Articles & Advice Archives - Cox Automotive

EVs hit nearly 20% market share! (with a caveat)

Nina Mirzaei — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 23:14:13 +0000

EVs hit nearly 20% market share! (with a caveat).

Looking at Q1, BEV sales records tumbled as we knew they would, having heard from dealers and OEMs what was happening around consumer sentiment amid the fuel cost spike.

Almost one-in-5 passenger cars and SUVs sold new in Australia in March 2026 were fully electric. The 19.8% market share captured by BEV passenger cars and SUVs equalled just under 16,000 sales, almost double March 2025’s tally.

Zooming out to the total market including diesel-dominated light commercials and the March BEV market share was 14.6%, and 11.8% over all of Q1. All time highs.

BEV sales for both the month and the quarter are running at almost double what they were last year over the same periods. Annualised, we’re looking at 130,000 to 140,000 new BEVs on the road in 2026.

This in turn means 130,000 to 140,000 BEVs entering the secondary market down the track, and given that about half of these are on a novated lease, within the next 4-5 years.

Fortunately for the market we are seeing used EV prices stabilise on the back of consumer and dealer demand, greater transparency around battery health, improving infrastructure, and a shallower improvement curve between generations of car.

If we then add plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), which are also growing, we see that BEV and PHEVs captured 22.1% total market share in March and 18.4% over Q1. This includes light commercials because PHEV utes are doing well.

It’s a sound lesson in just how rapidly the car market can change.

* Data combined from FCAI and EVC

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Used BEVs Heat Up at Auction

Nina Mirzaei — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 23:05:15 +0000

Here’s some used EV intelligence to think on.

Manheim Australia BEV sold volume at auction is up 3x this year and our clearance rate is sitting at 97.3%. We’ve sold BEVs made by 17 different brands at our dealer and public auctions YTD.

But what we really want to home in on is the degree to which the market has heated up over the past month, versus the previous results for 2026. Not only are bids up 2x or 3x depending on event, but:

The average sold BEV price as a percentage of vendor reserve has jumped from 99.7% to 113.5%
The average sold BEV price as a percentage of our valuation has jumped from 107.2% to 124.5%
The percentage of BEVs sold under the hammer versus negotiation post-auction has climbed to 87% to 97%.
The overall increase in sold average BEV prices is about 20%.
The number of BEVs that sold for greater than 110% of seller reserve spiked from 13% (about 1-in-8) to 55% (better than 1-in-2).
The biggest challenge for us right now with BEVs is to consign as many as we can for our OEM, fleet-lease, government, SME and financier partners.
Using our highly competitive auction marketplace platform is an excellent way to maximise the value of your asset, to strike while the iron is hot.

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2026 Australian Automotive Forecast

Nina Mirzaei — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 05:51:35 +0000

2026 Australian Automotive Forecast

While 2025 set a record for new vehicle sales, it was a buyer’s environment as the handbrake on vehicle supply was released and market competition from emerging players increased. This increased the prevalence of discounts, which in turn placed pressure on dealer margins.

It is worth pointing out that a sales decline in 2025 over a record-setting 2024 was widely forecast given reduced backorders post the pandemic-era shortages, however this did not materialise. It is hard to argue that national sales companies and dealers had to sweat a little harder to hit their targets, though.

There are few signs of 2026 being different to any great degree. Significant population growth post-COVID as per the ABS should broaden the potential buyer pool and keep sales ticking over, but we would expect the market to be relatively level in CY26. This was reflected in the January 2026 data.

News in January 2026 of an interest rate rise, with more forecast on the back of stubborn inflation data, will create headwinds for mortgage holders and thereby may cause younger-to-middle-aged buyers in particular to put off renewing their vehicle.

Expect more competition in the fleet market (business, government and rental) particularly as the rising Chinese companies seek to broaden their footprints. While small in volume, rental fleet sales exploded 47% YoY in January 2026, a sign perhaps of excess 2025-plate supply.

It seems realistic to forecast 1.23 to 1.24 million sales.

Chinese brands will continue to conquer share – for now

Chinese brands took just under 18% market share across the Australian light vehicle market (car, SUV and light commercial) in 2025 and accounted for more than 210,000 sales. This share was up from 11.5% share in 2024 and is more than 10-times greater than the 1.7% share Chinese brands held in 2019.

During the COVID period the Chinese brands had stronger levels of vehicle supply and were able to gain traction when competitors had shortages. They were also able to recruit excellent franchise dealer partners and experienced local managers to oversee their growth.

At the end of 2024 there were 10 Chinese brand names in the market selling around 30 models, while by the end of 2025 both metrics had more than doubled. By the end of 2026 there will be at least 90 different Chinese-branded car models or nameplates, a tripling in choice over two years.

Australia has long been a key export destination for players such as SAIC Motor (MG and LDV), BYD, Chery, Great Wall Motor, Geely and myriad others. As a full-import market with few trade barriers and a discerning public, it’s an ideal ‘learning’ market with low consequences of failure given its small size.

