Price means the price anyone can pay: Dealer-required charges must be included, including leasing fees, while government-required charges such as taxes paid by the consumer can be excluded. MSRP, rebates and conditional discounts can appear, but the universally available price must be the most prominent amount.

The rule follows the ad: The FTC says the standard applies to dealership and third-party websites, social media, print, roadside signs, phone calls and texts.

Doc fees: Mandatory doc fees must be built into the advertised price. State-required doc-fee disclosures can still appear, but they don’t change the FTC’s requirement that every dealer-required charge be included.

Negotiating and add-ons are still allowed: Customers can negotiate below the advertised price, and dealers can sell optional products. But the advertised price must be available without negotiating, and optional products cannot be represented as mandatory.

In-transit and offsite inventory can be advertised: The ad must clearly say the vehicle isn’t physically on the lot. An in-transit vehicle must actually be available when it arrives, not already allocated to another customer’s paid order. Dealers cannot advertise unavailable or recently sold vehicles.

Representative photos: Stock photos can work when they accurately represent the vehicle and consumers understand they’re illustrative. For used and antique vehicles, the FTC says consumers can reasonably expect to see the actual vehicle being offered.

Responsibility extends beyond the dealership: Dealers, third-party advertisers and OEMs can all be responsible when they have control over the advertising.

There’s no grace period: The FTC says price transparency isn’t a new requirement. Dealers that believe competitors are violating the rules can submit reports, including supporting ads or contracts, to the agency.

GM announced in 2023 that it would phase CarPlay and Android Auto out of EVs, and Mary Barra said late last year that the plan would eventually extend across GM vehicles.

The new system keeps CarPlay and Android Auto inside a smaller card rather than letting them take over the entire display, while GM’s native system remains alongside phone mirroring.

One American Trucks study found 55% of CarPlay users and 36% of Android Auto users considered losing the feature a new-car dealbreaker; among GM owners, 42% said the same.

GM software boss Mike Wahlstrom: “We heard from customers that they want that same simplicity while still having quick access to everything their vehicle can do.”

The agenda centers on five areas: profitability, Voice AI, EVs in 2026, mobile service, and leadership, with dealers joining panels at different stages of implementing these ideas.

Steve Greenfield will debut a new talk on the dealership “profitability stack,” while former Toyota COO Jack Hollis will speak on leadership and former Berkshire Hathaway executive Vic Keller will focus on career paths and building an industry people want to join.

The event runs 10 a.m.–5 p.m. at Plug’s new West L.A. headquarters, followed by an offsite happy hour at the L.A. Motoring Club. Attendance is capped at 200 seats, and the L.A. Auto Show begins the following day.

A big thanks to Plug, Mia, Curbee, Plug and DLRdmv, who backed the first-ever ASOTU CON West before the website, venue details, speakers and full agenda were even announced.

A flexible lease would begin with a one-month term, with the customer able to renew, return the vehicle or purchase it later.

The proposed model removes several traditional barriers: no down payment, traditional credit threshold or multiyear commitment, with the process handled digitally.

The idea positions flexible access as an acquisition channel for shoppers who lack a down payment, don’t meet traditional credit criteria or simply aren’t ready for a six- or seven-year loan.

The concept isn’t meant to eliminate ownership; it delays when the customer has to make that decision while allowing the dealership to benefit during the decision period.

The Center for Automotive Research forecasts vehicle subscriptions could reach roughly 20–30% of Germany’s market by 2030, which Possumato points to as a potential glimpse of where flexible access could go.

Community: Kyle said dealers repeatedly emphasized the value of 20 Groups and tight peer relationships, including the ability to meet in person several times a year and continue those conversations asynchronously.

Context: As dealers build and adopt AI tools, Kyle heard an emphasis on capturing not just vehicle and brand data, but SOPs, decision-making processes, and other institutional knowledge specific to the dealership.

Confusion: Three GMs or owners told Kyle that, unlike previous technology cycles, they’re hearing much more disagreement from vendors about what dealers should do next, making “direction” harder to find.

Concern: One dealership employee built an automated used-car pricing dashboard by giving Claude their IMS credentials, prompting immediate concern about credentials reaching a frontier model without IT governance.

Brandon Beaver of Beaver Toyota told Kyle that “institutional knowledge is one of the like most important things right now.”

Duffy accused Ford of “actively intertwining its future with Chinese state-backed enterprises” and said American companies should “out-innovate competitors” rather than rely on them.

Farley said Ford’s Marshall, Mich., battery plant is owned and operated by Ford despite licensing technology from CATL; the White House recently touted the project, while Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has praised Ford’s domestic investments.

Ford is also working with Geely overseas: its Spanish plant will build Geely vehicles for Europe, and the companies will co-develop an SUV for overseas markets. Farley said those vehicles aren’t intended for the U.S.

Duffy said Farley previously proposed a framework for U.S. joint ventures with Chinese automakers. Farley flatly denied it: “N-O, period,” adding, “Ford does not propose any framework described in the letter.”

Farley on the broader dispute: “These are basic misunderstandings, mistruths, whatever words you want to use, that could be cleared up in a simple five-minute call.”

