🚗 eBay's Retail Auto Update

🚙 eBay Follows Amazon, Nikes at NADA, and CR's Fuel Economy Survey

January 15, 2025

TOGETHER WITH

Just 8 days until NADA, Friend!

Did you know the first NADA show was just a year after the Association was formed? In 1918, the association held its inaugural show in Chicago, and 138 auto dealers were in attendance.

Now you know 🙂 

Keep Pushing Back,
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

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🚂 EVs Chug Along, eBay Acquires End-To-End Online Car Sales Platform, and Biden Finishes Up Some Chinese Bans

🌵 EVs Keep Chugging Along

EVs captured 8.1% of the U.S. market in 2024, with over 1.3M units sold—a 7.3% increase from the previous year. Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3 remain dominant, but Ford’s Mustang Mach-E and Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 are catching up. Aggressive incentives and an expanding model lineup keep the EV market growing. As more buyers explore alternatives to Tesla, dealers have an opportunity to guide customers through charging options, incentives, and the evolving landscape.

🤺 Biden Takes on China

The Biden administration finalized rules that will block most Chinese cars from entering the U.S. by 2027, citing national security concerns over vehicle software and hardware. The restrictions also impact Russian components and limit self-driving tests by Chinese automakers. While this reduces direct competition in the EV space, it complicates parts sourcing for dealers. The changes might shift focus back to domestic brands and allied automakers, but not without some potential supply chain headaches.

🌐 eBay’s Caramel Move

eBay has acquired Caramel, an online platform that simplifies car sales with end-to-end services like financing, insurance, shipping, and paperwork. For independent dealers, this creates opportunities to expand their reach but also adds competition in the used-car market. eBay is stepping up its game to challenge Amazon’s Autos platform, and dealers using eBay may benefit from the streamlined process—if they’re ready to adapt to the platform’s new tools and evolving dynamics.

Read the Full Digest

Get the full scoop on these stories and more. Dive into the latest trends shaping the auto industry—read here!

Headed to NADA? Dig Nike?

Get your FREE Nikes on iPacket!

Pre-book your demo before the NADA show kicks off and attend your appointment at iPacket Booth #6713 to snag a FREE pair of Nike Jordans!

No strings attached—just show up, and you're good to go.

Spots are filling fast, so lock in your demo today—they can’t wait to connect with you!

Americans Demand More Bang for Their Buck

Tenor

Ask any customer what they want improved in their next car, and odds are pretty good that they’ll say fuel economy.

That’s not just a hunch—the latest Consumer Reports survey proves it. In fact, with over nine years of research under their belt, fuel economy has consistently topped the list of features drivers want to see improved.

Consumer Reports / NORC

Unfortunately, while 96% of respondents said fuel economy matters when shopping for a vehicle, only 27% think automakers are serious about cutting fuel costs for consumers. Ouch.

Meanwhile, 64% of Americans say government fuel-efficiency standards should get stricter, and 76% expect every new model generation to offer better mileage than the last.

Consumer Reports / NORC

Fuel economy might be the headliner, but it’s far from the only thing on shoppers’ minds.

When asked what else could use an upgrade, 30% said lowering the purchase price is key—no surprises there. Another 28% want reduced maintenance costs, and 22% are frustrated with clunky infotainment systems (you’ve probably heard that complaint on your sales floor more than once).

Cargo space made the list too, with 18% of respondents wanting more room. Whether they’re loading up on weekend errands or hauling sports gear, space is a selling point that’s easy to overlook—until it isn’t.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

🗓️ Coming Soon

⚜️ January 23-26th — NADA Show in New Orleans. Find the all best parties here!

📝 January 30th— Public Policy Day with WANADA and the Washington, D.C. Auto Show.

🦀 May 13-16th— ASOTU CON in Baltimore, Maryland.

🎙️ Auto Collabs

🥊 Quick Hits

  • Amazon’s Alexa AI is having hallucination problems. 🤖 

  • Production inflation cooled and stocks increased slightly in December. 😎 

  • Meta and Google are pretty pumped about the TikTok ban. ⏰ 

🔁 Today in History

  • 1759: The British Museum opens to the public. 🖼️ 

  • 1919: A wave of molasses released from an exploding storage tank sweeps through Boston, Massachusetts, killing 21 and injuring 150. 🤕 

  • 1997: Subaru begins production of the Forester for U.S. market. 🆕 

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