Chinese brands therefore take Australia quite seriously, for example BYD’s founder Wang Chuanfu is a semi-regular visitor to these shores. This trend shows little sign of slowing. In January Chinese OEMs captured a record 23% market share led by BYD (5.7%) and GWM (5.2%).

Today there are 22 Chinese brand names made by 12 different OEMs on sale, more than a quarter of all brands in-market. There are as many as 16 more brand names set to come by 2027, many having filed government permits and even appointed staff. See graphic attached for the breakdown.

This intense competition, the lack of growth at home given market saturation, and the fact that Chinese brands are rolling out products across basically every segment means they will continue to conquest from other players — and increasingly each other.

Given ongoing budget constraints and historically high used car prices, demand for these increasingly appealing vehicles among households is unlikely to wane. You can furthermore expect to see several of the Chinese OEMs turn to fleet sales that account for about half the total Australian market.

This is because most Chinese cars sold in 2025 were bought by private buyers: an 80% ratio for BYD, 75% for Chery, and 67% for GWM, for example. These big volume operators are yet to make major inroads with around half the market, but are ramping up investment and focus here via recruitment.

The big question is, what is the ceiling for the Chinese brand market share? We would expect the figure to grow to comfortably beyond 20% in 2026, perhaps even as high as 25% and nudging 300,000 sales.

In short, with product line-ups across almost every section of the market, absolutely no challenges with supply, improved factory and dealer support, there’s little reason to expect the Chinese advance will U-turn. Growth may slow in percentage terms from a higher base, but there’s still volume to be added.

Take-away: Chinese brands to take something close to 25% of the new car market in 2026.

Electric car sales will increase -with one major caveat

Battery EV sales volume grew around 13% in 2025, eclipsed 100,000 units for the first time, and took out an all-time high market share of 8.6% (or about 11% of the passenger and SUV markets).

However, growth rates overall are slowing, and are not on pace to meet requirements under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard.

BEV sales in Australia almost doubled between 2021 and 2022, and then nearly tripled between 2022 and 2023. But the increase to annual BEV sales volume in 2025 compared to 2023 was just 18.4% over 24 months. Growth yes, but not on a linear path.

The challenge here is that the availability of EV choice grew at a far more rapid rate; basically, doubling over this same two-year period (2023-25). As of the end of last year there are 120 EV models on sale from 45 different brand names, while in 2023 there were 60 models sold by 25 brands.

So, the overall market volume grew less than 20% while actual choice makes and models grew 100%.

When choice outpaces market growth, it means smaller slices of the pie for many incumbent players that dominated early in the piece. This explains for example why market leader Tesla’s share of total EV sales has eroded from 52% in 2023 to 28% last year, despite being an undoubted technology leader.

The arrival of even more BEVs in 2026 from both new players and from high profile trusted brands like Toyota and Mazda, driven by the supply-side New Vehicle Efficiency Standard fleet-average CO2 targets, will see these pressures become even greater.

Greater availability of BEVs in more segments and at keener price points, alongside steadily improving customer confidence and a tendency for BEVs to engender repeat business, should see their market share grow from 8.6% last year to 10-12% share in 2026.

A cap will remain on BEV take-up so long as the Australia love affair with large body-on-frame SUVs and utes continues, with five of the top six overall vehicles last year falling into one of these categories.

While the hugely successful BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid shows there is indeed demand for electrified light commercials, by and large this huge corner of the market remains diesel-dominated.

Furthermore, BEV sales are particularly vulnerable to government decisions, something we saw recently in New Zealand. Should the Federal Government revisit the fringe-benefits tax exemption for novated lease EVs, as has been reported, BEV sales volume would be swiftly impacted.

The National Automotive Leasing and Salary Packaging Association estimates around half (47%) of all BEVs sold in 2025 were sold on a tax-reducing novated lease. There is no doubt that many of these BEV buyers would have opted for a cheaper hybrid or ICE vehicle without this FBT exemption.

Hybrids of both types will grow at faster pace as a first step under NVES

Traditional Toyota-style hybrids likewise set a new sales record in 2025, and this will continue in 2026 largely to the detriment of non-hybrid petrol car sales. Closed-circuit hybrids accounted for just under 200,000 sales in 2025, up 15% YoY and equal to 22% of the overall passenger and SUV share.

On the demand side many car buyers and fleet managers see non-plug-in hybrids as the right ‘middle ground’ step to cut their fuel bills without making changes to their driving habits and routines, at a price point that appeals.

At the same time, we should see supply of hybrid vehicles improve further as factories across the world pump out more electrified offerings.

Many brands have pivoted back to electrified hybrids, having seen their BEV sales grow at a much slower rate than anticipated. We will also see more hybrid options in popular models driving not just consumer demand but also the need to reduce range-average emissions under the now-active NVES.

