3 Comments to “AAH #584 – Car Dealers And Their Fight Against EV Startups”

1. Mark Shakespeare Says:
   January 17th, 2022 at 8:19 pm

   Good Afternoon,
   It is rare that I talk out loud while listening to a podcast but in this instance, I was yelling! I applaud for Tim Jackson coming on the show but I take issue with some of his comments.

   Dealers ARE marking up like never before on all sorts of models. Trying to find XYZ car at MSRP is so hard for some models, it needs to be a search filter on Autotrader, Edmunds, etc. Laws of supply and demand, make hay while the sun shines.

   Yes, you can try and order at MSRP from the car makers, but be careful the car may arrive without certain features due to the chip shortage.

   The most egregious dealer issue I hear about but so far I have not experience is where dealers post/order at MSRP but when you go to actual acquire the car, they want a markup. If that is happening, that is shady, sketchy, and very wrong.

   I do think there is a needed for local operations where you can test drive cars, service cars, and fix cars. I do agree with Tim that not all dealers are anti-EV, some have read the writing on the wall and adapting accordingly.

   States do need to take away the protectionist dealer laws and make the dealers compete on a level playing field with any other business model that is out there. I hope that this competition would help the good dealers thrive and become even better.

2. Ted Christensen Says:
   January 19th, 2022 at 1:18 pm

   AAH584-I cannot buy a car unseen as the interior dimensions, if published, do no really reflect how comfortable it will be for a tall or short person. I need at least a few minutes of seat time to see if it FITS.
   Point two: are independent shops going to purchase the special tools and training needed to service these complex pieces of machinery? The franchised dealer has to make a serious investment to be awarded the franchise and deserves a chance to get a return on their investment.
   To Gary’s point about buying online. Almost all complex equipment and machines are purchased through dealer or one sort or another. I can’t FedEx my Chevy back to GM when something breaks.

3. Peter Smith Says:
   January 21st, 2022 at 8:54 am

   I’d appreciate a poll of the Colorado Dealer Association to assess how many of them vote Republican EVERY time….a vote for smaller Gov’t, Less regulation, Free Enterprise, American Capitalism ….yada yada yada Oh and we’d like laws on the books that maintain our stranglehold on the relationship with consumers. We want those laws and regulations to stifle innovation and protect our luxury walled garden.
   I really find it offensive. What happened to the notion of “may the best man, company, idea” win.

   The dealers are contriving arguments to protect their own self-interest and fat bank accounts. Period.