The move by Tesla Motors to roll out a certified pre-owned offering online is good one, says Alec Gutierrez, but also a gradual one. And eventually it could open doors to more brand exposure for the automaker. During a conference call with reporters on Friday, the Kelley Blue Book senior analyst estimated that Tesla sells an […] [Read More]

With dealerships nationwide clamoring for more qualified technicians, a pair of high school students from Pennsylvania likely will be high in demand after finishing in first place at the 2015 National Automotive Technology Competition. The first team from the Keystone State to win the competition included Tony Litz and Nick Schroeder, students at Wallenpaupack Area […] [Read More]

InformationWeek has announced the honorees of its annual InformationWeek Elite 100, showcasing companies it sees as the most innovative users of business technology. Six companies in the automotive sector were honored this year, including the following: 50. General Motors 61. Donlen Group 62. Toyota Motor Corp. USA Inc. 63. ARI 79. Penske Truck Leasing Co. […] [Read More]

Here’s some trivia for you. If you took all the drivers trading in hybrids and electric vehicles this year, what type of vehicle did about 22 percent of those folks end up buying in return? If you said “a new SUV,” you’re correct. This somewhat surprising statistic was shared recently by Edmunds.com, whose analysis illustrates […] [Read More]

Net Driven has been purchased by Internet Brands, an online media and software services organization that focuses on the automotive, health, legal, home and travel fields.   Acquiring marketing firm Net Driven further solidifies Internet Brands’ presence in the automotive market, which already includes companies such as Autodata solutions, Chrome Data and CarsDirect. "Net Driven's […] [Read More]

Selling cars becomes more and more like running an electronics store every year with the massive amounts of in-car technology becoming prevalent. Cars today can do things like tell you where to go, control the temperature, beam your favorite songs from space and protect you from that car in your blind spot that you missed […] [Read More]

Cars.com announced Tuesday that it has rolled out a new Service & Repair feature that aims to guide consumers through this process of vehicle ownership. The online feature is designed to help “remove the stress and fear of the unknown associated with automotive service and repair,” Cars.com said in a news release. The tool’s features […] [Read More]

DMEautomotive is being purchased by Solera Holdings. An agreement was announced Wednesday morning for Solera to buy the Florida-based company that provides risk and asset management software and services to the automotive and property marketplace. “Combining DMEa’s proprietary technologies with Solera’s existing portfolio will enable Solera’s customers to increase customer retention and drive loyalty through […] [Read More]

DealerSocket highlighted a new integration with MyDealerLot (MDL), a provider in the application of radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies for automated guest recognition and vehicle tracking. The company explained this integration enhances the customer experience within the sales and service departments. The tool can strategically alert the sales and service staff that a customer has […] [Read More]

Gubagoo announced Monday the upgrades to its ChatSmart platform interface for dealers. The enhancements highlighted by the company for its “smart” chat platform include advanced Google Analytics integration and further device support, which now works on computers, tablets and phones. ChatSmart has also added SMS text-to-chat functionality, which opens up direct communication on mobile devices and […] [Read More]