eSTART hits a milestone: 100 members
The countdown is over.
The eSTART Coalition’s “countdown to 100” hit zero last week, when America’s Car-Mart became its 100th member. This week the organization announced two more additions — online auction EBlock and the Texas Independent Automobile Dealers Association.
The eSTART Coalition’s mission is to modernize title and registration processes across the country by facilitating advocacy for state and local governments to adopt electronic options.
Its rapid growth in the six months since its launch in March has surprised even its founding members, which include the National Automobile Dealers Association, Carvana, DocuSign, IAA and ACERTUS.
In a LinkedIn post announcing its 100th member, eSTART said its booming membership “is indicative and representative of the wide-ranging demand in the automotive industry, from industry participants and consumers alike, to modernize the title and registration experience.”
The organization is not a lobbying group organization and does not take any specific policy positions. Rather, it provides a clearinghouse for its members to share news and information about what is happening in the titling and registration space and to amplify the voice of its members’ advocacy.
Members write letters or petitions to legislatures, governors or regulatory agencies in support of a bill or policy, or seeking guidance on a titling issue, and present them to eSTART’s membership for endorsement. Members who agree can then sign on to show the idea has wide industry support rather than just the backing of single stakeholder.
The letters and petitions, which come from the signers, not from eSTART itself, can be found on eSTART’s efforts page.