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Bill Hanvey has led the Auto Care Association since 2015, speaking for an aftermarket industry of 5 million workers. He argues that automakers are using wireless vehicle data to shut independent repair shops out of the information they need to fix cars, sending drivers back to dealers at higher cost, and that only a national right to repair law can fix it.
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What is The Deciders?
Meet the Insiders rewriting the rules of influence. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Brody Mullins and veteran DC strategist Lisa Camooso Miller interview the leaders who shape perception, move policy, and win when it matters. Not pundits or commentators – these are the operators driving some of the most critical strategies and outcomes in today's Washington.
Lisa Welcome to The Deciders, where we talk to the insiders rewriting the playbook for effective advocacy in Washington, D.C. Today, we're joined by Bill Hanvey, who is the president and CEO of the Auto Care Association. Bill, it's great to have you.
Bill Thank you so much, Lisa. It's wonderful to be here.
Brody So, Bill, tell us about yourself. You had a 40 year history in the auto industry. You're from a small town outside of Buffalo. What brought you to DC?
Bill Actually, I grew up in Albany, New York.
Brody Okay.
Bill My, journey into the automotive aftermarket is is quite accidental. I, you know, I grew up in a household. My father kept his tools and a Charles Chips can, so, no technical knowledge. But I graduated from St. Bonaventure with a journalism degree. I was going to be a sportscaster, and, I interviewed for a job with the Albany Times Union for $12,000 a year, and I had an offer for a sales position for the automotive aftermarket for $17,000 in a company car. So the rest is history. You know, I spent eight plus years in the field in upstate New York calling on NAPA jobbers or NAPA stores from from Massena, New York, and north of Massena all the way down to Scranton, PA. And it just gave me a real good understanding of the men and women that work in this industry. Every day I called on shop owners, I called on farmers, I called on fleets. And during that sales period, you know, it just enabled me to really get a good understand of, you know, what this industry means to the economy, what it means to individuals and how important it is, for our industry to keep America moving. So I've progressed throughout my career. I became a product manager. I went inside, moved many times, in the process. But for each move, you know, I took on more responsibility and really got to understand the industry much better. Started my association career with a sister association called MEMA, the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association, and I started with them in 2012. And that association experience really solidified. What I knew all along is that this industry really needs advocacy. It needs engagement. And then in 2015, I was hired as the CEO of the Auto Care Association and carried out that mission ever since.
Brody So tell us about the association, how many members you have, where do they come from? And then tell us about the suppliers who are members also?
Bill The Auto Care Association represents the entire aftermarket industry here in the United States and in the entire aftermarket industry consists of tier one part manufacturers, aftermarket part manufacturers, independent wholesalers, family owned wholesalers, big retailers such as NAPA, AutoZone or O'Reilly, Advance, all the way down to the shop on the corner of Elm and Main, which is a huge industry which people may not really be aware of. We're going to be over a $600 billion industry in 2027. We employ 5 million men and women. And obviously, the first thing that comes to mind is advocacy. So, you know, we have to be the voice of our industry, not only here in Washington, DC, but at the state level as well. In addition to obviously, our federal initiatives, data is a really important initiative for us. You can't get that part in 30 minutes to that shop without good data. So, as an association leader, I really have leaned into data over the past, you know, 12 years that I've been the CEO. We have a common language that we created in order for folks to be able to look up a part correctly and identify a part that's called ACES.
Lisa So, Bill, auto repair has been around as long as cars have been, talk a little bit about some of the things that might surprise us about auto repair.
Bill Well, here's one that will surprise you. And when you think about the automotive repair industry, we were really the first green industry. We're taking vehicles that are not running. We service them and put them back into operation. And when you think about that today, everything's disposable. And, the automobile is not. And we've been doing that since the first car, came off the production line. Not only are we green in terms of being able to fix the cars, but we're also very conscious of recycling. 98% of the batteries are recycled today. I was just at one of our members about a month ago to see how they recycle, use batteries and create new batteries from, from from the recycled ones. We remanufacture parts. So when an old part comes off a car, we have companies that rebuild that part to not only the original equipment specifications, but in sometimes they they met remanufactured better than what the OE is. So, I thought that that would be a surprise for you that we are a green industry. We recycled, just about everything that we have.