Consider the two mainstream Small SUV and Medium SUV markets, which alone make up 40% of the total new vehicle market. Today there are 23 different hybrid (non-plug-in) models available made by 12 different brands to choose from.

At the same time, plug-in hybrids exceeded sales projections in 2025 and grew 130% despite the end of juicy tax breaks on them over 2024, and furthermore sales are up five-fold since 2023. These vehicles will grow in uptake even further throughout 2026.

This will be driven in part by the increased push of PHEV utes like the BYD Shark 6, Ford Ranger and GWM Cannon Alpha to owner-operators and (from 2026 onwards) fleets driven by NVES, plus the ongoing mass rollout of Chinese plug-in SUV offerings from BYD, GWM, Chery and others.

Moreover, there’s the anticipated launch of PHEVs from established and high-volume brands, not least Toyota with its all-new RAV4 – the nation’s single top-selling SUV. As Toyota turns to more plug-in hybrids, it will heavily influence the overall market.

Thus, as prices come down, choice increases, and perhaps more importantly the typical PHEV pure-electric range grows from 50km to more like 100km, consumer uptake will naturally lift. Plug-in hybrids may be a bridging technology long-term, but they are far from peaking in the Australian context.

Take-away: Hybrids and PHEVs combined accounted for 21% of the market in 2025. We would expect this figure to be more like 26-30% in 2026. See the attached graphics for some breakdowns of what to expect in 2026.

Some other issues to ponder

We have passed ‘peak ute’ for the major players

Market leader Toyota already thinks its Australian arm has potentially passed ‘peak ute’, and it seems plausible that this part of the market will show only low levels of growth in 2026, if it grows at all.

This is despite the continued rollout of new models to compete in this segment, which accounts for about 1-in-5 of all new vehicle sales in Australia.

Why? It’s not so much about demand falling in a heap, but rather the sheer increase in choice leaves smaller market share for all the major players. This is why from an OEM’s perspective; it’s going to be tough to retain share.

10 years ago, the dual-cab ute market comprised 13 models from 12 brands, whereas today there are 27 models from 21 brands. At the same time market share has grown from 12.5% to 18.3%. So, in essence choice has grown 100% while the total market has grown 50%.

At the same time, expect affordability to achieve plenty of spotlight. As carmakers face NVES penalties for high-emitting vehicles skewing their range-wide average, they are likely to home in on higher-spec, higher-margin variants of their ute models rather than entry-level workhorse grades.

Carmakers will turn more to white-label finance and insurance programs

Dealers are facing revenue challenges from both new car margin compression and from the spectre of reduced recurring revenue from services — driven both by the ubiquity of low-cost capped-price servicing plans that don’t always increase with CPI, and the growth of EVs with lower maintenance costs.

One way dealers in partnership with the OEM franchisors can carve out more revenue is by expanding their role in areas such as branded and often white-labelled finance and insurance.

Carmakers that offer their own F&I sold at the dealer offer customers the promise of a simpler and easier transaction journey, a veritable one-stop shop, while at the same time they and their retailers get a greater share of a customer’s vehicle running cost budgets.

They can also hedge against resale value concerns on electric cars with guaranteed future values programs.

This is already happening, but the cadence will escalate in the pursuit of profit streams.

There is a real chance a few brands will make decisions on their future in 2026

To run a viable factory-backed national sales company (NSC) responsible for importing, distributing and maintaining vehicles, a certain amount of sales volume is generally required – super high-margin luxury players excepted.

The rollout of more brands into the Australian market will in all likelihood further erode market share for some existing participants, something we are already seeing out there.

While we won’t speculate on any brands that are at risk, there’s a generally accepted view across the industry that some players will come under greater pressure to exit the market, due to a lack of viability.

Alternatively, some may choose to take the path that Renault (as one example) did several years ago, closing their NSC and appointing an independent distributor such as Ateco, Inchcape or Jameel to sell their vehicles. This is a leaner business model from an OEM’s point-of-view.

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Cox Automotive Australia bolsters senior leadership team

Robb Stavrov — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 01:29:09 +0000

Cox Automotive Australia bolsters senior leadership team to drive growth and improve customer experience

Leading retail software, data and vehicle services organisation Cox Automotive Australia is pleased to announce a trio of hires that bolster its sales and customer experience capabilities.

Nishant Shukla joins the business as Head of Customer Experience for the Retail and Data business, having previously served as CX senior manager for Stellantis Asia Pacific, and in senior management roles at BMW and BMW Motorrad in Australia and India.

Wayne Oats joins Cox Automotive as Head of Dealer, leading and developing the team responsible for enterprise sales. Wayne has formidable dealer and OEM experience, having been the Partner & Director of the McIlroy Auto Group and in senior management roles at Mitsubishi, Nissan and Stellantis.

Heath Stubbs joins as Head of OEM Partnerships, to which he will bring extensive experience in senior company fleet and re-marketing roles gained at ULR Automotive Group, SG Fleet, Mercedes-Benz Australia and most recently BMW Group Australia.

