Reimagining the Showroom, EV Charger Dollars, Global Labor Competition

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We’re coming off of a day in the dirt as we spend the day in and out of a dozen showrooms. So today, we’re talking about showroom flow, EV charging stations lagging behind expected demand, and the international labor shortage coming to our shores. 

• Honda takes a step to redefine & redesign the retail showroom
  • “So Honda plans to redesign dealerships into modern retail spaces that are basically terminals along the way to EV ownership, not destinations. The smaller dealerships Honda envisions would be where buyers pick up their new EV after completing the purchase online, or where EV owners go for infrequent service.”
  • More seamless online to offline shopping journey.
  • Take Away: As you head toward the next round of remodels or builds for your franchises, imagine how the customer journey could be redesigned with a retail mindset.

• EV Charging stations are going to lag behind vehicle sales…for a while
  • Biden admin preparing to hand out 7.5B to states to continue to build infrastructure for EV charging but states are having trouble spending the money they’ve already received
  • Over four years ago, states received over $420M as a part of a 2.8B VW scandal settlement and to date, less than half has been spent
  • Texas was one of the first to dole out existing funds and after their application process officially opened, 85% of the funds were awarded to Shell Corporation
  • The Biden administration wants 500,000 public chargers by 2030; McKinsey & Co. estimates that as many as 1.2 million are needed.
  • The U.S. has fewer than 5,000 locations with 10,000 individual fast chargers that anyone can use, according to government data.
  • Take Away: 

• The UK Has a fancy fix for their labor shortages
  • 20 US Schools have been prioritized to give Visas to graduates
  • No job offer required and 2-3 year Visas
  • Graduates also able to bring their families
  • Goal is to attract highly qualified candidates for tech, startup, and finance roles
  • Take Away: Finding inventive ways to attract qualified candidates is the job of every business owner.

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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