Beltway Talk Podcast: How Toyota Turned Dealers Into Digital Storytellers
Rebecca Steele, Director of Emerging Technology Policy at Toyota North America, oversees digital advocacy for the automaker. In today’s episode of Beltway Talk, she discusses how she was able to help Toyota pivot to an all-digital advocacy force in 2020 and how she plans to maintain that momentum into 2021. Listen in here – or find Beltway Talk wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Don’t forget to subscribe!
In Digital Age, Dealers Feel Pressured to Self-Promote
Gold Coast Cadillac in New Jersey provides customers with pickup and drop-off services, free loaner vehicles, and an online service appointment scheduler. Automotive News reports that through a customer retention program it calls its Gold Club, the Oakhurst, N.J., dealership is committing to being better at providing a convenient experience, said Bill Camastro, a dealer and partner in the dealership, which is part of Serra Automotive. It's also a way dealerships can compete against online used-vehicle upstarts such as Carvana and Vroom, Camastro said — by being just as good at providing the services the rival companies offer, and by offering more. "All Vroom and Carvana really did was point out to us that, 'hey, you guys aren't very good at this, so we're going to live in that space,'" Camastro said. “I hope every car dealer in the country saw that commercial, to be honest with you. All it's going to do is improve them." Read more here (Source: Automotive News).
U.S., European Consumers Warm Up to Electric Vehicles, But Remain Wary of Price: Survey
European and U.S. buyers are warming up to the idea of purchasing a battery-powered vehicle, but continue to have concerns over the price of the technology, a survey showed, underscoring the need for government subsidies to reach EV sales and environmental goals. Reuters reports that it surveyed more than 7,500 global consumers between December and January. OC&C did not receive external funding for the study, its lead author Felicity Latcham said. The shift in attitudes comes at a crucial time for the auto industry, which is releasing a growing number of electric models in a race to comply with stricter CO2 emission targets and catch up with Tesla Inc, which has captured the EV market. In the UK, France and Italy, more than half of consumers said they would consider a battery-powered vehicle as their next purchase, while in Germany and the U.S. nearly half of respondents said so, the survey showed. Read more here (Source: Reuters).
Luxury Sales Reaching Historic Highs
Luxury brands raced out of the gates in the first quarter, a time of year when they typically underperform following their seasonal year-end marketing programs, reports Automotive News. Overall, U.S. luxury sales rose 20 percent to 547,903 cars and light trucks in the quarter, significantly outperforming the broader industry's 12 percent increase. With the premium surge, the annualized light-vehicle sales pace in March jumped to 18.1 million, according to Motor Intelligence. The luxury sector's share of industry retail sales climbed to 15.2 percent, a record for the first quarter dating back at least to the start of this century, noted Tyson Jominy, vice president of the Power Information Network at J.D. Power. Luxury retail sales rose 37 percent for the quarter, Jominy said. But the segment is evolving from its past, when it was once a stronghold of leasing activity. Leasing fell 8 percentage points in the quarter to 49 percent, extending a trend that first emerged during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic. Read more here (Source: Automotive News).
Ford Dealers to Build Standalone Bronco Showrooms in Ambitious Expansion Plan
Ford has successfully created a massive buzz around the launch of its revamped Bronco after a two-decade pause. That buzz has become a cacophony of demand, and dealers have proposed the idea of standalone Bronco showrooms to give the brand a VIP identity. The Drive reports that the Blue Oval gave the thumbs-up to 100 dealerships to surf the wave of Bronco success and open separate, free-standing showrooms just for that branch of the Ford family tree. Renderings provided to Automotive News show a fully-formed concept that includes a customer lounge and café where Bronco, Baby Bronco, and Bronco wannabe owners can gather and execute the secret handshake. Read more here (Source: The Drive).
Around the Web
$50,000 Used Cars We'd Keep for 5 Years [Car and Driver]
Why Your Next Rental Car Might Cost More Than a Plane Ticket [The Washington Post]
Lexus Teammate Advanced Driver Assist Tech Headed to 2022 LS 500h in the U.S. [Autoblog]
Honda Looking to Get a Little More Rugged with Trailsport Moniker? [The Detroit Bureau]