Brody So, Bill, when I think of your industry, I think of me taking my car into the shop. But you're much more than that.
Bill We are. We represent basically anything that moves. During the pandemic, our industry is was declared an essential service. And the meaning for that, is that, you know, we are responsible not only for the repair of passenger cars, but for the heavy duty trucks that deliver your food, for the ambulances that take people to the hospitals, for the for the teachers, for the, for the miners. And you know, it's really important for people to understand, that we keep America moving by being able to have reliable transportation, whether it's a truck, whether it's an ambulance, or whether it's your car, to go back and forth to work or to pick up your kids. So if it moves, it's got wheels, or even if it doesn't have wheels, you know, we still represent that industry.
Lisa Let's talk a little bit about the importance of logistics. You mentioned about getting parts in a short period of time in order to be able to make that repair. Tell us a little bit about how that process works.
Bill Mentioned the 30 minute delivery time. And that's critical for the industry because when you think about logistics, you have to you have to look at the end spot. Right. So the end spot ultimately is the garage or the consumer. So order for that part to be able to arrive in 30 minutes at the at the garage, it takes an incredible amount of planning. But when you think about the garage itself, the most valuable piece of a garage is the bay. And the bay is what really is the profit center for an individual garage. So our industry has to make that bay time most efficient for the shop owners. So if we can get that part there more quickly than we win the business. And we're gradually getting to the point now where we can begin to look out the windshield rather than the rearview mirror in terms of predicting failure prone parts, or when those parts are going to fail or originality. And with some of this data that's now coming off the vehicle, that would be possible, if we're granted access to that data. And I know that that's an upcoming conversation.
Lisa But as a messaging person, I appreciate the look out the windshield. Your view mirror. I appreciate that clever, clever messaging. Smart. Very smart.
Brody So it's fascinating to see your industry as really a logistics company. Without question. We all know about Amazon fulfillment centers. How do you meet the 30 minute deadline of getting a part to where it needs to be?
Bill So I bring my car into the garage. I need a pair of brakes and a pair of rotors. What would happen is that the shop owner would do the diagnostics, determine that you need brakes and rotors, and then they would, ask the consumer, what type you're interested in, so on and so forth. And then they would look to their sources, you know, maybe a NAPA store and AutoZone or an independent Alliance store or Federated store, and they would either, inquire via computer directly into the parts store, to that NAPA store, also on the corner of Elm and Main. And they would inquire whether those parts are available. They would be able to check inventory from that particular NAPA store to see if those parts are available. If they're not available, I'd go to my second source, my third source, or I'd call for a fourth source. But the real interesting part is, number one, the cataloging. So in order to look up those brake rotors and brake parts, how do you do that? You know, you've got your make mileage, body type. We as an association created that language in order for people to order those parts electronically rather than flipping through a catalog. So we've saved that industry billions of dollars in returns and warranty by being more effective and more accurate in our cataloging. Those parts stores are supplied by by, suppliers around the globe. And then, we all make it work within 30 minutes or less. It's a miracle.
Brody We'll be right back.
Lisa Welcome back to The Deciders.
Brody So let's talk about the history of your agency. It seems like some of the biggest technological changes in the industry have led to advancement, and then later to problems that we'll get to. But talk about some of the biggest historical changes in the making of cars and how they're repaired.
