Shoot us a Text.

Episode #1069: Trump eyes higher auto tariffs and axes California’s EV rules, Google quietly gains ground with Gen Z shoppers, and an AI-generated NBA Finals ad shows how fast, cheap, and creative the future of advertising can be.

Show Notes with links:

• In a high-energy speech, President Trump proposed raising auto tariffs and celebrated a legislative rollback of California’s EV mandates — a double-down on his strategy to protect domestic auto manufacturing and consumer choice.
  • Trump suggested raising auto tariffs above the current 25% level to encourage automakers to produce more vehicles domestically.
  • He pointed to GM’s $4 billion investment in U.S. plants as a positive result of existing tariff policies.
  • The President signed legislation last week that rolls back California’s zero-emissions vehicle mandate, which would have banned new gas car sales by 2035.
  • Dealer and manufacturer groups applauded the repeal, arguing it protects affordability and nationwide regulatory consistency.
  • “Customers don’t want the government telling them what kind of car to buy,” said John Bozzella, CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation.
  • Eleven states, led by California, have filed a legal challenge against the repeal, calling it an overreach that undermines state-level emissions standards.

• Google is making gains with Gen Z shoppers, chipping away at Amazon’s dominance in product search. New data shows young consumers are increasingly turning to Google — not just for browsing, but even when they know exactly what they want to buy.
  • Morgan Stanley data shows a rise in 16–24-year-olds using Google for product research, both general and specific
  • As of March, 30% of Gen Z shoppers who knew what they wanted still started on Google — up from 21% last fall.
  • Meanwhile, Amazon’s share dropped from 41% to 34% over the same period.
  • Analysts suggest Google's generative AI tools, like AI Overviews and Google Lens, may be fueling the shift.
  • “The volume of commercial queries on Google Search has increased with the launch of AI Overviews,” said Google’s Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler.

• An AI-generated ad made in just two days aired during the NBA Finals, showing how creators can now move faster and cheaper than ever before. Using Google's Veo 3 and a lean workflow, one filmmaker delivered a national commercial at a fraction of traditional production costs.
  • AI filmmaker PJ Accetturo produced a 30-second TV spot for betting platform Kalshi in just two days using Veo 3 and Gemini.
  • His process involved AI-assisted scripting, iterative prompt generation, and rapid video output, yielding 15 usable clips from 300–400 generations.
  • The entire production cost came in at roughly $2,000 — a 95% reduction from traditional ad budgets.
  • Editing was done with tools like CapCut and Premiere, allowing f

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/