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Today, writer Chris Reeves joins Kyle to talk Fresno Acura’s annual #PinkAcura campaign is back for its 12th year, turning a bright pink car into a traveling symbol of hope.

• Each fall, the Pink Acura visits schools, fundraisers, and local events — inviting people to sign the car in honor of loved ones touched by breast cancer.
• The signatures, memories, and messages become a moving tribute from the Fresno community.
• When the tour ends, Fresno Acura donates to Community Medical Center’s Radin Breast Care Center, funding early detection and treatment technology.
• The proudly female- and family-owned dealership uses the campaign to raise awareness — and remind everyone to schedule that check-up.
• “Every mark matters,” the team says — and after 12 years, this dealership’s impact proves it.

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 #1168: Today we’re covering how top dealerships are building stronger workplace cultures, why subprime auto delinquencies are rising, and how Ferrari’s first EV aims to keep its signature sound authentic.

• The Automotive News 2025 Best Dealerships To Work For study reveals what separates top employers from the rest — and it’s more about people than paychecks.
  • Winning dealerships excelled in communication, transparency, and trust — 88% of employees said they’re “kept aware of the dealership’s financial status” vs. just 65% at nonwinners.
  • They lead with fairness: 92% of employees at top stores felt “paid fairly,” and were satisfied with their benefits, compared to 71% elsewhere.
  • Flexible work options are gaining traction, with 48% of Best Dealerships offering four-day workweeks and 79% offering flexible hours.
  • Health and wellness programs were a hallmark — 70% offered fitness reimbursements, and 75% trained managers to spot stress and burnout.
  • “You build trust through being transparent,” said Tim Bergstrom, CEO of Bergstrom Automotive
  • The top dealership to work for in 2025 is Capitol Nissan Salem of the Capitol Auto Group, but we have some friends on the list including Mohawk Honda, 6 from the Rohrman Auto Group, 2 from the Matthews Auto Group and nearly 40 from Bergstrom Automotive

• The U.S. auto market is showing signs of financial strain as more buyers fall behind on car payments. Rising prices, higher interest rates, and stagnant wages are hitting lower-income consumers hardest.
  • Nearly 14% of new-car buyers now have credit scores below 650 — the highest share since 2016, according to J.D. Power.
  • More than 6% of subprime auto loans are 60 or more days delinquent, a record high, Fitch Ratings reports.
  • Roughly 1.7 million vehicles were repossessed last year — the most since 2009.
  • Lender Tricolor Holdings filed for bankruptcy, underscoring the strain on borrowers with limited credit access.

• Ferrari’s first EV, the Elettrica, won’t fake the sound of a V8 — it’s creating a new, authentic electric soundtrack. The brand’s engineers designed a system that amplifies real motor vibrations to create a natural, emotionally engaging tone.
  • Ferrari rejected synthetic engine noise and instead amplifies genuine drivetrain frequencies through a sensor on the rear axle.
  • The sound activates only when the driver calls for torque, offering “dialogue between driver and car.”
  • The system, developed in-house, works like an electric guitar — converting real vibrations into an audible, performance-linked tone.
  • Ferrari hasn’t yet revealed the sound to the public, though early testers reportedly praised it.

0:00 Intro with Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier
1:35 New Auto Collabs Episode with Michael Kraut of Exp

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/

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Episode #1167: GM kills its creative EV tax credit plan while Ford plays coy, the Chevy Bolt returns faster and cheaper than ever, and three Nissan dealers take their high-mileage heroes on a 1,500-mile proving ground through the American West.

• General Motors has scrapped a short-lived plan that would have allowed dealers to keep offering a $7,500 federal EV lease credit after the subsidy expired on September 30. The move follows political pushback and dealer uncertainty around compliance.
  • GM’s plan involved having GM Financial buy EVs from dealer inventory, claim the federal credit, and pass the savings into leases through the end of 2024.
  • GM had already begun funding incentives on about 20,000 EVs, with 5% down payments made on those vehicles prior to September 30.
  • The program was meant to help dealers avoid being stuck with higher-priced EVs post-credit, but Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH), a former dealer, objected to the move, calling it an overreach beyond the law’s expiration. GM ended the plan shortly after.
  • Ford rolled out a similar workaround ahead of the credit’s expiration but has declined to confirm whether it plans to continue offering the lease incentives.

• At a “Bolt Block Party” at Universal Studios Hollywood, GM has officially reintroduced the Chevy Bolt, its beloved affordable EV.
  • The new Bolt gains GM’s Ultium 65kWh LFP battery for faster charging, improved range, and bidirectional home power support.
  • Charging now jumps to 150kW (10–80% in 26 minutes) — triple the previous speed — with 255 miles of range and Tesla’s NACS port for Supercharger access.
  • The interior gets a bigger screen, refreshed materials and GM’s SuperCruise driver assist with lane-changing “route following.”
  • Pricing starts at just under $29K, making it the cheapest announced EV in the U.S., with production starting in early 2026.
  • The only controversy? No more Apple CarPlay or Android Auto — GM is betting on its new in-house infotainment instead.

• Three Nissan dealers traded in their desks for desert dust, road-tripping 1,500 miles across the American West in three used Nissans — all over 100K miles and under $10K — to prove the brand’s reliability and shake up customer perceptions.
  • The “Tour Detour” YouTube series follows the group’s off-road trek through salt flats, canyons, dunes, and mountain passes in two Muranos and a Juke.
  • Dealers Tim Pohanka, Chris Lenckosz, and Jason Cole financed and drove the cars themselves, documenting every gritty mile.
  • The goal: to challenge Nissan’s reputation around “continuously variable transmissions” durability and show that even high-mileage models can take a beating.
  • “We bought the cars ourselves and pushed them through the toughest roads in the West,” said Pohanka. “We wanted them to earn our trust — and our custome

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/