Bill What's interesting is that, our industry has always been able to adapt to these technological changes, whether it's from a crank start to a push start or whether it's from a carburetor to fuel injection. You know, people had written us off when fuel injection was coming. Oh, they're going to they're going to seal the the hood shut. Well, we found that that's not true. But I think, you know, some of the things that we're seeing were recently, ADAS, automated driver assist system. So when you're driving your car and that little yellow light on your side view mirror comes off to tell you that someone's, on your on in your blind side, that's ADAS or your backup camera. When you put it in reverse, you're about to hit a hit the wall behind you. Your car shudders and and stops. That's ADAS. And this technology has been just instrumental in saving lives, preventing accidents. But it also lends a tremendous amount of complexity to the system. So now, a fender bender is not a fender bender anymore. It is a $3,000, $4,000 expense. Many times you'll have to replace the bumper because the cameras are in it. There's another, technology called telematics simply wireless transmission of data from your vehicle back to the automaker. And today's telematics equipped vehicles transmit about 25 gig of data back to the automakers each hour. Well, it is data like vehicle performance, engine performance where you're driving hard stops, turns, how much you weigh. So your passenger seat, when you put a gallon of milk on the passenger seat, the little airbag light comes off. That is to gauge the force of which the airbag is to deploy. So your seat is actually a scale, and that's transmitted back to the automakers, along with a tremendous amount of other personal data, diagnostic data, vehicle performance data. Well, so although helpful, it is now becoming an issue for our industry because the automakers are beginning to use that telematic data to prevent the independent repair shop from accessing that data. So on one hand, they're out selling personal data anonymously, they say. And also restricting access to that data for those that want to be able to repair the vehicle, that's not an authorized OEM dealership.
Lisa As it relates to that level of data, that amount of data, I'm sure that that must raise some privacy concerns.
Bill It does. And, you know, although the the OEMs are aggregating some of this personal data that's generated by the vehicle, I want to be very clear to say that our industry wants repair and maintenance data. We're not interested in the personal data. We don't need the personal data. But this issue is about repair and maintenance data for our industry. Period. And the story.
Brody So you must have faced a similar problem for so 15 or 20 years ago. There's the advent of the OBD2 correct system. You adjusted to that. Are there any lessons you can learn from? How are you able to adjust to that system, to the technology today?
Bill With an OBD2 system, it allows, a technician or you yourself to plug a machine into a port underneath the dashboard so that you can read, codes, you can read emission codes, so on and so forth. Now, we had our first round with the automakers over access to data through the OBD2 port. And in 2015, we signed an MOU with the automakers so that they would make all the data that they make available to the dealerships available to an independent repair facility Now, in that MOU, the automakers knew what was coming and they purposely struck telematics from that MOU. So which enables them to put in those gateways to deny access to an independent shop owner or to the do it yourself or to be able to access that data. So OBD2, we signed an MOU. The data was available, but now they're able to bypass that OBD2 port because all the information is transmitted wirelessly and you're not going to be able you're not going to need that port anymore to be able to access the data, at least the dealerships.
Lisa Well,
Brody You talked about the 2015 MOU. Why does that not work anymore?
Bill Well, you know, we've now coined the phrase that an MOU is an IOU. And, any agreement that that you may come up with without enforcement capability is really not worth the paper that it's written on.
Lisa So unpack that for us a little bit. Who's affected? Why is it an issue to help us understand that better?
Bill I'd be happy to. And so we recently conducted a poll of about 700 shop owners. 80% of the shop owners replied that their number one issue is access to data. More than 50% of those shop owners reported the fact that they had to send their vehicle back to the back to the dealership, 3 to 4 vehicles a month because they're not able to access the data. On average, when they had to send those vehicles back to the dealership, the shop owner would spend on average four hours to try to diagnose that vehicle. So if you're a shop owner and you and you run into a, into a dead end, what do you do? Do you charge the consumer for that four hours of bay time, or do you eat that bay time yourself after you've sent that car back to the dealership that directly affects not only the shop owners, but the consumers who now have the double jeopardy. They brought in their vehicle to their independent repair shop, whom they know and they've trusted for years, who now can't access the data and fix it, send it back to the dealer. So that is incrementally more expensive for the consumer. It's incrementally more inconvenient to the consumer as well.
