Automotive State of The Union

Shoot us a Text. Paul, Kyle, Michael, and Nathan woke up at 4am so they could be in NYC by breakfast to begin the day of coverage at the JD Power Auto Forum in Manhattan. They’ll be talking to industry experts and Dealers about the current Dealer respo...

Shoot us a Text. Episode #1017: Today we talk Polestar’s bold Tesla takedown with a $20K lease play, Jeff Bezos’ stealthy new EV startup with big aspirations, and GM’s pause on BrightDrop van production despite rock-bottom pricing. Show Notes with link...

Shoot us a Text. Today, Head Writer Chris Reeves joins the show to deliver hot takes on chicken, Thanksgiving and traditions, then pivots to talk about the Subaru Share The Love campaign and how Subaru of Jacksonville and Subaru Corporate raised a gran...

Shoot us a Text. Episode #1015: Today we’re diving into how global tensions are reshaping Tesla’s China strategy, why car buyers rushed showrooms ahead of auto tariffs, and why Harvard says better mentoring might be the secret to fixing retail’s revolv...

Shoot us a Text. Episode #1014: Today, we’re covering President Trump’s pause on reciprocal tariffs leaves auto imports still facing steep duties, while a record number of buyers turn to 84-month loans to afford today’s rising prices. Show Notes with l...

Shoot us a Text. Episode #1013: We cover the impact of upcoming tariffs on auto repair and insurance costs, seasonal shifts in EV range, and a new Pew survey revealing a major divide between AI experts and public opinion. Show Notes with links: Auto re...

Shoot us a Text. Episode #1012: Today we’re talking about Lithia Motors’ internal challenge to boost service growth, FM Capital’s $240M bet on auto tech startups—with strong dealer backing, and the mounting issues facing Tesla’s Cybertruck. Show Notes ...

Shoot us a Text. Episode #1011: Today we’re breaking down the early fallout from sweeping auto tariffs, Toyota’s recalibrated EV strategy, and why Gen Z is ghosting credit cards. Show Notes with links: The 25% tariff on imported vehicles is forcing swi...

Shoot us a Text. Episode #1010: Head Writer Chris Reeves joins the show to not talk about tariiffs. Instead, we talk about stage names and the impact that dealers are making in their communities. What started as a press release a year ago is now a tang...

Shoot us a Text. Episode #1009: Today we sit with COO of Matthews Auto Group Vincent Salvagni to discuss the question on every Dealer’s mind; What should I be doing with my inventory level? As consumers rush to beat tariffs, Dealers are worried about o...

Shoot us a Text. Episode #1008: Cars Commerce drops a no-nonsense playbook for dealers while Ford rolls out employee pricing for all as tariffs loom large. Meanwhile, Tesla’s Q1 delivery miss raises red flags far beyond a Model Y changeover. Show Notes...

Shoot us a Text. Episode #1007: Consumers hit showrooms ahead of tariff hikes, juicing March sales and making record months and Q1s. Dealers like Rhett Ricart and Zac Kinch fielded a flood of buyers with questions and Amazon dropped Nova Act—an AI agen...

Shoot us a Text. Episode #1006: We’re joined by Brian Kramer, EVP of Cars Commerce to talk about the upcoming auto tariffs and how Tesla’s market share is declining. Plus, as the deadline to sell TikTok nears, some surprising potential buyers have emer...

Shoot us a Text. Episode #1005: The biggest dealership groups continue their march toward market dominance while Toyota’s hybrid boom is pushing suppliers to the limit. Meanwhile, Gen Z graduates face a tough reality as government hiring freezes throw ...

Shoot us a Text. Episode 1004: After we discuss the new name of this show (Automotive State of the Union), Paul and Kyle jump into a story Chris Reeves about the Elking Auto Group seeing a homeless mother and daughter in need and stepping up to help. J...

Shoot us a Text. Episode #1003: Dealers and analysts react to President Trump’s tariff order, as the administration considers a tax deduction for auto loan interest paid. Plus, Fisker Oceans have found new life as a rideshare fleet in NYC. Show Notes w...

Shoot us a Text. Episode #1002: Today's show dives into Trump’s game-changing 25% auto tariff and what it means for car prices, Hyundai’s massive new EV plant in Georgia and OpenAI’s latest AI breakthrough in image and text generation. Show Notes with ...

Shoot us a Text. Episode #1001: Nissan reveals a bold new roadmap, slashing vehicle development times and expanding its EV lineup. Meanwhile, California now boasts more EV chargers than gas nozzles and AI is taking orders at drive-thrus—will customers ...

Shoot us a Text. On Tuesday, September 28, 2021, Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier pressed record for the very first time. Now, 1,274 days later, they’re recording the 1000th episode of the Automotive Troublemaker. Today we’ve got special guests, a look b...

Shoot us a Text. With 1 more day until Episode 1000, Kyle is on his way to Syracuse and Paul is joined by Todd Caputo. Today, we dive into a quick cybersecurity response that saved hundreds of stores from a malware attack, Ford’s $18M legal loss over a...

Shoot us a Text. On this Saturday, we get to recap the Greater Charlotte Automobile Dealers Association Auto Tech Competition that brought over 300 high schoolers to Charlotte Motor Speedway to compete on diagnosing issues in a high-stakes timed challe...

Shoot us a Text. Happy Friday! Today, we’re covering how Elon rallied Tesla employees during a surprise all hands meeting last night. Plus, auto auctions have their best year since 2020 and consumers prefer AI-generated responses to reviews over those ...

Shoot us a Text. Happy Thursday, Troublemakers! Today we’re talking about Amazon dipping its toe in the used car market, GM is going all-in on AI with Nvidia, and new data reveals surprising trends about who’s actually shopping on Amazon. Amazon has se...

Shoot us a Text. Today in our little walk around the automotive landscape, Tesla takes a big step toward launching its robotaxi service in California, while BYD shakes up the EV world with game-changing 5-minute charging tech. Plus, a viral tweet spark...

Shoot us a Text. Today, we’re talking about how used car prices are on the rise—unless you’re driving a Tesla, where values are plummeting at three times the market rate. Plus, two NASA astronauts return home after an unexpected nine-month stay in spac...