AIADA Pres. Cody Lusk on the current issues facing import brands

There has been a lot of news out of Washington, D.C., recently that have huge impacts on the auto industry moving forward, including rail strikes, midterm elections, and the Inflation Reduction Act. Today on Inside Automotive, we take a deep dive into these issues with Cody Lusk, American International Automotive Dealers Association (AIADA) President and CEO, who discusses how the association plans to tackle these obstacles on behalf of auto dealers.

According to Lusk, the Treasury Department’s guidance on the newly passed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and its implications for EV tax credits are the updates his association is now seeking. They are hopeful about the present lame-duck congress and trying to avert the rail strike disaster.

Dealers and clients alike are confused while trying to understand the Treasury Department’s guidance. What this means for EV tax credits remains unresolved. Lusk’s members are focused on the effects of inflation coming down, interest rates, gas prices lowering, and the present economy. Whereas, Lusk is hopeful because association leaders have noted that the potential recession is everywhere but in the data. As a result, “we’re facing more of an emotional recession than a real one.”

To prevent the railroad crisis, which may have eliminated the issue that many dealers have with product and delivery distribution, AIADA is collaborating with the chamber of commerce.

According to Lusk, “with a Democrat control of the Senate and a Republican lead in the House of Representatives by a few seats. Vern Buchanan, a friend of ours, might be preparing the House community in ways that could add a few more checks and balances to Congress and increase oversight across the board.

Lusk encourages dealers to meet with the new congress to learn more about the events occurring in the community. The message Lusk says we should all support is that AIADA has a dealer program that arranges meetings between congressional representatives and technicians, and dealers to explore educational opportunities.

“Dealers have evolved for over 100+ years and adapt daily,” says Lusk. Despite potential dealers expecting an EV crash, Lusk believes EVs have always been an evolution rather than a revolution. Although the dealers are eager to sell them, reality has set in, and they are ultimately selling what the customers are purchasing.