Autotown EP6: Polestar Ban, Record Car Prices & Mobile Service

Welcome back to Autotown with Jamie Butters. In this episode, Jamie is joined by Dan Shine, Senior Editor at Automotive News, for a conversation on the latest auto industry headlines — including Polestar’s U.S. sales halt after 2026, the impact of connected vehicle rules tied to Chinese technology, Volkswagen’s global challenges, and the record-high average marketed price of vehicles on dealer lots. Jamie and Dan also dig into affordability, the used-car squeeze, the K-shaped auto market, and why more consumers are being pushed into older vehicles as new-vehicle prices continue climbing. Then, Autotown stops at the Coffee Shop for a conversation with Amit Chandarana, CEO of Curbee, about the rise of mobile dealership service. They discuss why mobile service is gaining traction now, how dealers can use it to grow fixed ops without building more service bays, the technician challenge, customer convenience, scheduling, ROI, and where the mobile service business could go next. Finally, the Autotown Town Hall asks a July 4th question: What does “Made in America” mean when it comes to buying a vehicle? Is it about U.S. assembly, UAW labor, brand ownership, value for money, or something else entirely? In this episode: Polestar’s U.S. sales halt after the 2026 model year Connected vehicle rules and Chinese technology concerns What Polestar dealers face next Volkswagen’s global pressure and potential job cuts Record-high vehicle prices and auto affordability Why some buyers are being pushed into older used vehicles Mobile service for dealerships with Curbee CEO Amit Chandarana How dealers can grow service business beyond the store Technician challenges, convenience, scheduling, and ROI Autotown Town Hall: What does Made in America mean? Follow Autotown with Jamie Butters for weekly conversations on the people, companies, technologies, and trends shaping the automotive industry. New episodes every Saturday morning at 7 a.m. on 760 WJR in Detroit. CHAPTERS: 0:00 Intro: Welcome to Autotown 0:40 Dan Shine joins the show 1:20 Polestar’s U.S. sales halt and connected vehicle rules 4:00 Volkswagen, China, and global pressure 6:25 Record-high vehicle prices and affordability 10:49 The Coffee Shop: Amit Chandarana, CEO of Curbee 12:30 Mobile service, technicians, and dealership execution 15:52 Mobile service ROI and fixed ops growth 19:53 Dealer concerns: vans, staffing, and scheduling 21:34 The future of Curbee and mobile automotive service 25:11 Autotown Town Hall: What does Made in America mean? 29:02 Closing and how to join the Autotown conversation TAGS: Autotown, Jamie Butters, Autotown EP6, automotive podcast, auto industry, Dan Shine, Automotive News, Polestar, connected cars, Chinese technology, vehicle data, Volkswagen, auto affordability, car prices, used cars, Curbee, Amit Chandarana, mobile service, dealership service, fixed ops, service departments, Made in America, UAW, USMCA, WJR Detroit THUMBNAIL / COVER SLIDE TEXT: Autotown EP 6: Polestar Ban, Mobile Service & Made in America