The dealership world is changing fast. Technology – especially the internet – has greatly empowered consumers when they go into a dealership. The internet has also helped dealerships who have embraced it sell a lot more cars.
Technologies that make a car safer or easier to drive are also changing fast, as is powertrain technology. Autonomous driving features and electric vehicles both have the potential to upend the dealership model from both the sales and service perspective.
I know those two areas are changing fast, but just how fast was driven home by a speaker I heard at the Fleet Conference I attended a few weeks ago in Santa Monica, in conjunction with the annual Alt Car Expo.
Futurist Tony Seba talked about disruptive technologies and exponential change. To see how those apply to electric and autonomously-driven vehicles, and why dealers maybe should worry about them more then they might be, read my story in this week’s issue.
Also this week, Joe Aboyoun looks at issues that can arise in a partnered acquisition. This is especially relevant because new kinds of partners are entering the buy-sell world. Dealers need to know the areas they should pay close attention to so they can get the best deal for themselves, and so the deal can win that all important manufacturer approval.
We also have our usual hit section, Transaction News.
Enjoy!
