Column: What a Congress should be: Top people, tough issues

The Automotive News Congress Sept. 23-24 was the biggest and best one since before the pandemic, and our speakers took on the industry's thorniest issues.

• Pablo Di Si, the CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, talked about his approach to negotiating with the UAW.
• Electric vehicle sales growth has slowed. Lower prices would change that, experts said.
• Ford's Marin Gjaja said there's such a chasm between consumer perceptions and the actual value of EVs that it persists until three years of ownership.
• The U.S. presidential election will have big implications for trade policies and EV incentives.
• Ten months after Hyundai and Amazon announced a sales partnership, it's still in the pilot stage. National Automobile Dealers Association CEO Mike Stanton said dealers are getting frustrated with the pace of progress.
• Can the in-car digital experience ever match that of a smartphone?
• Competing with China is one thing. Protecting national security is another.
• With all of this going on, it's no wonder GM is leaning into strategic flexibility.

You might want to read my column that weaves together the themes of EVs, China and presidential politics. Or just look at all the nice photos from the M1 Concourse. Check it all out online and in the pages of Automotive News.