Following the retirement of Van Koppersmith, president and founder of ACS, now Dominion DMS, Dominion Dealer Solutions has promoted Sharon Kitzman to president of Dominion DMS. As president, Kitzman will be responsible for launching Dominion’s new DMS product, VUE, which Dominion Dealer Solutions president Dan Sykes says could have a “transformational impact” on the company’s […] [Read More]

In measuring the usefulness of automotive manufacturer websites during the process of shopping for a new vehicle, Mitsubishi is the highest-ranked mass-market brand. That is according to the J.D. Power 2020 Manufacturer Website Evaluation Study — Winter, which examines four measures, in order of importance: information/content, appearance, navigation and speed. In the luxury manufacturer brand […] [Read More]

Autotech Ventures, a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm focusing on transportation technology, has landed an investment from Lear Corporation designed to help mobility technology startups. The investment, announced by Lear on Tuesday, is through the Lear Innovation Ventures. Autotech primarily specializes in “software, services and electronics startup companies working to enable connected, autonomous, energy-efficient vehicles […] [Read More]

Mark Stewart says automated driving, connectivity, electrification and shared mobility are “reshaping the future of mobility.” “The automotive industry is at the crossroads of digital transformation,” said Stewart, who is chief operating officer for FCA North America. FCA said on Thursday that it will join a partnership formed between Plug and Play, which is a […] [Read More]

DealerSocket has signed a deal to purchase DMS software provider Auto/Mate, the company announced Monday afternoon. The combined entity would blend the DMS capabilities of Auto/Mate with the vast array of services from DealerSocket — including CRM, digital retail/websites and inventory management, as well as independent dealer-focused DMS products — to provide what DealerSocket called “an all-in-one, […] [Read More]

Shingaku Kochi says Mitsubishi Motors Corp. customers demand a great deal of safety, comfort and convenience in their vehicles. Kochi, who is Mitsubishi Motors general manager of its connected information business department, describes connected car services as a crucial method of improving the driving experience for those customers. To help meet those customers’ demands, Mitsubishi […] [Read More]

Fresh off a year of four major investments in the EV automaker, including a $1.3 billion round announced in late December, Rivian started 2020 with a big splash on the connectivity front. Rivian said Monday it will integrate Amazon Alexa into the connected vehicle systems of the forthcoming R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV, giving […] [Read More]

The advent of more cooperative forms of mobility will take place in 2020, as 107 million connected cars on the road will begin sharing data messages about road and traffic conditions to allow other connected vehicles to anticipate hazards and improve traffic flow. That is according to ABI Research smart mobility and automotive analyst Maite […] [Read More]

ACERTUS co-founder and chief executive officer William Billiter says increased demand for his company’s home delivery service shows that auto retailing “is in the midst of a paradigm shift.” “Digitization is revolutionizing car sales and service,” Billiter said in a news release. ACERTUS, a tech-enabled automotive logistics and services company, is taking advantage of the […] [Read More]

Dealertrack Registration and Title Solutions is now a participant in the CDK Global Partner Program, which Dealertrack says will provide dealers with data sharing capabilities between their Dealertrack in-state and out-of-state services and the CDK Drive DMS. Dealertrack says that dealers as a result can now push a deal from the CDK Drive DMS into their […] [Read More]