The strategic investment into high-level talent demonstrates the company’s commitment to continual improvement across its array of products and services and to elevating the importance of exemplary customer service.

Cox Automotive Australia chief executive Stephen Lester said: “It is pleasing to see the quality of candidates our business is attracting as we chart our growth, which will be underpinned by a core focus on customer experience. Under Nishant’s management, we have already implemented significant improvements to customer service within our software businesses, providing our clients with a more seamless onboarding experience and increased levels of support to get maximum value out of our software solutions.”

“Additionally, both Wayne and Heath bring a wealth of senior automotive industry experience into our enterprise sales team and their focus on partnering with key customer groups will ensure we better meet the needs of dealers and OEMs now and into the future. Again, their approach will set our teams up to focus on quality service delivery and under their leadership I am looking forward to building out our offerings for all of our automotive clients.”

“Cox Automotive is investing in bringing talented and skilled personnel into our organisation to ensure we continually evolve and improve our products and services with fresh approaches that build on our current capabilities. The structural and functional changes we are making underpins our sharper refocussing of the business towards the customer with significant investment in people, process and product. The realignment supports our strong growth aspirations and Cox Automotive’s overwhelming commitment to the market for the long term”.

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Path to EV Adoption

Nina Mirzaei — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 23:40:30 +0000

Path to EV Adoption: Consumer and Dealer Perspectives

It’s no secret that Australia has been slower to embrace EVs than many other countries, although 2023 has seen a momentum shift and market share grow to about 7%.

Greater choice and supply, aggressive pricing from Tesla and Chinese brands MG and BYD, and friendly Federal and State government policy decisions have all played their part in changing this market dynamic.

Looking ahead, there is general agreement across the Australian industry that the electric vehicle market share will grow further and do so quickly – but pain points for buyers, dealers and OEMs linger and need to be understood and addressed.

Fortunately, important lessons must be taken from regions with greater EV uptake. What are we seeing overseas that we can work to hedge against here?

With this in mind, let’s look at the recent research from Cox Automotive, our parent company in the US. Obviously, other countries don’t proffer exact templates to follow, but we can still get ahead of the curve by knowing what issues to keep an eye on.

To set the scene, EV sales and choices are expanding at pace:

Cox Automotive forecasts that a record 1 million new EVs will be sold in the US in 2023, more than twice the volume sold in 2021.

The industry’s growth has been powered not only by Tesla’s rapid expansion but also by a flow of new products into the market. Some 33 new EVs are being launched in 2023 alone, according to estimates from Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive company.

This story is more drastic in Australia during 2023, where EV sales are up four-fold year-on-year. The Tesla Model 3 is now the market’s outright top-selling passenger car, and the Model Y topped the SUV charts in May.

The number of EV models has about doubled over the past 12 months to nearly 50 models from 23 brands. There are now two entrants (MG 4 and BYD Dolphin) priced below the $40,000 threshold and electric options across passenger, SUV and light commercial segments.

Consideration is growing accordingly, but there is a gap:

According to the Cox Automotive US buyer and dealer survey, 51% of consumers are considering a new or used EV, which is up from just 38% in 2021.

This suggests a significant gap between those considering an EV and those buying it since EV share in the US is still expected to be under 8% in 2023.

Affordability continues to be the top obstacle for EV buyers, with 43% of intenders noting EVs are too expensive, up slightly from the level in 2021. Other barriers, however, are falling. In 2021, 40% of intenders cited a lack of charging stations as a top roadblock. That number has fallen to 32%.

Australian surveys yield similar results; for example, a recent report from BMW Australia and Hall & Partners put the proportion of the population considering an EV at 48%. EV consideration is well ahead of sales, in other words.

The rush to market has implications for inventory:

Supply shortages throughout the COVID pandemic are abating, particularly on higher-volume cars. And while many OEMs are still struggling to produce EVs at scale – compared to newer and more agile competitors – stock levels are nevertheless improving.

In June this year, across the US, EV days supply – a measure of inventory levels – was approaching 100 days, which is nearly twice the industry-wide average.

While we don’t have a clear insight on EV days supply for the new vehicle market in Australia, top-selling brands Tesla and BYD are quoting very short wait times and have strong pipelines. Tesla recently slashed almost $4000 from its base pricing, suggesting a few supply snags of note.

To the pre-owned side of the nascent EV market, Cox Automotive Australia, via its division Retail & Data Solutions, has revealed that over the past 12 months, the pool of listed used EVs is up by a multiple of four, but market days supply has only increased slightly from 69 to 74 days, suggesting growing demand.

The inflection point for the used EV market to spike will be once fleet take-up grows and, in turn, yields high levels of second-hand stock in 3-5 years’ time – stock that Manheim, a Cox Automotive company will play a big role in wholesaling/remarketing across Australia and New Zealand.

