If you like your auto news with a side of legal intrigue, this one’s for you. Today, Brian Maas, President of the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA) is back on the show *again* to talk lawsuits, EV reversals, and why Scout’s reservation list might be more complicated than it looks. First up, a federal court allows CNCDA’s lawsuit move forward, challenging Scout’s direct-to-consumer reservation model and pushing for sales through franchise dealers instead. Scout’s first vehicles are now pushed to 2028, but tens of thousands of consumers have already put down deposits for vehicles that aren’t here yet and might not be sold the way the law intended. Next, Sony Honda Mobility rethinks its electrification strategy, putting the brakes on the infamous Afeela while CNCDA’s lawsuit is still active. And finally, we discussed how Rivian successfully negotiated with dealers to withdraw opposition in Washington. Brian breaks down why some states let Tesla and Rivian sell directly while others don’t, and why dealers say the 125-year-old franchise system still protects local jobs, service, and competition. Ready for more? Press play for a continuation of all the legal drama in the EV world.

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Christian Spencer, Senior Manager of Marketability at Nissan Technical Center North America joins the show today to tell us exactly what happens when you mash up EV-style performance with hybrid convenience. Nissan calls it e‑POWER, and the all-new 2027 Rogue Hybrid is bringing it to U.S. roads later this year. Driven exclusively by dual electric motors (eliminating the need for a transmission) the gasoline engine serves as a generator and provides convenient refueling. Press play on this episode to get the inside scoop on how the Rogue Hybrid delivers instant, shift-free acceleration with no transmission, why the gas engine is basically just the battery’s personal assistant, the quiet, refined, EV-like drive, and how it stacks up against hybrid heavyweights like Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR‑V. If you love new product reveals and the feeling of your hair getting blown back on acceleration, this one’s for you.

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What is Nissan e-POWER? While most hybrid-electric vehicles in the U.S. use a parallel hybrid system, Nissan e-POWER is a next-generation series hybrid. That means two electric motors power the wheels directly, delivering instantaneous torque and quick, smooth acceleration. Meanwhile, a gasoline engine serves as a generator for the battery and motors, providing the convenient refueling that customers equate with internal-combustion vehicles. Drivers refuel just like a typical gas-powered car, there is no plug. In city and suburban driving, the gasoline engine runs infrequently, because speeds are lower and battery demand is modest. On highways or under heavy load, the engine runs more often to maintain battery charge and supply sustained electrical power. The lithium-ion battery stores energy captured through regenerative braking and from the engine, which is connected to a generator instead of a transmission. The third-generation hybrid system in the all-new Rogue, tuned for the North American market, can effectively meet the demands of a wide variety of driving environments.

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Learn more about Nissan's Third Generation of e-POWER here.

https://www.nissan-global.com/EN/INNOVATION/TECHNOLOGY/ARCHIVE/E_POWER_GEN3/

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Working in the auto industry in 2026 is either “a marathon” or “like fracturing a couple ribs” and this episode lives right at that intersection of never ending hustle and pain tolerance. Jimmy Douglas, CEO of Plug, a used EV marketplace built exclusively for electric vehicles and John Possumato CEO of DriveItAway, join the show today to talk about the coming tidal wave of off‑lease EVs (about 1.1 million over the next three years) and why it's the buying opportunity of the decade. With gas prices going off the rails, consumers are finally doing the math: it’s not just about the monthly car payment, it’s about the monthly fuel bill, and EVs are suddenly looking... good? We unpacked why used EVs are the best arbitrage on the planet: often 40–50% depreciated while barely 10% into their useful life, how flexible leases are pulling people with shaky credit and no down payment into reliable transportation, instead of dumping them into 200,000 mile gas beaters, the huge gap between dealers who actively lean into EVs (28‑day turns, healthy margins, happy customers) and those who get one on trade every few months and let it collect dust while sales staff can’t explain regenerative braking and how OEMs like Tesla and others have built powerful pre‑owned pipelines and reconditioning networks behind the scenes. Bottom line: used EVs aren’t a consolation prize. They’re the cheat code for dealers, for consumers, and for an industry trying to survive the most chaotic, opportunity‑packed decade it’s ever seen.

