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Today, Chris Reeves joins Paul and Kyle to talk about the monthly and weekly events that MileOne holds for their communities with car seat distributions and teen driver courses.

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 #1298: The Alliance for Automotive Innovation CEO John Bozzella joins Paul and Kyle to discuss his automotive news op-ed that lays out the case for a recent Washington state piece of legislation that could pave the way for Chinese automakers to bypass the U.S. franchise system.

• In an Automotive News Op-Ed, John Bozzella argues that Washington state quietly handed EV-only manufacturers a direct-sales pass, and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation CEO says the real danger isn't Rivian or Lucid — it's who comes next.
  • Washington now allows three EV-only manufacturers to sell directly to consumers, bypassing the franchised dealer system that protects the broader retail network.
  • The Washington State Auto Dealers Association backed the law, believing it would lock in protections for franchised dealers by drawing the line after existing EV-only brands.
  • The Alliance for Automotive Innovation opposed the plan, arguing one set of rules should apply to all manufacturers regardless of powertrain or market entry date.
  • The bigger concern: Chinese automakers with ambitions to enter the U.S. market now have a legal framework they could use to pursue a fourth, fifth, or sixth direct-sales exemption.
  • Bozzella didn't mince words: "The competitiveness of the auto industry and the dealer franchise system will suffer if Chinese automakers are allowed to do in the U.S. what they're already doing around the world."
  • This comes as the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, NADA, Autos Drive America, the American Automotive Policy Council, and MEMA, sent a joint letter to the Trump administration this week with a unified message: keep Chinese automakers out of the U.S. market, and don't let them build their way around the rules either.

Today’s show is brought to you by HeyGreenlight. HeyGreenlight’s Wingman gives your sales and BDC team live, real-time guidance so they consistently say the right things, at the right time, on every call.

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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Episode #1297: The EV world is getting hit from all sides — punishing fee proposals, $50 billion in industry write-downs, and a bold $1.25 billion Uber-Rivian robotaxi bet.

A growing wave of state and federal EV fee proposals would charge electric vehicle owners two to three times what the average gas car driver pays in federal fuel tax.

• House Transportation Committee Chairman Sam Graves introduced a federal $200 annual EV fee — more than double the ~$95 average gas car driver pays in federal fuel tax each year.
• The fee is a flat charge with no connection to actual road usage, meaning a grandmother driving 3,000 miles pays the same as a daily commuter logging 25,000.
• 36 states already impose EV fees that result in EV owners paying more than gas drivers contribute through fuel taxes, with Texas charging $400 upfront plus $200 annually.

Automakers are unwinding EV bets at a combined cost approaching $50 billion, a stark reminder of how aggressively the industry moved, and how quickly the market shifted beneath them.

• Ford leads the charge with roughly $20.9 billion in EV-related write-downs through 2027, including the cancellation of the F-150 Lightning and a pair of three-row electric crossovers.
• Stellantis previewed €22 billion in charges — the largest single write-down — covering canceled vehicle programs, EV supply chain restructuring, and the end of a battery joint venture in Canada.
• GM and Honda round out the list, with GM topping $7 billion in 2025 EV charges and Honda projecting $1.9 billion by March — including winding down the Prologue and Acura ZDX programs.
• As iSeeCars analyst Karl Brauer put it, “There’s just been an overinvestment and, certainly, obviously too aggressive of a timeline”

Uber is betting $1.25 billion on Rivian to power its next robotaxi push, with plans to deploy up to 50,000 autonomous R2s across 25 cities by 2031.

• The deal includes an initial $300 million investment and commitments to purchase 10,000 autonomous R2s, with options for 40,000 more starting in 2030.
• Rivian's R2 robotaxis will launch exclusively on Uber's platform, starting in San Francisco and Miami in 2028, then expanding across the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
• The deal follows Rivian's $5.8 billion Volkswagen software partnership and adds to Uber's growing roster of AV deals with Lucid, Zoox, Stellantis, and Nvidia.
• Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi: "That vertical integration, combined with data from their growing consumer vehicle base and experience managing the complexities of commercial fleets, gives us conviction to set these ambitious but achievable targets."

Today’s show is brought to you by HeyGreenlight. HeyGreenlight’s Wingman gives your sales and BDC team live, real-time guidance so they consistently say the right things, at the right time, on every call.

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/