There might be a disconnect between buyers and dealers:

The Cox Automotive US survey revealed a significant gap in readiness between consumers and dealers in terms of embracing EVs. A slim majority of buyers think EVs are the future (meaning they will largely replace internal combustion vehicles) compared to only 31% of dealers.

While consumer adoption of EVs is expected to soar as more models hit the market, 54% of US dealerships are not entirely prepared regarding sales and service capabilities, raising concerns about the overall customer experience and satisfaction. You only get one chance to make the right first impression.

According to the survey, 82% of dealers are required by their OEM franchisor to make an EV investment into things like onsite charging and staff retraining. These investments are being, and will continue to be, echoed across the Australian context.

On this note, the study reveals that dealerships need more support and guidance from carmakers, which they view as their preferred source of EV information. The good news is that 57% of consumers list franchise dealers as their preferred EV maintenance location.

Battery health matters, so get your ducks in a row

Just over a quarter of new EV considerers cite concerns over the cost of battery replacement as a key concern, and this figure hasn’t changed significantly since 2021: suggesting current messaging isn’t working.

Beyond this, some 81% of consumers are either very or somewhat interested in a battery health report, yet a majority of dealers (63%) claim little to no familiarity with battery health diagnostic tools – tools such as Cox-owned Spiers New Technologies.

Prospective EV buyers have different tactics

A statistically significant 87% of new EV buyers said they were open to buying their car fully online, while 80% said they planned to do most or all of the purchase online. For internal combustion buyers, by contrast, these figures sat at 73% and 61%, respectively.

EV buyers also spend less time looking at vehicles at the dealer and negotiating/signing up, with an average dwell time at the dealer of 2 hours and 23 minutes for EVs versus 2 hours and 55 minutes for ICE vehicles.

These are people who know what they want, with 91% saying they already had in mind the vehicle they ended up buying – before they visited a dealer.

To sum it up:

Australia’s EV growth follows a similar template to what we’ve seen elsewhere, so insights from US car buyers and dealers around areas of concern can give you a head start to make sure you capitalise on what’s coming.

Access your copy of the Path to EV Adoption: Consumer and Dealer Perspectives survey

 Download the full report here.

Ready to connect with our local team in Australia?

Click here to submit an enquiry, and a member of our team will be in touch. Alternatively, you can visit our Retail and Data solutions website here to discover how our connected suite of digital products can deliver to all your dealership requirements.

The post Path to EV Adoption appeared first on Cox Automotive.

The Forward-Thinking Dealership

Nina Mirzaei — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 02:26:23 +0000

Dealers who embrace the future make more profit and sell more cars

Forward-thinking dealers who are prepared to invest in the latest digital technologies – software, automation and data – sell more cars, make more profit, and retain more customers at service time.

This is the overarching finding from a new study by our parent company in the US, Cox Automotive, based on a survey of more than 500 dealers. While specific to the United States, there are lessons for Australia.

This is especially true in the current climate of economic uncertainty and ongoing challenges around supply, logistics, and both finding and keeping the best employees.

When it comes to sales, marketing and inventory management (known as variable operations), the survey and accompanying report categorises the dealers more or less evenly into three sets.

These are ‘Static’ dealers with a very traditional approach; ‘Modern’ dealers with a balance of manual processes with some digital technologies; and ‘Forward-Thinking’ dealers using the latest integrated software, automation, and data tools.

On the fixed operations or service side of things, most dealer respondents were not as advanced in their digital capabilities. Dealers’ fixed operations are thereby divided into only two groups: ‘Static’ and ‘Forward-Thinking’ – in this case meaning a combination of manual and automated processes.

Key findings:

Forward-Thinking dealers made 64% higher net profits than Static dealers and 6% higher net profits than Modern dealers.
Forward-Thinking dealers increased their sales profits over the last 12 months by 87% overall, compared to 69% for Static dealers and 74% for Modern dealers.
Forward-Thinking dealers sold 63% more vehicles per month than Static dealers and 40% more vehicles than Modern dealers.
Sales staff at Forward-Thinking dealers sold almost twice as many vehicles per month (21.3 each) than those at Static dealers (11.6 per month). Sales staff at Modern dealers sold 13.8 vehicles per month.

So what precisely differentiates these Forward-Thinking dealers from their competitors, who quantifiably perform at a lower level?

Marketing:

Forward-Thinking dealers use data to create personalised communications. They glean customer insights by keeping their CRM up to date and integrated with their website; they have dedicated content marketing staff; and they push conquest service marketing campaigns to owners in their area.

Tomorrow, they’ll be leveraging AI virtual assistants to, for instance, respond to and pre-qualify leads before handing them over to sales staff.

Managing inventory:

Forward-Thinking dealers currently demonstrate a long-term vision for inventory that guides their acquisition strategy, always use market data rather than going by gut, and use digital stock management and syndication tools. They also provide 360-degree imagery and video for each VIN in stock.

Sales:

Forward-Thinking dealers today offer advanced search filtering options on stock, track customers’ equity position to trigger communication at optimal trade-in time, and use consumer data to offer relevant accessory products with transparent pricing.

