EVs steal awards, auto trade dispute, Arknsas dealership lawsuit

Inside Automotive

How legacy OEMs are providing great EV options for dealers in Central Florida
Inventory is slowly increasing for many dealers across the country, which means they have more electric vehicles from OEMs on their lots to sell. On today’s show, we’re pleased to welcome back Evelyn Cardenas, President and CEO of the Central Florida Automobile Dealers Association, to discuss the sentiment of the dealers she represents. Watch the full segment here.

Top Stories

For the first time ever, electric vehicles dominated the top spots in the North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year awards. The Ford F-150 Lightning earned the title of America’s best Truck, while the EV6 from Kia was awarded first place for SUVs. The titles echo the strong performance of EVs in 2022, spurred by new additions from a majority of major automakers. The judges gave their third award to the Honda Integra sedan, making it 2023’s top car of the year. Read More

The chair of the National Transportation Safety Board has expressed concerns over the threats overweight electric vehicles present to other drivers. Speaking to researchers in Washington, agency head Jennifer Homendy noted that EVs were often thousands of pounds heavier than gas-powered cars due to the massive batteries needed for long distance trips. Although she still expressed solidarity with the Biden Administration’s commitment to reduce transportation’s fuel reliance, Homendy concluded that EV adoption may have unintended consequences for the American public, unless automakers find a solution to the issue. Read More

The U.S. has lost an automotive trade dispute with Canada and Mexico which could affect American manufacturing jobs. The disagreement focused on a U.S. rule which required 75% of a vehicle’s parts to be made domestically to avoid taxes. Mexico and Canada noted that the agreement between the three countries allowed for that number to be rounded up on a part by part basis, meaning that complex components, such as an engine, could be reported as 100% American-made regardless of sourcing. A panel concluded that the U.S. would need to comply with its trade obligations and work with Mexico and Canada on a solution. Read More

A Volkswagen dealership located in Arkansas has sued the brand for allowing another store to open up just 15 miles away. The Fayetteville retailer argued that a new location in Rogers was within its territory, and went against a franchise agreement giving it exclusive rights to the Washington and Benton counties. Although VW had initially approached the original dealership to add a new storefront in the area, the owner refused, noting inventory was too scarce to provide for another outlet. The German automaker has since asked that the case be dismissed unless the plaintiff can provide more specifics on how its contract has been violated. Read More

For Dealers

Is there a growing customer communication problem?
What happens when someone calls your dealership for a service appointment, new car question, or general dealership question? Do they have to leave a message? If they do, is the message returned within 24 hours or less? Talk to your customers or friends, and you’ll find out that poor communication and customer service are growing. Maybe it’s due to new salespeople, lack of training, or the heady feeling that post-COVID profits have given dealerships a “we don’t have to try as hard” mentality. Read More

5 simple ways to improve customer retention and satisfaction
If your clients aren’t happy with your services, you won’t be able to keep up with the other Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that are essential for your service center’s success and profitability. Consider customer satisfaction the foundation on which everything else should be built. With these simple ways to improve client retention and satisfaction, you can keep customers happy while focusing on other growth tactics. Read More

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