Top 100 Service and Parts, EV Registrations Fall In April, Consumer Sentiment Up

Automotive State of The Union

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Episode #1071: In today’s episode, we unpack April’s surprising EV registration drop, spotlight top dealership strategies driving service and parts growth, and break down a fresh consumer sentiment boost that still comes with caution.

• Automotive News’ Top 100 Service and Parts Dealer Groups show that there’s no single path to growing service and parts revenue—but that tailored strategies, tech investments, and a laser focus on training can deliver huge results.
  • Murgado Automotive boosted revenue 45% by empowering service directors and emphasizing speed, transparency, and convenience.
  • Holman’s 48% increase stemmed from employee training, technician retention, and use of myKaarma software across all stores.
  • Kunes Auto Group drove a 33% bump through acquisitions and leveraging DealerFenix to standardize metrics and processes.
  • All three groups focused on increasing customer-pay work, tire sales, and throughput efficiency.
  • “It’s all the little things that add up to the big things later on,” said Murgado CEO Mario Murgado.
  • Top 10 - Autonation, Penske, Lithia, Hendrick, Asbury, Group 1, Sonic, Morgan, Holman, Ourisman
  • Other friends - 13 - McGovern, 27 - Ciocca, 33- RML, 35 - Bergstrom, 44 - Premier Automotive, 47 - Walser, 66 - Sam Pack, 69 - CMA, 74 - Rohrman

• For the first time in over a year, U.S. electric vehicle registrations fell in April. While some brands like Chevrolet saw gains, overall adoption continues to hit a ceiling amid consumer hesitation.
  • EV registrations dropped 4.4% year-over-year to 97,833, marking a 6.6% market share.
  • Tesla saw a 16% decline, with major drops in Model Y and Cybertruck registrations.
  • Chevrolet more than tripled its numbers, led by strong demand for the Equinox and Blazer EVs.
  • S&P’s Tom Libby notes the EV segment is hitting a “demand ceiling” around 5,000 units/month per model.
  • “There’s a lot of influences working against EVs right now,” Libby said, citing charging concerns and wavering government support.

• After half a year of sliding confidence, American consumers are feeling a bit more upbeat. A new report shows a sizable sentiment jump in June—but lingering doubts about the broader economy are hard to ignore.
  • According to the University of Michigan, consumer sentiment rose 15.9% from May to 60.5, the highest level since December 2024.
  • The increase was across age, income, region, and political affiliation, with expectations for both short and long-term business conditions seeing the steepest gains.
  • Analysts credit a perceived easing of tariff pressure and slowing inflation for the positive shift.
  • However, consumer sentiment, opinions on current economic conditions, and consumer expectations for the future are all still down YoY
  • “Despite this month’s notable improvement, consumers remain guarded and conc

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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