Tomorrow they’ll likely pivot to future trade-in valuations using forecast values, use intelligent damage detection software for trade-in procurement, using integrated API to offer a change-over figure factoring in the trade value, and relying on AI to automate online deal structuring and lender decisions.

Service:

Fixed operations presents a particular opportunity for dealers, but also comes with some challenges – namely what to do about EVs and how to retain customers for longer without losing them to the independents.

Forward-Thinking dealers today use the latest digital solutions to interact with customers, from basics such as making online service appointments with quote estimates, to securing loan vehicles within the same scheduling experience.

Sales departments in these dealers also make sure to hand-off recent customer information to the service-marketing team, integrate their CRM with service inspection and appointment tools (such as Cox’s Xtime software), and offer pickup services for recall campaigns or general services.

Tomorrow these same dealers will roll out digital multi-point inspections and quoting, with video chat for customer approval. They’ll also provide options to check in via kiosk or mobile app, and provide video chat with service technicians to share vehicle issues and repair information. They can also geofence loan vehicles, with automated alerts sent back if the car leaves a set area.

Where to invest for targeted improvement

On the topic of streamlining your service operations, we encourage you to learn of the possibilities with Xtime, our service experience platform designed to help you balance your workshop mix, improve your throughput, maximise resource efficiencies, and ultimately increase the percentage of return customers coming back to your service centre. Xtime’s digital dashboard can be integrated into the overwhelming majority of DMS platforms in Australia – more than 140,000 dealer service bookings are made through the platform every month.

Dealers who subscribe to Xtime have access to their own personal concierge there to help maximise its strengths, in the context of your specific business. But augmenting this is the most recent ‘Xtime Masterclass’ which demonstrates potential uses of this proprietary software.

You can watch this masterclass here and keep an eye out for our next iteration over the coming months.

Ultimately, advancing your operations isn’t just about embracing more digital technology. It’s about advancing your dealership’s performance. If you’re either a static or modern dealer, moving to the next level yields significant business results.

Forward thinkers earn more net profit and make more vehicle sales – and they do both at a faster rate.

Become a Forward Thinker

Download the full report here and start adopting the mindset and tactics that bring major gains across Marketing, Inventory Management, Sales and Service.

Ready to connect with our local team in Australia?

Click here to submit an enquiry and a member of our team will be in touch. Alternatively, you can visit our Retail and Data solutions website here to discover how our connected suite of digital products can deliver to all your dealership requirements.

The post The Forward-Thinking Dealership appeared first on Cox Automotive.

Reasons to attend a used vehicle auction in-person

Nina Mirzaei — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 02:27:00 +0000

As our Manheim team continues to open its auction lanes across Australia to dealers and the public who are ready to experience the thrill of bidding, the camaraderie of fellow buyers, and the benefits of real-time interaction, we identified three reasons why you want to consider visiting Manheim sites across Australia.

Three reasons to attend a used vehicle auction in person.

Manheim re-opened its physical used vehicle auctions in Melbourne (7 June ) and Brisbane (13 June) with Sydney coming soon and at its other sites across the country over the coming months. For dealers out there seeking the best stock, there are great reasons to come back!

The weekly live auction events are open to the general public and dealers alike, making them a potentially great source of real-time market intelligence.

The weekly passenger, SUV and commercial vehicle auctions include affordable and prestige cars; ex-government, business and rental fleet vehicles; and trade-ins. Without further ado, let’s explore the reasons:

Reason 1:

Networking

For one thing, attending the auction lanes in person opens up networking opportunities. See what your competitors, compatriots and clients are doing, and leave with the latest insights.

Watch cars drive through Manheim’s auction lanes, see all the action in person as our auctioneers offer a wide variety of cars for sale, and even enjoy some hot food and coffee.

Sam Hunter, Director of Operations for Manheim, said, “Importantly, we actively consulted with our customers to understand how we could improve our service and better meet their needs by returning to our omni-channel solution. While we knew that a combination of online and in-lane buyers would help sell more cars, we also knew from customer feedback that both buyers and sellers were keen to return to the days of catching up with each other in person on a regular basis.”

Reason 2:

See stock in person

Seeing vehicles that are up for auction also allows you to immediately assess what rectification work is required.

By taking physical inspections of cars beforehand and as they drive through the lanes and reading Manheim’s downloadable condition reports, you stand the best chance of securing the best vehicles available.

“Buyers can also inspect the vehicle in person and then bid online if that’s their preference,” adds Sam Hunter, referring to the company’s commitment to an omnichannel approach.

Reason 3:

Get a better gauge on the market

The return of physical auctions gives those with an eagle-eye a rapid bead on consumer interest and sentiment. See what’s getting the most bids, understand the market conditions, and find trends that much quicker.

Ultimately, while digital buying tools are a useful and convenient way to procure top-shelf second-hand vehicle stock, attending the auction lanes live and in person is an experience you shouldn’t miss.

