Greenfield Talks, Subaru Swapps, Ford Patent’s Potential Repos

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Fridays are for futurists as our friend Steve Greenfield joins us to talk about his latest Intel Report. We also introduce you to the new Subaru CEO as well as Ford’s new patent they said they don’t plan on using anyway. Who’s having fun!?!  We are. 

• Welcome back regular guest Steve Greenfield to talk about his latest Intel Report and what he is most excited about heading into March

• Subaru has appointed 60 year old Atsushi Osaki as their new CEO replacing Current CEO Tomomi Nakamura who has been at the helm since 2018. 

• Osaki recently served as global production chief but has a tenured history in quality assurance; outgoing CEO Nakamura will become Chairman
• The new CEO said “We at Subaru want to survive the age of electrification by being nimble, we will put various systems in place while focusing on flexibility and expansion.”  He also added that he sees sales growth in the US
• Also announced is President & CEO of Subaru of America, Tom Doll, will be stepping down effective April 1st and will assume the role of Corporate Advisor, still based at the Camden, NJ HQ
  • "The Subaru brand and Subaru of America hold a special place in my heart. Since the day I arrived here 41 years ago, we have worked tirelessly to make Subaru more than a car company. The growth of this company has been nothing if not spectacular, but I am most proud of the good we have done with our Love Promise programs and the lives we have impacted. It is the employees of Subaru of America, the great friendships we have developed and our amazing customers and retailers who are the secret of our success," said Doll.
  • On April 1, 34 year Subaru veteran, Tadashi "Tady" Yoshida will be promoted to the role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Subaru of America, Inc. from his current position of Executive Vice President who has served in the various roles of Overseas Sales and Marketing, Global Marketing and the Customer Service Division
    
    
    
• Ford isn’t getting into the repo business and says it has no plans to use the technology that can disable a/c, create an “incessant and unpleasant” beeping, or even drive the car to another location in a repo situation in a patent they recently filed
  • “We submit patents on new inventions as a normal course of business, but they aren’t necessarily an indication of new business or product plans,” Ford said in a statement
  • John Van Alst, a senior attorney with the National Consumer Law Center said, “It really seems like you’re opening up a can of worms that, as a manufacturer, you don’t really need to be doing.” 
  • This patent comes during a period when auto loan delinquencies are on the rise 

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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