DMS, CRM, digital retail, AI, cybersecurity, data, payments and integration decisions reshaping dealerships.
The agency will bring regulators, technical experts and industry stakeholders together to examine how changes such as ride height, wheel offset and body geometry can alter safety-system calibration and performance.
The retailer says it finished its company-wide dealer-system conversion in mid-October after moving 47 stores during the third quarter. Reported service gains are company comparisons, not controlled proof that the platform caused them.
The completed transaction brings commercial-truck and equipment dealer software under one owner. Procede says current RIMSS products, contracts, support relationships and staff will continue.
The vendor says its conversational AI can use selected Dealertrack dealership data and operating processes for mutual customers. Actual access depends on the enabled API scope, which was not disclosed.
Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, INFINITI, Honda and Acura owners can book participating dealerships through their brand apps, according to myKaarma. The release does not identify store counts or independent results.
DealerRock stores carrying Forest River brands can now authorize inventory access and automatic sold-unit reporting. Dealers control activation by company and rooftop; technical and security details remain undisclosed.
Central Dispatch ranges now appear beside wholesale listings, giving buyers a pre-purchase shipping estimate next to Ready Logistics' managed option. The numbers are planning inputs, not carrier quotes.
AI use among younger U.S. respondents was more than twice the older-buyer rate, yet physical retail remained central: Bain says nine in 10 respondents worldwide still completed their purchase offline.
In a 500-dealer survey, 36% of strongly data-driven franchise dealers said they met profitability goals, versus 19% of other respondents. The self-reported results show an association, not causation.
ACV is now a wholly owned Copart subsidiary, but the companies say it will remain independently operated by its existing leadership. No immediate changes to dealer accounts, fees or services were announced.
Southern Union students will use a dedicated Xtime training environment built around dealership service processes. The no-cost effort is a one-school pilot, not a national rollout.
The initial Enterprise Customer Profile is designed to combine identity, sales, service and communication history across stores. Identity resolution and broader AI and reporting functions remain under development.
The cybersecurity vendor classified 24 ransomware incidents involving dealers and retailers during the quarter, more than any other segment it tracked. The dataset reflects VicOne’s monitoring scope, not a complete census of global incidents.
The new platform combines payment and incentive data with automated checks for required fees, conditional discounts, financing terms and unavailable inventory. Its legal accuracy and dealer results have not been independently established.
The specialty-retail version can answer calls, submit service requests through a dealer website and transfer conversations to dealership staff or optional live agents. Pricing and independently measured results were not disclosed.
The new add-on can handle text and email conversations, search inventory, collect trade information and manage appointments. Pricing and independently measured results were not disclosed.
The new Chrome extension records buyer-to-seller threads on the matching vehicle record and places VAN data beside supported marketplace listings. Employees still write every message themselves.
Mutual customers are scheduled to receive Fullpath shopper summaries and website activity inside VinSolutions through year-end. Agentic functions remain a separate, optional layer.
The vendor says its new offering can answer service calls, gather vehicle concerns, schedule against store availability and automate follow-up. Pricing and independent performance results were not disclosed.
The optional connected-vehicle software is intended to track vehicle status, improve inventory visibility and support delivery preparation. Pricing, enrollment and technical details remain undisclosed.
Cox's final index finished at 205.9, down 0.6% from a year earlier. EV values strengthened while non-EV values and auction conversion declined.
The new purchasing option gives dealerships access to individual licensed vehicle renders without an API contract. Accuracy, permitted use and expiration still require asset-level controls.
The announcement moves beyond individual automated conversations toward coordinating tasks across dealership systems. Product compatibility and results still require store-level confirmation.
Second-quarter retail units increased 13.8% and wholesale units rose 15.9%, while dealer-sourced acquisitions jumped 53.7% and gross profit per unit declined in both channels.
The November 5 public meeting will examine used-vehicle owner records, digital outreach, mobile repairs and over-the-air remedies after nearly 900 recalls affected more than 29.2 million U.S. vehicles in 2025.
A proposed multistate consent order combines an estimated $634 million in debt relief with new requirements addressing vehicle prices, optional products, consumer disclosures and dealer monitoring.
New staff guidance says the price available to every buyer should be the most prominent amount across dealer and third-party advertising, while emphasizing that the FAQs are nonbinding and every advertisement remains fact-specific.
The Michigan-backed program is carrying high-demand parts within a 12-mile service area after completing test flights, creating a real dealership trial of aerial logistics.
The completed transaction adds nearly 800 Pep Boys locations to Mavis and expands a national fixed-operations competitor across the United States and Canada.
Mitchell's second-quarter collision report says repairable BEV claims averaged $5,684 in severity, 14.7% above gasoline vehicles, while hybrid claim share continued to rise.
The new quarterly tracker says 82% of dealers use AI, while only 29% have started adapting to AI-powered search and about one-third lack a clear way to measure results.
The newly independent company highlighted CARFAX Homegrown and Showroom alongside broader integration of CARFAX, automotiveMastermind, Polk and Market Scan.
Ford’s first Universal EV Platform vehicle puts a full-featured midsize electric pickup near Maverick pricing while testing a new factory architecture, LFP battery strategy, software stack and post-sale revenue model.
Affordable software does not guarantee an affordable operation. Small dealerships need fully loaded costs, store-level break-even math and a controlled path into AI.
The first integration combines dealership CRM, DMS and service history with shopper activity from Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book, expanding both the reach and the governance burden of automotive customer data.
The CRM-native Service-to-Sales Agent analyzes customer, vehicle and service information before initiating trade conversations, putting consent, targeting and handoff quality at the center of the dealership decision.
RevPay places processing, modern payment methods, reporting and funding visibility inside Lightspeed for RV, powersports, marine, trailer and golf-car retailers.
Tekion says its scheduler is now certified through Volkswagen’s U.S. Dealer Digital Program, adding another OEM-approved path for managing appointments, advisor capacity and customer booking.
The company’s new dealer-focused AI infrastructure is intended to connect data and automate work across its retail portfolio, but dealerships still need product-level availability, permissions and measurable outcomes.
The planned system makes navigation, charging routing and vehicle data part of the native experience rather than a phone-only projection.
The announcement verifies new workflow ambitions, but not the labor savings, accuracy or financial return dealers may ultimately experience.
The NADA 2026 demonstration combined exterior imaging, underbody scanning and fast condition summaries, but speed claims do not equal validated acquisition outcomes.
The agency completed a multi-year research project and issued a Request for Comment; it did not announce a final rule.
The redesigned interface brought Mazda’s largest touchscreen to date and standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
CDK reported that 90% of dealership leaders recognized cybersecurity's importance, but fewer than half were confident in their defenses.
A Cox Automotive study found broad acceptance that AI would remain, alongside strong concern about whether its output could be trusted.
Eligible MINI EV and plug-in-hybrid owners could earn incentives, but vehicle, utility territory and participation terms control eligibility.
The integration linked automated inspection output with acquisition and merchandising tools; performance benefits remained vendor claims.
