How One Dealer Monetized Charging, BYD Battles Discounts, Google’s Nano Banana

Automotive State of The Union

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Episode #1135: Friendly Chevy’s charging park is pulling in revenue and conquest sales, BYD takes a profit hit in China’s price war, and Google’s “Nano Banana” might just beat ChatGPT at the AI image game.

Show Notes with links:

• Back in 2021, Friendly Chevrolet’s Mark Eddins saw a gap in the EV experience—and filled it. With GM rolling out EV standards, he went all-in on a unique charging park open to all EV brands. Today, EVHQ is paying off in brand loyalty, new customers, and revenue.
  • EVHQ opened March 2023 near downtown Dallas with eight 120-kW fast chargers under a canopy, staffed 24/7.
  • It offers a lounge-style experience: movie room, Corvette Cafe, Wi-Fi, play area, dog park—even roadside charging.
  • All EV brands are welcome; a free membership gets 20% off retail charging, and an app is launching soon.
  • Revenue hit $300K in 2024 and is on pace for $400K this year, with over 10,000 users and 1,200 monthly sessions.
  • EV sales at the store more than doubled in 2025 so far.
  • “I wanted to be one of those guys that had something nobody else had,” Eddins said. “It is beyond my wildest dreams, quite frankly.”

• Even as BYD pushes aggressively into overseas markets, the Chinese EV giant is taking heat at home. A brutal domestic price war cut deep into profits last quarter, despite record sales and growing international presence.
  • BYD’s Q2 net profit dropped 30% year-over-year to $891M, even as revenue rose 14%.
  • The company blames “excessive marketing” and fierce price-cutting across China’s EV space.
  • Retail prices in China have fallen 19% over two years, triggering concern from regulators.
  • First-half revenue still jumped 23%, with record new energy vehicle sales.
  • In Europe, BYD’s July registrations hit 13,000+—up 225% year-over-year.

• A new challenger has entered the AI image arena. Google’s “Nano Banana” image generator—recently added to Gemini—might just be the first serious rival to ChatGPT’s viral image dominance. And it's got some surprising strengths.
  • Nano Banana delivers sharper realism, faster generation, and better character consistency.
  • It keeps visual details intact across prompts, and it’s images often look more natural and less AI-generated.
  • Gemini's model also handles real photo uploads better—especially when combining images or changing backgrounds.
  • "If you want something that’s very quick and gets the job done in the most realistic way possible… Gemini’s Nano Banana is the clear winner," wrote one reviewer.

0:00 Intro with Kyle Mountsier and Ben Hadley

1:03 Announcements

1:46 Friendly Chevy's EVHQ Charging Station

6:00 BYD Q2 Profit Drops 30%

10:04 Google's Nano Banana Outperforms

Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.
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