While the new-car “agency” model is getting all the attention, there are other disturbing trends afoot in some global OEMs’ efforts to “remake” distribution that so far in the U.S. have gone unnoticed. One is the...
Between the OEM agency model, EV incentives in the federal Inflation Reduction Act and California phasing out internal-combustion-powered vehicles, it’s not hard to read the handwriting on the wall.
Between Tesla, Rivian, Lucid and Fisker operating without dealerships and the agency model introduced by traditional manufacturers, marking up above MSRP during these demand-driven times may come back to haunt dealers.
The question remains: how to get to the “early majority” phase of adoption, beyond those affluent enough to already have a few cars in the driveway. Persuading a lower-income, single-vehicle household to opt for a...
It seemed like every third booth or so, among 200 transportation companies, was selling some new, innovative and convenient system for home, work or public charging. CES 2022 made it clear electrified vehicles are the...
Over-the-air updates could enable technicians to identify and diagnose a problem remotely and have the parts ready for a vehicle service appointment, boosting a dealer’s efficiency and net income, says Bill Cariss...
Under the agency model, the franchise dealer no longer is the focal point of a new vehicle sale; instead, the customer places an order directly with the OEM and names a preferred delivery dealer. The price and...
Car dealers have always used “runners,” but perhaps the accelerated growth in digital retailing and “door to door” vehicle service requires a more scalable program and process.
