A new voice-first artificial intelligence platform designed help car dealerships with sales and service follow-up has launched in the U.S. The platform, called Lokam.ai, is designed to automate customer communication, giving dealers greater capability to capture, convert and retain more customers. Lokam.ai can integrate existing CRM and DMS systems to facilitate automated high-impact customer follow-up, […] [Read More]

About six weeks after announcing the acquisition, Cox Automotive said Monday it has completed its purchase of customer data platform and marketing automation company Fullpath. It’s a move that allows Cox to help dealers drive more efficiency, deals and profitability, along with bringing an “agentic approach” to innovation at the company, Cox Automotive president of […] [Read More]

When it comes to practical applications of artificial intelligence for car dealers, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Or a “crawl, walk, run” approach, says QuoreAI founder and CEO Todd Smith. “There’s no (case where you) plug in AI and it’s magic,” Smith said in an interview on the sidelines of the J.D. Power Auto […] [Read More]

A 14.2-mile interior fence. Tough terrain. Multiple security personnel. Two or three vehicles churned from wear and tear annually. A looming United States Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) audit in jeopardy. These were the challenges Kia Georgia faced because inspecting its massive fence for damage was as costly as it was time consuming. The […] [Read More]

When it comes to capturing customer engagement, video is king. But the busy world of a car dealership isn’t necessarily the best environment for consistently creating effective video content. “Video sells. We’ve known that for years,” said Paul Hepp, director of marketing and internet sales for Illinois-based O’Brien Auto Team, which operates 10 locations in […] [Read More]

Bojangles, the fast-food fried chicken chain, has launched its first electric vehicle charging station at its location in Savannah, Ga., an addition the company said is “reimagining the future of the roadside stop” with a new kind of experience it calls the “charge-and-dine.” The Savannah location is the first in what Bojangles said is a […] [Read More]

Sourcing used inventory at the right price and accurately assessing reconditioning costs are two pain points for dealerships. In days past, dealers often had to rely on their gut to handle the two tasks. No more. Cox Automotive’s vAuto suite of product uses artificial intelligence to help dealers buy the best used inventory mix including […] [Read More]

myKaarma’s stated goal is to support innovation in technology for dealerships. But it doesn’t want to do it alone. The customer interaction and payments platform has launched its Partner Portal, a new platform it called “an absolute necessity for forging a truly open, flexible and developer-centric ecosystem” for auto dealers, OEMs and technology providers. “Dealers […] [Read More]

Widewail has added an experienced hand to its sales leadership. Brad Bowers, whose 40-plus years in the auto industry includes roles from dealerships to global manufacturers to software companies, has joined the customer intelligence and reputation management platform as national sales director for OEMs and partnerships. In a news release, Widewail said Bowers is “uniquely […] [Read More]

A growing percentage of consumers now use artificial intelligence as what marketplace Cars.com describes as a “trusted co-pilot” in their search for a vehicle to purchase. Meanwhile, other studies suggest that dealership websites are not visible to many of those AI-driven search engines. That means customers are routed through third-party aggregators rather than directly to […] [Read More]