Lokam.ai, a new, voice-first, AI-powered sales and service platform built for dealerships and backed by its first customer, World Auto Group, is now online. +
Sales of new Mazdas and Subarus improved by 35% and 10% year-over-year in May, leading all U.S.-facing factories as fleets helped offset flat retail sales. +
Foureyes analysts say a 15.6-point gap separates America’s best and worst closers but stress that process matters more than location. +
Healthy March and April sales improved many dealers’ moods, but Cox Automotive’s Q2 survey finds growing anxiety over factors beyond their control. +
Impel announced an industry-first pairing of AI-generated videos with AI sales agents, delivering introductions and ongoing conversations at any hour. +
An Urban Science/Harris Poll survey finds 74% of U.S. auto dealers are unsatisfied with their ability to track sales leads but only 14% believe AI tools can help. +
Kelley Blue Book reports trucks and SUVs are largely to blame for April’s average new-vehicle transaction price of $49,461, a 1.8% year-over-year increase. +
Vehicle history reports for pre-owned vehicles that were sold and solely serviced by the same dealership will now carry a “Carfax Homegrown” badge. +
DealerOn has added OnPrompt and Sidekick, two AI-powered tools designed to help dealers understand how car shoppers discover and interact with their online profiles. +
Reuters reports U.S. sales of new hybrid vehicles have increased along with fuel prices since the start of the U.S.- and Israel-led war with Iran in late February. +
