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Welcome to Wednesday as we’re talking about Lucids partnership with Bank of America to offer seamless financing, Manheim reporting a rise in wholesale prices, Taco bell’s new concept store that could set the standard for drive thru, and Ford’s surprise Lightning accessory. 

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• Bank of America partners with Lucid Motors to create seamless financing as Lucid Financial Services
  • Allows checkout process to be fully digital with various loan and (24/36/48 mo term)lease options
  • “Lucid Air customers have requested flexible financing options, including lease and loan purchase, with many of them preferring a 100% digital experience. Lucid Financial Services is all about delivering a best-in-class finance journey from online application to e-signing with full transparency of terms and flexible purchasing options. Our goal is to transform vehicle financing by introducing new processes that enable our customers to experience the luxury and technology of Lucid electric vehicles.”
  • Starting price for the Lucid Air $87,400 - 169,400 OR  3.28 - 6.36 Chevy Bolts 
  • Take away: Indicators are indicators. Give the people what they want. 
    
    
• May Wholesale Used Car Prices tick up from April’s decline according to Manheim 
  • Up .7 from April to May, up 9.7 YoY
  • ‘The pace of retail used-vehicle sales remained relatively stable in May. Used-retail sales fell 1 percent from April, according to Cox Automotive, which made that estimate by leveraging a same-store set of dealerships selected from Dealertrack to represent the U.S.’
  • Slower rollout of tax returns is a factor with only 74% of returns being released as of May 20th as opposed to 100% of the same period last year
  • Take away: There is no clear strategy and there are many ways to win. Join us in the “All Things Used Cars” clubhouse room on Friday at 9am EST to hear how some of the best operators are getting it done
• Taco Bell opens its “Defy” restaurant in Brooklyn Park, MN with a digital-first mindset
  • 2 story concept with the kitchen sitting overtop several drive thru lanes with mobile and third party orders prioritized. There is still a single traditional drive thru window
  • The goal is a “2 minute or less” experience from order to pickup. Food is lowered via a mini-elevator in a tube
  • Take away: Remember that (good, fast, cheap) triangle?
    
    
    
• Ford Lightning owners get surprise accessory to rescue stranded Teslas
  • Jim Farley’s Twitter response “Not trolling, just helpful.”
  • Take away: ‘slow clap’ Well played. 

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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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