Inside Automotive
Adapting to the industry’s dynamic market — Jonathan Fowler | Fowler Holding Company
Dealers have found ways to adapt to today’s changing market conditions, like selling electric vehicles. On today’s Inside Automotive, we’re catching up with Jonathan Fowler, the President of Fowler Holding Company, to get an update on his dealer group, and we’ll also learn what the demand looks like in his markets today. Watch the full segment here
Top stories
During a recent Facebook Livestream, Shawn Fain, the president of the United Auto Workers, emphasized the importance of negotiating a 32-hour work week, the right to strike when a plant closes, and paid volunteer work in upcoming discussions with the Detroit Three. Pinpointing to UAW members the demands being made this week of General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis is another illustration of how the administration is breaking traditions. Read More
The factory that builds Ford’s electric F-150 Lightning pickup has resumed operations following a six-week hiatus for renovations, and the recent price reductions for the EV has also significantly increased its demand. Ford cut the Lightning’s price by up to $10,000 last month. However, the least expensive version of the pickup now starts at around $50,000. Read More
Subaru has reenvisioned its electric vehicle sales targets in a sudden and drastic shift from its historically tempered expectations. The automaker initially hoped to sell 400,000 electric vehicles worldwide starting in 2028, a much more conservative estimate than General Motors’ forecast of 1 million units for 2025. But on Wednesday, newly appointed Subaru CEO Atsushi Osaki shared a new strategy that, if successful, would see the brand sell 400,000 EVs in the U.S. alone by 2028. Read More
Toyota has unveiled a new and improved Land Cruiser hybrid SUV, slated to arrive in the U.S. next spring with a mid-$50,000 price range. The new model reimagines one of Toyota’s most recognized luxury vehicles with a sleek look and a 326 horsepower, 2.4-liter, four-cylinder hybrid powertrain. The company plans to launch three variations of the vehicle. Read More
For Dealers
Auditing your dealership’s service scheduling processes
The gateway to your dealership’s service department is scheduling. Make this process effortless, and the journey for a satisfied customer gets off on the right foot. However, you may never know if there are roadblocks to arranging a service appointment because the customer will simply go elsewhere. This is why auditing your service scheduling process regularly is so critical. It’s the best way to identify potential bottlenecks and implement techniques to optimize this key component of fixed operations. Read More
Does a single consultant approach make sense in today’s dealership?
F&I has been stuck in a decades-old paradigm of being the last stop in the dealership before being able to drive off in their new car. And unfortunately, a step many customers would rather skip if they could. The many steps along the way that customers must endure to buy a car and the complaints that younger generations have about the time it takes to go through the sales process begs the question…is having one point of contact from start to finish a better way to deliver the sales experience? Read More
