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Hey everyone,
Reminder! We’re throwing our second annual party in Las Vegas during NADA 2026!
Will be attended by top dealers, industry leaders and several special guests.
Space is very limited but we’ve opened up a waitlist here.
Big shoutout to Impel and CallRevu for their support of the event!
Can't wait.
— CDG
First time reading the CDG Newsletter?
Welcome to The Weekly, a roundup of the top five auto industry headlines of the week.
EVs are ‘biggest driver of September’s strong sales pace,’ as tax credit deadline nears — J.D. Power
EVs are carrying the new vehicle market this month as most other segments soften.
By the numbers: J.D. Power forecasts EVs will hit 12.2% of September retail sales, a record share and up 27.5% year-over-year.
The surge is driven almost entirely by shoppers rushing to capture the federal $7,500 tax credit before it expires.
Non-EV retail sales are expected to fall 2.5% from last year, but the EV rush is strong enough to keep total sales flat YoY at 1.23 million units.
Big picture: With average transaction prices (ATPs) climbing to $45,795, payments hitting a record $756, and OEMs already rethinking launch plans, dealers should brace for fast-moving shifts in inventory, incentives, and messaging once the subsidy cliff arrives.
Casa Auto’s Jarrod Kilway on building a private GPT for dealers
Casa Auto Group’s Jarrod Kilway built his own private GPT, and it’s giving his managers answers in seconds instead of hours.
Here’s how it works: instead of digging through the DMS, CRM, inventory, Google Analytics, and ad reports separately, Kilway pulled them into one secure system.
Then he set up an AI interface that looks and feels like ChatGPT, but it only answers questions from Casa’s own data.
The system cost about $1,000 upfront and runs $800–$1,200 a month—far less than many off-the-shelf tools.
Bottom line: Kilway’s approach shows how dealers can unlock the data they already own with secure, low-cost AI. The payoff is speed, accountability, and better decisions—without waiting on vendors or endless reports.
A word from our partner:
Many dealers believe digital tools can help boost sales.
But early findings from a recent Capital One Auto survey revealed operational challenges dealers are still navigating and how trust is shaped.
Capital One Auto President Sanjiv Yajnik will join the Car Dealership Guy podcast on October 4 to discuss what’s been uncovered and where the research is headed.
Stay tuned.
AutoGenius founder Ben Hadley argues that car buying sits in the dreaded “obligatory + slow” quadrant (think roof repair), which explains why customers hate it—whether it takes three hours or 45 minutes.
His four-quadrant marketing matrix reframes the challenge, though:
Lean into obligation + instant (frictionless checkout)
Optional + slow (exclusivity)
Or optional + fast (impulse-driven offers).
The key, he says, is picking a lane and aligning the right marketing channels to it.
Bottom line: In an AI-driven future where speed and visibility become commoditized, only meaning (and unique value) will likely cut through.
Boulevard Ford of Millsboro is debuting Ford’s new Signature 2.0 dealership design on Oct. 2
Boulevard Ford of Millsboro is about to open the first dealership built around Ford’s new Signature 2.0 design.
Which means, instead of cubicles and sales desks, customers will walk into what general manager JB Burnett calls “somebody’s living room,” complete with open seating and a barista hub.
Behind the scenes, the 44,000-square-foot store runs on AutoFI, giving sales associates tablet-based control of deals and eliminating the old “back to the desk” shuffle.
The setup creates flexibility for customers—whether they want to buy fully online, fully in-store, or anywhere in between.
Looking ahead: Ford is testing whether Signature 2.0 can speed throughput and improve satisfaction by tearing down dealership walls (literally and operationally).
Carvana acquires second Stellantis dealership, this time in Dallas
Carvana just bought its second CDJR store (this time in Dallas, Texas) marking another step in its experiment as a franchise dealer following the company's acquisition earlier this year in Phoenix.
What they’re saying: “We are in the very early days of testing as a franchise dealer—first at a CDJR dealership outside of Phoenix and now at one in Dallas—and we look forward to continuing to learn as we focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences,” a spokesperson for Carvana emailed CDG News.
The signal: It’s still early days, but Carvana’s franchise play is starting to look less like a one-off and more like a real test case.
Missed yesterday’s episode of Daily Dealer Live?
Presented by:
Dave Thomas on Q3 sales slump, McGovern Auto on untapped fixed ops revenue
Dave Thomas, Director of Content Marketing at CDK Global
Danny Negalha, Corporate Fixed Ops Director at McGovern Automotive
