KAR Auction Services Inc. revealed Tuesday morning it has become the first remarketer to join the Mobility Open Blockchain Initiative, also known as MOBI. As the first remarketer, KAR joins what is described as a member-driven consortium of global automotive industry leaders, the goal of which is to explore blockchain tech use in the “digital […] [Read More]

Avis Budget Group plans to give Amazon customers a little something extra. The rental company revealed it will reward Amazon members with special perks when they rent a car through Avis.  Now, Amazon customers who book an Avis vehicle will not only save money on their rental, but they will also be sent an Amazon.com […] [Read More]

PureCars has expanded to Canada. The Atlanta-based company, which provides marketing automation and business intelligence solutions to car dealers and auto marketers, announced Monday it has started working with dealer groups north of the border. “We are eager to help Canadian dealers thrive by evolving with their customers’ needs, just like we have here in […] [Read More]

Frazer Computing is making sure its dealer management system can help buy-here, pay-here dealerships with two critical functions — potentially selling parts of their portfolio as well as texting with their customers. Most recently, AGORA, a Texas-based provider of technology solutions for the financial services industry, on Monday finalized an integration functionality relationship with Frazer. […] [Read More]

Sym-Tech Dealer Services announced Monday that the company will be moving into a new 5-story-high office building that will serve as its headquarters next spring. Located at 165 Commerce Valley Court in Markham, Ontario, the company’s new 80,000 square-foot office space received the 2018 Toby Award, which recognizes the best in commercial buildings. “I’m really excited to […] [Read More]

Eric Werab, vice president of product management at PointPredictive, revisits two of the most discussed subjects of the year — synthetic ID fraud and auto financing. Learn more about how clever criminals are creating complicated ways to secure vehicles and defraud dealerships and finance companies. The full discussion can be found below. Download and subscribe to […] [Read More]

Groupe Park Avenue announced in early July that it has acquired three Brossard Jaguar/Land Rover, Volvo and Mitsubishi dealerships in Quebec from Groupe John Scotti. This acquisition news follows the company’s recent purchase of the Leo Harley-Davidson dealership just about three months ago.  Groupe Park Avenue shared that the Scotti family found the company to be […] [Read More]

Toyota is saying aloha in Hawaii in a new way. Whether it’s jaunt to the beach, a quick errand or the drive to work, the automaker highlighted these activities just became more manageable for residents of Honolulu and visitors alike with the recent launch of a creative new mobility solution called Hui – a round-trip, […] [Read More]

Another way data can be used as a catalyst for positive change surfaced on Monday. J.D. Power and HARMAN announced an alliance that the companies say will significantly influence the automotive industry’s use of vehicle data to enrich the customer experience, solve problems more effectively and help identify what consumers want from their increasingly automated […] [Read More]

Lease penetration in the first half of 2018 was relatively steady with year-ago figures, according to data released Monday by Edmunds. Through six months, average lease penetration was at 31.3 percent, compared to 31.2 percent in the first half of 2017. The first-quarter levels were at 31.7 percent in both 2017 and 2018, while second-quarter […] [Read More]