Ep. 202: Ron Swanson Pushes EVs in a New Campaign Plus Lucid / Uber Join AV Race
Description
This one starts out cheesy but I promise we *do* get down to business. First, let's talk about the Uber / Lucid / Nuro partnership that was just announced yesterday that will mark the start of these companies officially entering the AV (autonomous vehicle) robotaxi fight. It's been reported Uber will invest $300 million into Lucid as part of the arrangement. Then, can we also talk about the fact that Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) is now lending his voiceover talents to Veloz? Veloz is a nonprofit focused on EV adoption, and has launched a $43.5 million "Electric For All" campaign on July 14, 2025, to educate consumers about electric vehicle benefits. And finally, The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, representing major automakers, has urged the U.S. Department of Justice to review state franchise laws, arguing they restrict competition and increase vehicle and repair costs for consumers. The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) strongly opposes this, defending the franchise system as cost-effective and essential for consumer protection and economic stability, citing a 2024 Oliver Wyman study. The dispute highlights a broader tension between automakers and dealers over control of the retail auto market, especially as electric vehicle sales models evolve.
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Link to Larry Vellequette's Automotive News Column: In ‘holy war’ between dealers, automakers over warranty rates, nobody wins
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