Sam Hunter continued, “Being in lane, our Dealer customers can get a direct sense of the market by seeing interest levels from wholesale buyers and the public alike. They can see which cars are getting the most bids and what the best stocking opportunities might be for their preferred mix of used vehicles for retail. Being in lane can also help them understand the options they have for using Manheim as a disposal channel to maximise returns for their unwanted trade-ins.”

What about online auctions?

Prior to COVID-19 suspensions, Manheim’s physical auctions were attended by thousands of people every week, creating a dynamic marketplace for the sale of hundreds of used vehicles.

In their place, Manheim turned to convenient simulcast auctions with online bidding, which are here to stay and remain an important part of the company’s operation.

Nevertheless, there are some real benefits in coming down to the lanes and kicking the tyres in person to find some top-shelf used vehicle stock – even if it’s only from time to time.

Keen to know more and how to bid?

Visit our team at Manheim via this link to discover more about live Auctions and how you can bid and buy in person.

The post Reasons to attend a used vehicle auction in-person appeared first on Cox Automotive.

Is your dealership set up for an omnichannel future?

Nina Mirzaei — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 07:25:03 +0000

Our counterparts in Cox Automotive Europe recently released the March 2023 Consumer Dealer research results, which analyses answers of 3000 car owning consumers and used car dealers and poses the following overarching question: Are car dealers really set up for an Omnichannel Future?

Although the findings relate to consumers and used car dealers in Europe, we believe the survey highlights key questions and trends that are applicable globally relating to the influence of digital channels and tools on how consumers find and choose cars and, how retailers interact with their customers.

Over the following paragraphs, we share the findings that we found most interesting and share the link below for you to access the complete report and a way for you to connect with our local team in Australia.

For used and franchised dealers reading these words, we invite you to think about how these questions and answers apply to your business and how these insights can assist in developing a connected experience for your customers

What do used car buyers want?

According to the survey’s findings, 94% of the respondents expect their interactions with a dealer to be joined up and simple. In fact, two-thirds of the respondents think that it is very important to have a connected experience, whilst 80% expect details provided online to be available in-store.

Regarding how consumers search for a used car, 67% use a used car marketplace such as Autotrader, 62% physically visit a dealership, 53% research via a search engine, and only 31% visit a manufacturer or retailer’s website.

As for websites, 75% said that it influences their buying decision.

Digging deeper into dealers’ websites, respondents said that they expect an array of digital tools to help their search and decision making:

92% expect to search for available stock

73% expect quality photos

63% expect part exchange valuations

46% expect to see a walkaround video

29% want to have the ability to purchase

Managing expectations & digital functionality.

This part of the report studies a series of website features, such as video walkaround, quality photos, the ability to buy online, the ability to reserve a car, a finance application, a finance calculator, live chat and others, and compares consumer’s expectations vs how dealers, both independent and franchise are doing.

In almost every category, independent dealers and franchise dealers are ahead when it comes to managing expectations in terms of functionality, except for when it comes to video provision, with independent dealers trailing behind.

The appetite to access finance seems relatively strong, with 67% of consumers indicating that they want to finance; however, 52% of those consumers say they wouldn’t want it via a dealer’s website.

Dealers are investing in their websites and online capabilities.

For dealers in the UK, investing in their 24/7 salesperson is working, and the data confirms that they are seeing the benefits.

The survey results tell us that 83% of respondents invested in their website during 2022, and those who invested:

68% did so to improve the customer experience

57% were reacting to changing customers’ habits and behaviours

38% did so because of increased competition from digital disrupters

When dealers were asked about the benefits of omnichannel of an omnichannel approach: 72% said that it improves customer service, 60% said that it drives additional sales, 55% said that it improves business efficiency, 45% said that it reduces price negotiation, 40% said that improves brand experience. Other benefits mentioned were that it helps drive additional revenue and reduces the odds of customers dropping out of the sales process.

Finally, the report ends with a big question…

Do consumers want to buy cars online without any physical interaction?

Well, yes, they do. A quarter of our consumer sample either have or could imagine buying a car without physically seeing it, and 92% of the dealers responding think there is a demand to at least some degree. Just 4% said ‘no, not in my lifetime’ when asked if there is or will be sufficient demand.

And while 26% of the dealer sample experienced no demand for online-only sales last year, 70% said they sold at least one car this way and 15% sold between 20-50% of their 2022 volume online.

How do these findings stack up for your local dealership?

Here at Cox Automotive Australia, our Dealer Sentiment Survey is underway, and we are looking forward to sharing the results with you in Q3. In the meantime, our team hopes you find this report insightful and will guide you to ask key questions and measure key metrics in your current operations.

You can download the full report here.

Ready to connect with our local team in Australia?

Click here to submit an enquiry and a member of our team will be in touch. Alternatively, you can visit our Retail and Data solutions website here to discover how our connected suite of digital products can deliver to all your dealership requirements.

