Inside Automotive
Solving the consumer ‘Xperience’ issue with CDK Global – Barb Edson
The retail automotive industry has been tasked with meeting today’s rising consumer expectations and demands. As dealers adapt successfully, CDK Global has launched a new platform to assist with the transformation and how dealers sell and service cars. That platform, known as the CDK Dealership Xperience, is said to unify workflows at the dealership into a single experience. On today’s Inside Automotive, we’re joined by CDK Global Chief Marketing Officer, Barb Edson, to tell us what it’s all about. Watch the full segment here
Top stories
Bergstrom Automotive is set to acquire Broadway Automotive, a dealership group serving the Green Bay market in Wisconsin. The new acquisition will give Bergstrom Automotive ownership of Broadway Chevrolet-Volkswagen, Broadway Ford-Hyundai-Genesis and Broadway Manitowoc. With more than 1,000 employees, Broadway Automotive, currently operated by Michael Cuene and David Cuene, has sold vehicles in the state since 1916. Read More
Stellantis revealed its’ investing more than $100 million into California’s Controlled Thermal Resources, its latest bet on the direct lithium extraction (DLE) sector amid the global hunt for new EV battery metal sources. The investment by the Chrysler and Jeep parent follows the green energy translation and U.S Inflation Reduction Act that have fueled concerns regrading supplies of lithium and other materials possibly falling short of strong demand predictions. Read More
Ford has hired Apple’s ex-vice president of services, Peter Stern, to lead the development of new technologies and services that improve the customer experience. Stern, who announced his departure from Apple in January, will head the Ford Integrated Services team. The unit is a recent creation at the brand and will work to scale new software and hardware products across its operations. Read More
VinFast, a Vietnamese manufacturer of EVs, made an extraordinary debut on the Nasdaq stock market on August 15. Shares of the automaker, which went public through a merger with exceptional purpose acquisition firm Black Spade Acquisition, climbed 68% to finish at $37.06 and were valued at $86 billion, considerably exceeding those of Ford, GM, and Stellantis. Read More
For Dealers
Why customer experience is your dealership’s ultimate marketing tool
In the dim glow of a local dealership, Sarah drove off the lot with her brand-new sedan. Instead of feeling like just another sale, the dealership made her feel like family. From the initial greeting to the in-depth discussions about features and the thoughtful post-purchase follow-up, every interaction was designed to ensure her complete satisfaction. Read More
Weekly roundup: UAW fight picks up steam, Lordstown settles with Karma Automotive
Earlier this week: The United Auto Workers (UAW) announced they are poised to escalate their efforts in securing favorable contract terms from the Big Three automakers as their current contracts edge toward expiration. Lordstown Motors settled a $40 million agreement with Karma Automotive over intellectual property theft accusations. Tesla is venturing into the data realm, preparing to construct its own data centers to manage extensive self-driving information and more headlines to stay on top of this week in automotive industry news. Read More
