Tom Castriota, 2025 NADA Chairman and owner of Castriota Chevrolet, discusses significant industry developments including the rollback of California's EV mandate and the strategy behind dealer advocacy in Washington.

• Celebrating the successful rollback of California's 35% EV mandate after years of behind-the-scenes work
• Advocating for a "bridge" approach to tariffs that would give manufacturers time to adapt while supporting American manufacturing
• Addressing the affordability crisis with average new vehicles approaching $50,000 while average household income remains around $65,000
• Supporting EVs while emphasizing the importance of consumer-driven rather than mandate-driven adoption
• Analyzing threats from Chinese manufacturers whose government subsidies create an uneven competitive landscape
• Defending the franchise dealer system against direct-to-consumer models from manufacturers like Volkswagen's Scout
• Identifying AI as a transformative force for dealerships and emphasizing the continued importance of dealer attitude surveys
• Highlighting the importance of dealer involvement in legislative outreach that helped secure bipartisan support for industry priorities

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