The post Is your dealership set up for an omnichannel future? appeared first on Cox Automotive.

Think Smart With SmartPublisher

Candice S (Pivotal Agency) — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 00:20:55 +0000

Having the right advertising strategy is crucial for any business. And when you’re running a busy dealership, you need tools at your fingertips that make your job as easy as possible – while still giving you the edge over your competition.

This includes taking a smart advertising approach when it comes to integration with your vehicle inventory management. And this is where SmartPublisher can help.

Our SmartPublisher platform allows you to streamline your advertising across multiple car sales websites, aggregating all your dealer inventory data and giving you full online control.

Read on and find out why SmartPublisher inventory management system for the automotive industry is the right choice for your dealership.

Manage your inventory from one powerful dashboard

You can’t succeed in sales without an advertising strategy that works, but knowing how to manage this in the digital environment can be challenging. SmartPublisher operates via a powerful centralised dashboard which lets you update your vehicle inventory when and how you want. You can edit pricing, images and vehicle details from one single place, ensuring that your vehicles’ descriptions are accurate and consistent wherever they’re published.

Integrates with all dealer management systems

It’s easy to get started and stay on top of your data. From the beginning, your inventory can be seamlessly integrated into SmartPublisher. Our automotive distribution software accepts data from all dealer management systems (DMS) and other data sources, making automated integration easy.

Unlimited advertising destinations

SmartPublisher allows you to control and publish your vehicles on top websites like Carsales, Autotrader, Gumtree, as well as all dealership websites – the choice is yours. Whether you choose a single or unlimited advertising destination package, our flexible automotive inventory management software lets you select, update and control where your inventory is published.

Real-time updates

With fast data exporting and real-time integration, vehicle updates you make on your own website will swiftly transfer to any online advertising platform you use. From price changes and new photos to adding or removing vehicles, you can be assured any updates will be quickly reflected across your advertising sites without added hassle.

SmartPublisher hits the mark when it comes to car advertising software that makes your job easy. It’s the smart choice of inventory management system for the automotive industry, which puts you in control of your online advertising strategy with just a few simple clicks. You can also choose to upgrade your features to SmartPublisher Pro, giving you even more power with lead pausing, bulk re-list capability and greater publishing options. Get on top of your advertising with SmartPublisher and you’ll never look back.

Talk to us today about how to get started with SmartPublisher for your dealership.

The post Think Smart With SmartPublisher appeared first on Cox Automotive.

Making Automotive Market Insights Work For You

Candice S (Pivotal Agency) — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 06:21:08 +0000

When running a business today, you need control of industry insights to keep ahead of the rest like never before. With the constant drive to stay in front, you understand that making informed decisions is the key to success. In the automotive world, that means being up to date on your own inventory, pricing strategy and stock quality, just as much as your competitor’s.

AutoRadar Market Insights is a holistic software platform that gives you access to automotive data across the board, providing used car market insights that give you the edge. Evaluate your inventory based on market comparisons, value vehicles in real-time, understand your trade-in and dealer-asking price, and break down consumer interest on all makes and models across your choice of locations.

With dedicated modules such as Vehicle Analysis, Vehicle Valuation, Market Insights and Inventory Analysis, you’ll have the tools at your fingertips to compare, analyse and make the right decisions for your dealership.

Measure demand

Having up-to-date automotive industry insights of popular makes and models from across your region means you’ll know what’s hot and what’s not. AutoRadar gives you the tools to measure the demand and better understand what consumers are looking for to optimise your stock choices.

Informed decisions

In the current market, you can’t afford to second-guess your strategies and how to best implement them. Recognising trends and knowing what your customers want will give you confidence to make the right decisions about your inventory, vehicle valuations and listing prices, saving you time and money.

Analyse your inventory

Truly understand your inventory with AutoRadar’s real-time competitor analysis tool. This state-of-the-art feature integrates with your stock management data allowing you to accurately evaluate your inventory against the market, ensuring that your pricing, valuation, marketing and advertising strategies are on track to deliver profitable outcomes.

Buy the right stock

When you understand automotive industry insights into both your consumers and competitors, you won’t end up investing time and money on stock choices that don’t hit the mark with buyers. Using live trend data, you can be sure that you’re filling your lot with stock that customers are looking for right now, maximising profit and avoiding costly errors.

User-friendly and easy to use

Data analysis is easy with our user-friendly online dashboard for use across desktop, tablet and mobile devices. With clear graphics, well-structured layout and interactive colour displays, AutoRadar makes it simple to understand the used car data insights you need.

In today’s competitive automotive market, the tools that drive your business further are crucial to your operating strategy. AutoRadar gives you comprehensive automotive dealer insight across vehicle makes and models, consumer trends and industry comparison, allowing you to drill deeper and pinpoint the right inventory for your dealership. With no lock-in contracts and competitive pricing, contact us today about how AutoRadar can work for you.

The post Making Automotive Market Insights Work For You appeared first on Cox Automotive.