Weekend Warrior Tension, More EV Than ICE, U2 Warms Up NADA Venue

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Welcome to the best month on the calendar as we give a spirited UAW strike update, peruse the list of new vehicles over the next 18 months, and review the very first show at the site of the NADA Show opening party at the Las Vegas Sphere.

• Weekend tensions were rising between the UAW and the Detroit 3 as 7000 additional workers went on strike. 
  • Ford CEO Jim Farley alleges the union is holding automakers "hostage" with unreasonable demands, stating, "A bad deal would threaten midsize or expensive larger vehicles." and that if the goal was a historic contract, that was already on the table. 
  • UAW President Shawn Fain countered by accusing Farley of "lying about the state of negotiations." Fain emphasized, "Bargaining's always a two-way street," and criticized the companies for frequently shifting their stance. The dispute has now engaged approximately 25,000 workers. 
  • Nyle Maxwell, owner of four Stellantis stores and chairman of the Stellantis National Dealer Council, voiced concerns about the ongoing strike's impact on inventory and the supply chain. He’s been stockpiling fast moving parts and highlighted the potential crunch on Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator inventory. Maxwell emphasized, "any additional strike targets are just going to cripple the entire supply chain." He urges "more strategic thinking and less bluster."
• Flashback to 2017: Automotive News released its first annual Future Product Pipeline listing all plug-in vehicles headed to market. The Chevrolet Bolt was a fresh face and Elon Musk was touted as a champion of a progressive audience as he announced his ambitious promise of a $35,000 Tesla Model 3 made headlines. Today the Model 3 is the number one selling EV on the market even though it never met that price point, and the Gen 1 Bolt is about to be history. Since then, the automotive landscape has evolved dramatically, and the list of EVs coming to market is longer than the list of ICE vehicles
  • Acura ZDX, Audi A6 E-tron, Audi Q6 E-tron, BMW i5, BMW i7, BrightDrop Zevo 400, Buick electric crossover, Cadillac Escalade IQ, Cadillac Celestiq, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Chevrolet Bolt EUV/EV, Chevrolet Equinox EV, Chevrolet Silverado EV, Cruise Origin, Dodge Challenger EV, Dodge Charger EV, Fiat 500e, Porsche Taycan, Ram 1500 REV, Ram ProMaster, Rivian R1S, Rivian R1T, Rolls-Royce Spectre, Tesla Cybertruck, Tesla Model 3, Tesla Roadster, VinFast VF 6, VinFast VF 7, VinFast VF 9, Volkswagen ID Buzz, Volkswagen ID4, Volkswagen ID7, Volvo EX30, Volvo EX90.
• Last Friday night, U2 kicked off a new era of live performances at Las Vegas's groundbreaking Sphere venue…which will also be the location of the NADA Show Welcome Reception this year.
  • The $2B Sphere made full use of the 16K, wrap around screen as 18,600 fans lost their minds across social media
  • GA, standing room admission was over $200 face value with parking costing $100
  • U2 will play 25 shows at the sphere

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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