Nothing frustrates consumers more than having spent hours researching and configuring a vehicle on third-party auto shopping websites only to find that the vehicle they configured doesn’t exist at the dealership, opined Richard Wallace, former vice president, transportation systems analysis, at the Center for Automotive Research, an independent, non-profit research organization. So it’s up to […] [Read More]

Fueled by multiple funding rounds totaling $10 million, Joydrive also expanded its dealership client base by recently forging a relationship with the Findlay Auto Group and Gee Automotive. The online vehicle marketplace not only added Findlay and Gee as dealer members, but the groups also joined Joydrive’s advisory board. Joydrive said it raised $6 million in multiple […] [Read More]

Vehicle subscriptions are changing the industry landscape and developing into a viable alternative to traditional purchasing and leasing models. Vehicle subscription provider flexdrive is benefiting from that change, noting growth in an array of areas during the first half of the year. The joint venture between market leader Cox Automotive and Holman Enterprises recently shared […] [Read More]

Dealer-first automotive digital retail software provider MAX Digital believes competition from non-traditional dealers has never been stronger. Because of that, providing a smooth path to purchase is a must for dealerships to thrive in the coming years. With that in mind, MAX Digital has partnered with LotVantage, and participating dealers can now combine LotVantage services […] [Read More]

Digital auction platform TradeRev has integrated two new in-app features, including “Buy Now,” which company president Becca Polak says opens a second-chance marketplace for buyers and sellers. Polak says the second feature, Third Party Inspected, provides an additional layer of trust for dealers, “so they can buy with confidence.” TradeRev, a business unit of global […] [Read More]

Data and technology that power vehicles now and into the future must be protected from misuse, abuse and malicious mayhem. That was the consensus of panelists, speakers and others who attended cybersecurity sessions held as part of TU-Automotive Detroit’s automotive technology conference and exhibition in suburban Detroit, June 5-6. TU-Automotive Detroit provides a platform for […] [Read More]

Online car-shopping site Edmunds has promoted Stephen Felisan to chief technology officer, and in his new position, he will lead Edmunds’ 152-member technology organization. Felisan, who was Edmunds’ director of engineering before his promotion to vice president of engineering and operations and eventually to his most recent role as chief information officer, will oversee all […] [Read More]

In this episode, recorded at the company's Detroit-area offices, Cox Automotive chief product officer Marianne Johnson discusses practical uses of artificial intelligence for dealers and auto auctions, the use of AI in alternative vehicle usage and connecting the online to in-store experience for car dealers. Plus, she shares how dealers can be good stewards of […] [Read More]

“What have you got on me, and why? And what are you doing with it? Who did you share it with?” That’s the succinct way that John Lewis sums up what consumers have the right to know under the California Consumer Privacy Act. The CCPA gives Californians the right to find out what personal information […] [Read More]

Auto dealers not yet wholly confident in their digital retailing approach should find guidance at the Automotive Intelligence Summit later this month in Raleigh, N.C. Spoiler: Online car sales are a people business. Tim Cox, who is the co-founder and senior vice president of sales for CarNow, estimates that the car business has “only about 4% […] [Read More]