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Episode #1249: We dig into why affordability—not EV tech—is the real sales bottleneck heading into 2026, how agentic shopping is reshaping the idea of ‘merit’ across retail, and why Jeff Daniels’ new stage play about a struggling dealership is hitting close to home for the auto industry.

• In a wide-ranging interview with Automotive News, Chevrolet dealer council leader Andy Guelcher explains why affordability—not EV tech—is the industry’s biggest hurdle heading into 2026, and how pricing discipline, incentives, and used EVs will ultimately determine sales momentum.
  • Guelcher warns that $1,000-plus monthly payments are unsustainable and, if not addressed, will put real pressure on future vehicle sales.
  • Lower inventory levels have helped dealers protect gross, but affordability now requires more creativity in financing, leasing, and lender mix.
  • From a Chevy standpoint, Guelcher says disciplined inventory management and a renewed focus on lower-MSRP models position the brand well if affordability improves.

• Hollywood meets the showroom as actor Jeff Daniels brings car dealer drama to the stage. A new play written by a former Automotive News editor puts a struggling dealership — and the people who love the business — front and center, minus the tired stereotypes.
  • The Classic King follows four salespeople racing to save a dealership after losing its new-car franchise, which was inspired by real dealership closures during the Great Recession
  • The play is written by former Automotive News editor Richard Johnson and directed by Jeff Daniels at Michigan’s Purple Rose Theatre.
  • Daniels praised the script, saying, “There’s a lot of heart in it and a lot of humor… it speaks to people who don’t just have a job — they love what they do.”

• AI is officially coming for the shopping cart. Shopify president Harley Finkelstein says “agentic commerce” could fundamentally change how consumers discover and buy products—shifting power away from ads and toward relevance, fit, and merit
  • Shopify is betting big on agentic commerce, citing a 14x increase in orders driven by AI agents in just the past year.
  • Google’s new Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), backed by Shopify, Walmart, and others, aims to standardize how AI agents shop across brands.
  • Rather than replacing e-commerce sites, agentic shopping is expected to act as a powerful new “spoke,” potentially accelerating overall e-commerce adoption.

This episode of the Automotive State of the Union is brought to you by Amazon Autos: Meet customers where they shop: reach high-int

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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