Dealer Profits Stable, Fleet EV Transition, and Apple’s Beta

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Happy Thursday! Today Paul’s back and we cover stabilizing dealer profits, GM & Ford helping Fleet customers transition to the EV lifecycle, and Apple’s newest beta features available now.

Show Notes with links:

• New data from the Presidio-NCM benchmark shows the sharp drop in dealership profits may be stabilizing after a tough year. 
  • Average dealership pretax profits dropped 30.4% in 2024, but this is an improvement from earlier declines.
  • Used-vehicle margins showed improvement, while new-vehicle margins continued to shrink.
  • Fixed-operations performance helped offset declining overall profitability.
  • George Karolis of Presidio Group notes, "The improvement... is the strongest indicator yet that retail automotive’s profit tumble could end up stabilizing."

• GM and Ford are rolling out new tools to help fleet operators make a smooth transition to electric vehicles, addressing concerns about cost, charging, and business impact.
  • GM’s “EV Starter Kit” helps identify EV-suitable drivers and routes, offering home charging solutions.
  • Ford’s “E-Switch Assist” analyzes vehicle usage to suggest which can be replaced by EVs.
  • Ford’s tool has analyzed over 38,000 vehicles, finding 53% suitable for EV replacement.
  • GM provides telematics and OnStar analytics to support businesses with cost comparisons.
  • “Our solutions are aimed at making this transition easier and potentially reducing the total cost of ownership,” said Nate McDonald, Ford Pro’s EV brand manager.

• Apple's iOS 18.2 developer beta introduces advanced AI tools and enhanced integration with ChatGPT, expanding the capabilities of Apple’s ecosystem.
  • Developers can now access tools like Genmoji and Image Playground for image and emoji generation.
  • Visual Intelligence allows users to search using their camera on iPhone 16 models.
  • AI-powered writing features and expanded regional support are part of this release.
  • ChatGPT integration is set to enhance user interactions on Apple devices.
  • Apple Intelligence will continue rolling out in stages, with Siri’s screen-aware actions yet to arrive.

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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