #1071: In today’s episode, we unpack April’s surprising EV registration drop, spotlight top dealership strategies driving service and parts growth, and break down a fresh consumer sentiment boost that still comes with caution.

• Automotive News’ Top 100 Service and Parts Dealer Groups show that there’s no single path to growing service and parts revenue—but that tailored strategies, tech investments, and a laser focus on training can deliver huge results.
  • Murgado Automotive boosted revenue 45% by empowering service directors and emphasizing speed, transparency, and convenience.
  • Holman’s 48% increase stemmed from employee training, technician retention, and use of myKaarma software across all stores.
  • Kunes Auto Group drove a 33% bump through acquisitions and leveraging DealerFenix to standardize metrics and processes.
  • All three groups focused on increasing customer-pay work, tire sales, and throughput efficiency.
  • “It’s all the little things that add up to the big things later on,” said Murgado CEO Mario Murgado.
  • Top 10 - Autonation, Penske, Lithia, Hendrick, Asbury, Group 1, Sonic, Morgan, Holman, Ourisman
  • Other friends - 13 - McGovern, 27 - Ciocca, 33- RML, 35 - Bergstrom, 44 - Premier Automotive, 47 - Walser, 66 - Sam Pack, 69 - CMA, 74 - Rohrman

• For the first time in over a year, U.S. electric vehicle registrations fell in April. While some brands like Chevrolet saw gains, overall adoption continues to hit a ceiling amid consumer hesitation.
  • EV registrations dropped 4.4% year-over-year to 97,833, marking a 6.6% market share.
  • Tesla saw a 16% decline, with major drops in Model Y and Cybertruck registrations.
  • Chevrolet more than tripled its numbers, led by strong demand for the Equinox and Blazer EVs.
  • S&P’s Tom Libby notes the EV segment is hitting a “demand ceiling” around 5,000 units/month per model.
  • “There’s a lot of influences working against EVs right now,” Libby said, citing charging concerns and wavering government support.

• After half a year of sliding confidence, American consumers are feeling a bit more upbeat. A new report shows a sizable sentiment jump in June—but lingering doubts about the broader economy are hard to ignore.
  • According to the University of Michigan, consumer sentiment rose 15.9% from May to 60.5, the highest level since December 2024.
  • The increase was across age, income, region, and political affiliation, with expectations for both short and long-term business conditions seeing the steepest gains.
  • Analysts credit a perceived easing of tariff pressure and slowing inflation for the positive shift.
  • However, consumer sentiment, opinions on current economic conditions, and consumer expectations for the future are all still down YoY
  • “Despite this month’s notable improvement, consumers remain guarded and conc

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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JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/

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Today on the show, we've got Daniel Govaer joining Paul, Kyle and Chris to recap the Raptor Rally that he helped host. Together with Leif Johnson Ford and Rally Ready Ranch, they brought the high-performance Ford Raptor community together to benefit Central Texas Make-A-Wish.

It went so well that the Make-A-Wish team left before all of the kids and families did, because of how well it was going.

A poignant reminder of the amazing impact that auto can have on life's defining moments.

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.

Get the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/

JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/