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Hey everyone, this is the final day to catch CDG’s Daily Dealer Live show in-person at the 2026 NADA Expo and Conference. Stop by the Lotlinx booth #2743W to meet hosts Sam D’Arc, Uli de’ Martino, and the top-notch guests joining today’s stream.
— CDG
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Wholesale used-car prices are back on the rise:
In January, adjusted wholesale prices grew 2.4% month-over-month.
And in most segments, prices are up year-over-year (except compact cars).
The signal: As tax refund season starts, it’s typical to see an uptick in prices, but they’re moving faster than analysts expected.
(Data source: Manheim)
2026 NADA chairman: dealer engagement is ‘essential’ to blocking direct-to-consumer sales push
NADA’s incoming chairman, dealer principal Rob Cochran, isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel. Instead, he wants to tighten the screws on the policy fights that directly shape dealer economics.
Speaking on the NADA 2026 Live Stage in Las Vegas, Cochran outline three priorities:
Pushing back on California’s emissions rules in favor of one national standard
Staying deeply involved in tariff discussions as levies create pricing volatility
And continuing to work the EPA on fuel-economy compliance costs that hit inventory mix and margins.
But most importantly, he made it clear that defending the franchise dealer model remains non-negotiable. Cochran said front-line dealer engagement is “essential” as automakers test direct-to-consumer sales, adding that NADA and state associations are aligned and prepared to “vigorously defend” the traditional retail model.
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Auto lenders eye expansion as dealers face vehicle affordability headwinds
Lenders are loosening credit standards and growing auto loan volume at a pace not seen in years, even as the subprime cohort continues showing signs of deterioration.
The big shift: In 2025, banks became the largest auto lender for the first time in years, holding nearly 28% of total financing and more than 30% of all auto loans, according to Experian.
As chief auto analyst Melinda Zabritski put it on the NADA show floor, banks are “buying a little deeper, buying a little older, and moving into longer terms.”
And yes, subprime delinquencies are elevated, but since most losses happen 18 to 20 months after origination, the worst 2022 vintage loans have largely worked through the system.
Outside of those inflated-price cohorts, performance is holding up, as lenders planned for this cycle.
Tim Kuniskis on why Stellantis is walking away from plug-in hybrids in the U.S.
Stellantis $STLA ( ▼ 4.46% ) American brands chief Tim Kuniskis says the company’s move to kill its plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in the U.S. came down to two main factors: lack of demand and cost.
Driving the news: In a one-on-one with Kelley Blue Book, Kuniskis said the gap between what electrified vehicles cost to build and what customers are willing to pay forced tough tradeoffs.
Automakers, he said, built battery capacity for demand that was “artificially inflated,” not real customer demand. And now the write-downs are catching up.
Translation… PHEVs still carry a cost problem, but straight hybrids are closer to reality.
“The customer’s willing to pay what the customer’s willing to pay,” he said. “And it’s either going to come out of our margin or lower sales.”