Franchised dealers rated the current market at 49, down from 53 last quarter and 53 a year ago; their three-month outlook fell to 51 from 57 in Q2.

The economy remained dealers’ biggest challenge at 54%, followed by interest rates at 39%. Consumer confidence was cited by 31%.

The new-vehicle sales environment scored a neutral 50, down from 53 last quarter and 58 a year ago, when shoppers were rushing to buy ahead of expiring EV tax credits.

Cox analysts said customers may be gravitating toward cheaper, lower-margin vehicles or models dealers struggle to source. One Toyota dealer said, “I am stuck with expensive new vehicles, whereas the cheaper, lower-trim models move much faster.”

Cox’s Mark Strand noted the disconnect between sentiment and sales: “They always feel a little bit worse post-spring bounce. But the market was actually picking up a little bit of momentum in Q3.”

Traylor compared today’s AI moment to the shift from faxed leads, newspaper ads, and paper inventory grids to dealership websites, arguing the adoption window is moving much faster this time.

Adomitis said Mia’s early dealer users have not seen the widespread hallucination problems some in the industry fear, while acknowledging that edge cases will always exist and need to be resolved.

Both emphasized the value of early adoption for data collection and training. Adomitis said, “The cool part of AI is you only have to train it one time.”

Traylor said Mia’s best-performing stores have strong top-down buy-in and position the technology as an “ultimate employee” that helps cover customer traffic humans are leaving untouched, while freeing support staff for other work.

Traylor on the pace of adoption: “You don't have that long. This is hitting different.”

Chandarana says Curbee is currently in conversations with roughly 15–16 OEMs, up from an estimated two or three a year ago, ranging from early pilots to planning next-level programs for 2027.

Some Dealers are adopting mobile service because of immediate operational needs. He cited stores facing months of construction that want to keep serving customers while their facilities are disrupted.

He says mobile service can be up and running in roughly four to six weeks for about one-tenth the cost of adding new service bays, while involving fewer people and delivering higher customer satisfaction.

Chandarana says OEM conversations are increasingly focused on how to measure and support mobile service, including incentives, co-op, op codes, and customer surveys built specifically around the mobile experience.

On the biggest obstacle for Dealers, Chandarana said: “Change management, right? OEMs and dealerships have not had [change management] courses in their global system.”

Douglas says the first half of the year brought roughly 100,000 EV lease returns, with another 200,000 expected in the second half—making the next several months a bigger test for used-EV values.

Plug is working with more dealers than ever, and Douglas said its expected biggest sale day to date had at least three dealers bidding on each unique vehicle on average. Plug’s most common transport route is currently California to Texas.

Douglas says appraising software-defined EVs requires understanding what the vehicle can do today, not simply how it left the factory.

His advice for dealers who want EVs to become a meaningful part of their business: build expertise across the entire team and commit to enough volume that shoppers can compare models and drivetrains. He also says not every dealer needs to sell used EVs because they remain a small portion of the used market.

Douglas: “Every customer touchpoint on the lot needs to be one that injects confidence in the mind of the EV shopper.”

The hospital’s Child Life Zone was transformed into Arendelle, complete with a Frozen screening, capes and crowns, and Bell performing a cappella songs from the movie as children sang along.

Bell also joined Musicians On Call’s Bedside program, visiting pediatric oncology patients who couldn’t attend the event for one-on-one conversation and songs.

Hyundai Hope on Wheels presented the hospital with a $100,000 Impact Award supporting pediatric cancer research.

Musicians On Call and Hyundai Hope on Wheels are now three years into a partnership bringing music to pediatric cancer patients nationwide.

Musicians On Call CEO Pete Griffin said, “Music has an incredible ability to comfort, distract, and heal, and seeing the kids’ faces light up as they sang along with Kristen is exactly why these visits matter so much.”

Dunne called Stellantis “the canary,” pointing to its relationship with Leapmotor after its Jeep manufacturing joint venture in China went bankrupt. He says Stellantis executives told him, “We have come to the conclusion that we cannot compete against the Chinese. Our best bet is to basically join the Chinese.”

Dunne pushed back on comparisons between China’s arrival and earlier waves of Japanese and Korean automakers, arguing China brings a different “scale and magnitude and ambition.” He pointed to more than 1 million Chinese vehicles headed to Europe this year, alongside growing presence in markets including Mexico.

China’s manufacturing cost advantage remains formidable: Dunne said vehicles made there cost roughly 25–30% less than those made anywhere else. He highlighted Lexus’ decision to manufacture in Shanghai for China and global exports as a “monumental decision.”

For dealers considering Chinese brands, Dunne sees great products and attractive prices—but warns them to think beyond the initial opportunity. He says China’s domestic market has already seen dealers, suppliers and manufacturers struggle to make money as companies tolerate little or no profit for extended periods.

Dunne: “When you engage with the Chinese, understand what kind of tango you're getting into. Terrific product, but what happens to margins?”

Connect with Michael Dunne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-dunne-a696901a/

Dunne Insights: https://www.dunneinsights.com/