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This episode is sponsored by DriveItAway. If you’re a franchise dealer, you can now launch a profitable (and scalable) micro-lease to own program with zero upfront costs, to transform your unsold inventory into monthly revenue, effortlessly. And if you want to support DriveItAway’s mission directly, check out their stock on the OTC markets, "DWAY." Learn more at driveitway.com/dealers

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Elon Musk has apparently decided that building cars and rockets wasn’t enough, so now he’s launching Terrafab, a trillion‑watt chip factory that has ambitions of powering both Teslas and the galaxy. About 20% of this computing power will stay on Earth for cars, robots, and ground AI, and the other 80% is basically going to outer space. Skepticism levels: very high. Meanwhile, Ford’s BlueOval plant in Kentucky is now getting $2 billion more to pivot to energy storage. GM, LG, are all following suit. U.S. battery demand for storage hits 41% this year (up from 26% two years ago) and global market projected to double+ to $172 billion by 2030. Energy storage really is THAT girl because apparently ChatGPT and friends are really thirsty for electrons. On top of that, Congress is floating a new federal EV fee $250 a year for EVs, $100 for hybrids because EVs aren’t paying gas taxes. How can we go from EV incentives to EV penalties in record time? It's baffling. Then there’s the ongoing robotaxi battle royale. Last week it was announced that Uber is investing $1.2 billion in Rivian for exclusive autonomous R2 robotaxis over five years. It’s autonomy meets distribution, and everyone’s picking a tribe. Who do you think will survive? PS - thank you for being here, it means the world!

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Catch me at The Used Car Summit in Miami on April 14th

The New Used-Car Profit Stack: Retail, Remarketing, and the Next Wave of Inventory Strategy

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Dealer franchise law is front and center in today's episode with Brian Maas, President of the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA) where we talked about the latest lawsuits involving Sony Honda's Afeela and VW's Scout Motors, how California’s franchise statutes really work, and why every OEM and dealer should be paying close attention. For example, what’s really at stake if automakers start cherry‑picking which cars go through dealers and which go direct? We also take a slight detour into the wild world of hiring a car‑buying “negotiator” with services like Delivrd. Is it innovation, or just old‑school brokering with better branding and a TikTok following? Brian breaks down where California law draws the line, why disclosure matters, and how dealers can stay on the right side of the rules while still serving their customers. Don't miss Brian's straight talk on the franchise system amid EV shifts and direct-sales experiments. If you're in autos, EVs, or just hate bad car deals, this one's a must-listen.

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Covering the automotive industry these days often feels like trying to hit a moving target blindfolded or playing an endless round of Whack-a-Mole. Yet somehow, amid all the chaos, flip-flopping policies, and doom scrolling, EV owners are happier than they've ever been. Shocked? Yeah, me too. That's why I'm happy to welcome back Brent Gruber, Executive Director of the EV Practice at JD Power, to talk about the 2026 Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study. He breaks down exactly why satisfaction has hit an all-time high heading into 2026: massive leaps in battery tech, far more accurate range estimates, and finally (yes, finally!) better public charging availability and reliability. We also unpack the satisfaction gap between premium and mass-market EVs, and the eye-popping stat that 96% of current EV owners would happily jump back into another one despite all the noise about slowing sales. Plus, Brent explains how the incoming flood of used and off-lease EVs is about to make electric driving way more affordable.

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The Tom Selleck meme mentioned at 13:25

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EV Owner Satisfaction Climbs to New High Amid Sales Slump, JD Power Finds

https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2026-us-electric-vehicle-experience-evx-ownership-study

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Uber’s letting you hail the future: this summer you can book a driverless Zoox in the Uber app in Las Vegas, with LA on deck for next year. Meanwhile, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is sounding the alarm that winning the autonomous vehicle race is a national security, economic, and safety must win for the U.S. and yes, he’s the same guy from MTV’s The Real World: Boston, 90's (core memory unlocked). On the retail side, WSJ recently reported Volkswagen dealers are suing over a direct‑to‑consumer plan for Scout Motors, prompting guest commentator John Possumato, CEO of DriveItAway to label the strategy as “stupid, stupid, and stupid” and argues that EV makers should lean into dealer networks and flexible leases instead of reinventing the wheel.

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WSJ article from Chris Otts: Volkswagen Dealers Revolt Over Plan to Sell a New Brand of SUV Directly to Consumers

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Grab your calculator, ping your CPA, and maybe get a comfort snack or two because Trump’s new car loan tax break might be less ‘cash in your pocket’ and more ‘political brain fog' with extra paperwork. Chris Otts, Autos Reporter at The Wall Street Journal joined me today to break down the confusing new auto loan deduction, reveals which cars really qualify, and asks the hard question: does this incentive move the needle at all for everyday car buyers? ICYMI: the Trump administration’s new auto loan interest tax deduction is for vehicles assembled in the United States and has a lot of rules around who can actually cash in on it. Press play to hear how we compared this complex and limited new benefit to the now-defunct $7,500 federal EV tax credit, explored which cars actually qualify (and why many affordable models don’t), and walk through a real‑world example showing the deduction is worth roughly $576 in the first year on an average new‑car loan. *cue the tiny violins*

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Link to the full story in The Wall Street Journal

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