The car-buying journey spans from discovery to purchase and beyond, shaping trust and long-term loyalty. Each stage includes key touchpoints that dealerships must strategically align to engage and guide customers effectively. In this article, we’ll break down every journey stage and share proven strategies to attract, convert, and retain customers. Research and Consideration: The First […]

The United States Senate voted Thursday to repeal California’s plan to end the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035. The vote was 51-44 in favor of blocking the state’s EV mandate which was set to require 35 percent of all cars sold in state to be electric or plug-in hybrids by 2026. The House already […]

The California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA) issued a cease-and-desist to American Honda Motor Co. and Sony Honda Mobility of America ordering them to stop direct-to-consumer sales of new Afeela brand vehicles. The CNCDA alleges that Honda is violating state law by cutting out dealers from the sales equation. “California law is crystal clear. Automakers […]

The May 7, 2025, enforcement of the REAL ID Act marks a new moment for identity verification in the U.S., and auto dealerships are squarely in the crosshairs. As the federal government now requires all Americans over 18 to present a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or ID for domestic air travel and access to certain […]

Traver Connect has announced the expansion of its Learning & Development programs to better assist dealers. Designed to address pressing industry challenges such as declining repair order (RO) counts and customer retention, the new offerings aim to deliver tailored, result-driven guidance at every level of dealership operations. With a mix of executive leadership coaching, front-line […]

As dealers face rising complexity in inventory management, pricing, and profitability, especially with the 25% tariff on imported vehicles, machine-driven technologies are stepping in as vital tools—not just to handle data, but to make better, faster business decisions. From fluctuating vehicle values and evolving consumer trends to aging inventory and regional market differences, Large Language […]

The 2025 Kerrigan OEM Survey provided a glimpse into the perspectives of automotive OEM executives, and it appears they are bullish on the future of the franchise dealership model. 78 percent of those surveyed expect blue sky values to remain steady or increase throughout the year. This marks a more optimistic outlook than the results […]

  Auto dealers understand the economic hit of tariffs — rising costs, inventory delays, shrinking margins. But what often goes overlooked is how external instability quietly chips away at internal culture, employee confidence, and even long-term transition plans.  When every week brings new headlines about tariffs, labor shortages, or regulatory shifts, it creates more than […]

The new-vehicle average transaction price was $48,699 in April, a 2.5 percent increase from March according to Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book. This price increase is more than double the average historical monthly gain of 1.1 percent and is surpassed only by April 2020’s 2.7 percent jump during pandemic-driven supply constraints. The year-over-year ATP increase […]