Brody So I bring my Tahoe into my guy Chris at the Exxon in my neighborhood, and he just can't figure out what's wrong with my car. And the car's got to go to the dealership. So Chris loses money, the dealership wins, and then I lose. Also because you lose twice, right?
Bill You lose twice because you're going to have to pay for that diagnostic time at your shop. If not, then he's eating it. And on average, a visit to the dealer is 36% more expensive to the consumer than in our industry that you're independent shopping.
Brody Why is that? So that leads us directly to right to repair. It doesn't. So tell us about the bill.
Bill So in 2020, we passed a state referendum, a ballot initiative in Massachusetts, a right to repair initiative, that more than 80% of the voters approve. We didn't lose a county in Massachusetts. Great victory. A month later, the automakers, sued the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. And we're still waiting for a decision on the appeal for that. Maine, same story. Two years later, 86% of the voters approved this ballot referendum, still going back and forth in Maine. And now another lawsuit in Maine. So the only way to really rectify this is to have a national solution, so that if you're a consumer and you own a car, a truck, an ambulance, snow do, regardless of where you are in the country that you are protected, and you are able to access the data to repair and maintain your vehicle. In this Congress, we have four primary sponsors of the bill, Dr. Dunn from Florida. Brendan Boyle from Philadelphia, Gluesenkamp Perez from Washington State and Warren Davidson from Ohio. Bill 1566, in the House. So, we've been working for months with committee staff years, actually, with committee staff from the Energy and Commerce Committee. And to their credit, they they did such a good job of of learning the issue, understanding the issue from all sides. And they engaged everybody. We got to a point where everybody really kind of agreed in terms of going forward. We made concessions for the good of the industry. And at the 11th hour, I should say, at 11:30 in the evening before midnight of the next day, we had an agreement and all of a sudden, at 11:30 at night, the, the dealers pulled out of the agreement. So, we are left with weaker vision, a version of the bill than we than we originally had thought was was agreed upon. So now we are working very closely with the Senate and some of the other House leaders to get Dr. Dunn's language from the original bill, back into the Highway Reauthorization Act.
Brody What do you learn during that time about how Washington works or doesn't work?
Bill Well, you know what I've learned? I learned back in my in my sales days is that, it's not an order until the order is signed. So regardless of what you might hear from a representative or senator or whomever, it's not a commitment until, that is, until that sign, for sure.
Brody It seems like, though the the broader populism trend in the Republican Party is working in your favor here.
Bill This is all about affordability, right? It's all about affordability, consumer choice. And, really, it should resonate for both parties. And it really should because, you know this is anti monopolistic. It's good for the consumer. Right. So you would think that both sides support this. And we do have bipartisan support in the House.
Brody So obviously a lot of consumers would take your side because it lowers costs for them. The affordability we just talked about. But still you're taking on GM. You're taking on Ford. You're taking on the auto dealers and the auto manufacturers. Yes. What sort of tactics to use to try to beat them back?
Bill Well, I tell our industry all the time that, we don't have the loot, the lawyers or the lobbyists that the auto makers do not by any means. You take a look at NADA's PAC, and comparative to ours. Minuscule. But what we do have are those 5 million men and women that work in this industry. And we have really activated our grassroots campaign. You know, the folks on the Hill who represent their districts, they want to hear folks in their district. So we've done a tremendous job of engaging our industry with their local politicians. We set up meetings to to view their place of business, to do the ribbon cutting, to come in and see a local shop to to really see what happens in that local garage. So we've activated an entire industry. We sent over 200,000 letters to Congress. We had our legislative summit here last fall. We brought over 400 members of our industry on Capitol Hill, all wearing orange ties and scarves and meeting with their local representatives. And that has gotten us to where we are today.
Brody But so President Trump and JD Vance have weighed in on this issue recently. What are they saying?
