It was arguably the biggest development in auto retail technology this autumn. Maybe the entire year. TrueCar announced in mid-October that founder and former CEO Scott Painter is leading a group that plans to acquire the automotive digital marketplace. Upon close, Painter, who stepped down as  CEO in 2015, will return as TrueCar’s CEO. But not […] [Read More]

EMG has launched a new tool to help dealerships create a marketing plan at the local level. The retail automotive streaming advertising company unveiled the Strategy Engine, a new feature in its Maven streaming analytics platform designed to help dealerships turn complex sales and market data into a ready-to-use streaming campaign strategy that grows local […] [Read More]

Artificial intelligence is not human — at least, not yet. So Toma has designed its latest AI systems to know when it’s time for a real person to get involved. The dealership AI agent technology provider has introduced Safeguards for its Service Agent product as well as Inbox, a unified hub for calls, texts and […] [Read More]

Impel announced on Wednesday that it has made a strategic investment in Automotive Ventures Mobility Fund II, the early stage auto-tech fund managed by Automotive Ventures. Impel said the investment underscores its role in supporting startup technologies that enhance productivity, improve the customer and employee experience, and accelerate transformation across the automotive retail ecosystem. With […] [Read More]

CarDr.com, a provider of OBD diagnostic and vehicle appraisal technology, is joining with automated recall management services provider AutoAp to bring open recall information directly into CarDr.com’s diagnostic and appraisal reports. The companies said the collaboration gives auto dealers and auto auctions a “more complete, data-driven view of every vehicle’s condition and safety status.” “Our […] [Read More]

FAXVIN this week rolled out a significant update to CarRank, its 0–100 vehicle-history metric designed to help shoppers and dealers compare used cars at a glance. The company highlighted the latest release incorporates additional data sources and methodology refinements that are geared to improve how risk signals are weighted across title brands, odometer consistency, accident […] [Read More]

When you hear the name “Carson,” you might think “famed TV host” (Johnny or Daly). Or “football-flinging quarterback” (Palmer, Wentz or Beck). Cars Commerce, the parent company of Cars.com, wants you to think “AI search engine.” On Thursday, the company announced the launch of its own “Carson” — and this one is a multilingual search […] [Read More]