Tag: Edmunds

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Dealership Training

Is Your Team Made Up Of Order Takers or Sellers?

Dealerships and salespeople alike have reaped the benefits of healthy profit margins over the last few years. However, just as the margin pendulum swung deep into seller’s market territory, it’s beginning its backward trajectory into a buyer’s market.

While inflation and lack of inventory have kept vehicle prices high. Interest rates, climbing debt, and lack of affordable vehicles are pressuring more consumers out of the market. According to Experian, during the first quarter of 2023 the average APR for prime consumers fell between 6.40 percent for new vehicles and 8.75 percent for used vehicles. Think about that for a second. If a prime consumer can’t get a rate below 5 percent, what does that mean for nonprime and subprime consumers?

As of 2021, Experian reported that nearly one in three Americans had a subprime credit score. So approximately 33 percent of your customers don’t qualify for an 8.75 percent APR. Their range spans from 8.86 percent to 21.32 percent. On top of the APR issue is rising debt. Because consumers purchased both new and pre-owned vehicles priced well above historical norms for the last three years, those three-year-old consumers are returning to dealerships with significantly less of their auto loan paid off. According to Edmunds’ fourth quarter data from 2022:

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EFG Companies Electric Vehicles

The Infrastructure of Electric Vehicle Sales

Electric vehicles are a hot topic these days – for consumers and automotive dealers alike. However, not all electric vehicles are alike. Like any new product, consumers can be confused and overwhelmed. A dealer’s success in selling any type of electric vehicle requires your staff to be knowledgeable on the product details and trained to guide the customer through the buying decision process.

Electric vehicles on the road today

Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)

BEVs—also referred to as “all-electric vehicles”—run on electricity only and are recharged from an external power source. They are propelled by one or more electric motor powered by rechargeable battery packs.

Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)

PHEVs also use batteries to power an electric motor and can be recharged from an external power source, but they incorporate a smaller internal combustion engine that can recharge the battery (or in some models, directly power the wheels) to allow for longer driving ranges. When electricity is unavailable, PHEVs can run on gasoline alone.

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Industry Trends

Chances Are You Need Inventory?

These days, retail automotive dealers are getting a refresher on supply and demand economics.

On the supply side, the pandemic-induced slow down put a crimp on the volume of new vehicles as factories shut down and parts suppliers faced significant shipping challenges. In April 2020, a record low 103,000 new vehicles were manufactured. By contrast, a little over 2 million vehicles were built in January 2021 and Edmunds forecasts that 15.5 million new cars will be sold in 2021, a 6.5 percent lift compared to last year. New vehicle manufacturing is clearly back on line, yet some glitches will remain as the supply of certain semiconductor chips and electronic components are still scarce.

On the demand side, new car prices are skyrocketing. In December 2020, the average transaction price for a new vehicle hit an all-time record high of $40,573. These rising prices are driving many people out of the new car market, forcing people to look elsewhere for a vehicle. The used vehicle market is also experiencing pricing challenges. According to the Manheim Used Car Index, Wholesale used vehicle prices (on a mix-, mileage-, and seasonally adjusted basis) increased 3.79 percent month-over-month in February. This brought the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index to 169.2, a 17.9 percent increase from a year ago and a record high for the Index. For high-demand vehicles such as SUVs and pickup trucks, the price jump is even higher.

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