Electric vehicle designer and manufacturer Fisker says its first dedicated engineering and technology center, to be located in the Mission District of San Francisco, will be the focal point and development center for the company’s software and vehicle electronics. That includes in-car and Fisker data center elements. The company’s chairman and chief executive officer Henrik […] [Read More]

Expanding its Southeastern regional presence, Lithia Motors has purchased Jim Cogdill CJDR in Knoxville, Tenn. The move marks Lithia’s entrance into the Tennessee market, with the company serving Knoxville and neighboring communities. Lithia expects the Knoxville location to add $90 million in annualized revenue. That will bring Lithia’s total network expansion to more than $1.7 […] [Read More]

Luxury electric vehicle producer Karma Automotive will introduce a new name for a family of vehicles in 2021 called the GS Series, and the lineup will include Karma's first-ever battery-electric luxury sedan. The lineup will also include updated electrification options and technological advancements, and to facilitate orders, Karma created a new pre-reservation order site that […] [Read More]

Eighty-two percent of dealers said they would rely heavily on social media advertising such as Facebook and Instagram for the rest of this year, according to a new survey from PureCars. Sixty-two percent said they would use direct marketing channels, and 61% would use SEO/search marketing efforts to reach customers. The PureCars survey found that dealers’ […] [Read More]

Chris May says the average dealer loses about $500,000 a year because of turnover. “The cost to recruit, onboard and train a new hire while there is an empty seat on the sales floor adds up fast,” said May, who is director of the Performance Development Center at JM&A Group. To help alleviate the problem, JM&A […] [Read More]

After a couple of summertime rough spots, September is shaping up to be a strong month across the board for Sonic Automotive’s used-car operations, both within its franchised dealerships and its EchoPark Automotive standalone pre-owned stores. In an updated outlook released Tuesday, Sonic said same-store used sales for its franchised dealers so far in September are […] [Read More]

Saying the moves were part of its strategic restructuring and to support its next phase of growth, TrueCar made three addiitons to its executive leadership team. The company also added a new member to its board of directors. The moves included a newly created chief operating officer role, along with an appointment for the company’s […] [Read More]

Independent dealership group Off Lease Only LLC has named former Herb Chambers chief executive officer Alan McLaren as chief operating officer, noting that McLaren will oversee the company’s day-to-day operations. Those duties include oversight of sales, finance & insurance, fixed operations and the business development center. As former chief executive officer at Herb Chambers, which […] [Read More]

Privately owned dealership group Holman Automotive recently opened its Mercedes-Benz Van Center – Maple Shade, a commercial vehicle dealership. The all-new 18,000-square-foot dealership sells new and pre-owned Mercedes-Benz vans and includes a dedicated commercial service center. Holman, which operates 40 dealership franchises representing 20 brands from the East Coast to the Pacific Northwest, said the […] [Read More]

A partnership between the Elway Dealership Group and Schomp Automotive Group has purchased Porsche Salt Lake City from Strong Automotive Group. Hall of Fame football player, John Elway, and business partner Mitch Pierce founded Elway Dealership Group in 2004. The group has holdings in Colorado and California. The Strong family in 1958 established Porsche Salt […] [Read More]