Bill They're very supportive of right to repair. As a matter of fact, President Trump has signed an executive order called Freedom to Fix, which is similar to Right to Repair. However, it's primarily oriented towards the performance market or the emissions market in California to try and alleviate some of the, bureaucracy in terms of getting parts certified in California. We'd love for the president and vice president to, to push to have Dr. Dunn's language, supported in Congress in the, in the highway reauthorization bill. And really, we love for the president to be able to finish the job. You know, for for Democrats, you know, this is very much a bipartisan bill. I think we at the last count, I think we had over 60 sponsors of the bill. And the way that we're doing this, it's the Noah's Ark theory, and that you bring in, two by two, one Republican, one Democrat. And that really has worked for us to be able to show that we have bipartisan support, we have consensus, and that we're a we're actually able to work with both parties on a common issue. So, we're going to continue Noah's Ark until the ark is full and that we've landed. Another thing that we haven't talked about is workforce initiative, too. And, you know, we have about, 100,000 jobs open in our industry right now for technicians alone. You know, this is a well-paying industry. You know, it's it's, supports a tremendous amount of middle class jobs, and it really supports the American dream, because typically the career path of a technician, I work at the dealer, and then I go to work for an independent shop, and then I open my own shop. And that's what this is all about, is, is facilitating that American dream and giving the people the chance to be able to do so.
Brody We'll be right back on The Deciders.
Lisa Welcome back to The Deciders.
Brody Bill, we ask every Decider the same three questions. And the first one is what's the decision from the past year that you're especially proud of?
Bill Well, this may be a surprise to you, but I. You know, the decision to retire. Leaders talk about the next generation all the time. You know, we're getting ready for the next generation. We're we're prepping. The next two are mentoring. We're doing, but we don't step down. We don't give them a chance. So, you know, I've had such a great career, that, a I wanted to leave on top, and the association is running, better than it ever has been before. The team is solid, so why not leave on top? Why not give the next generation a chance to be able to pick up the reins? And I want to make room for them so that they can, you know, they can continue the legacy that I've left behind.
Lisa Bill, what's one thing you would do over.
Bill You know, I thought about this question, and, you know, from a work perspective, I can't think of anything that I would do over, you know, we all make mistakes, but but hopefully, if you're, you know, a good, leader and a good individual, you're going to learn from those mistakes. So my mistakes have made me a better leader. But my biggest regret really is on a personal level. And not being able to spend enough time with my granddaughter watching her play lacrosse. She's going to be entering college next year, and the years this have passed so quickly. I've dedicated so much of my time to this industry that it's time for me to to really recognize some personal and some family.
Brody What's something that Washington is not thinking about but should be?
Bill We talk about affordability, but we don't talk about how to make things affordable. You know, we say we have to make things affordable. And this is the one way that both sides can go back to their constituents and say that, look at we're working for you on affordability. And, you know, I think that that's what they need to think about. I think Washington really also needs to be aware of some of these technology that's that's coming forth from from the, you know, automobiles. I know Waymo is a big discussion here in DC that that would change the transportation landscape. Many ways, I think that, new manufacturers of vehicles are we are beginning to make headway in South America and other regions in the world that we have to keep our eye on.
Lisa Bill, thank you so much for joining us on The Deciders.
Bill So thank you, Lisa. Thank you Brody. Appreciate it.
Brody Welcome back to The Deciders. That was Bill Hanvey. Lisa, what do you think?
Lisa The one thing I've really come to appreciate about the show is that as much as we talk about national issues, there is a greater understanding that we get about the impact that it really has, the issues that each of our guests have, that relate back to Main Street, that's, I think, pretty apparent with 5 million people in the industry that are really directly affected by this legislation.
Brody So this really seems like a fight over technology and data and so many other industries. That's what the fight is over. But in this industry, I would have thought it'd be over how to repair cars. But it's not. It's over technology and data. And that's fascinating.
Lisa I agree and I bet we're going to hear more about that in the conversations going forward as well. Thanks so much for joining us on The Deciders. We'll see you next week.
ANNCR The Deciders is hosted by Brody Mullins and Lisa Camooso Miller and produced by Dave Tobey. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Find more online at deciders.show and follow The Deciders on YouTube, LinkedIn and X.