AI and car sales, October 9. Cox builds Fullpath's AI platform into VinSolutions CRM

This is my collection of world news from the last day. It covers AI in dealer CRM and service, the EU and China, Mercedes, and a British dispute about car loans. Then come fresh surveys of car buyers and short news from China and Britain. I added what I think about each story.

Cox builds Fullpath's AI platform directly into VinSolutions CRM#

On October 8, Cox Automotive said its CRM VinSolutions now includes a customer data platform (CDP) from Fullpath. The platform comes with AI insights and can be upgraded with agent features. Cox will roll it out to shared clients by the end of 2026.

The dealer gets three things. One login for both systems, a short AI summary in the customer profile, and website activity in the CRM timeline. Paulo da Silva of Cox says other CDPs mostly collect information, and here it goes into the hands of the salesperson. This is a company claim. The release has no result numbers.

My opinion. A summary in the customer card helps a salesperson who opens it before a call. But it is only as good as the records behind it. No record of every touch, no sales department, and the AI summarizes an empty page.

I would ask the vendor three things. What the summary is built from, whether I can see the source of each line, and who fixes a mistake. AI prepares the facts. The person calls and answers for the talk.

Source CBT News

The head of eDealer Solutions says AI without control multiplies the mess in a dealership#

Jen Suzuki founded the US company eDealer Solutions and leads it. On CBT News, Suzuki says AI does not replace management discipline. It shows where a process is broken. Dealers who succeed with AI pay more attention to process, not less.

She gives an example from service. An online booking portal gives the same 7 a.m. slot to several customers. The result is six big repairs at once and no loaner cars. A diesel job is booked while the diesel technician is out, and a recall is booked without parts.

Suzuki also warns about after-hours AI phone agents. When a call goes wrong, the agent repeats itself and drifts until the customer hangs up. Customers rarely complain. They leave. The advice is to listen to calls, read the conversations and train AI like an employee.

My opinion. Suzuki repeats what I tell dealers. AI does not replace the manager. It shows who did not do the work, and you see it at once.

On Monday I would listen to twenty night calls and read twenty agent chats. I would take every case where the customer did not book to the vendor. Then I would compare the service calendar with the real technicians and bays. An agent books only into what you show it.

Source CBT News

Claude now builds dashboards from CRM and makes animated explainers#

On October 8, Anthropic released Claude Dashboards and Claude Motion in beta. A dashboard is built from a plain-language question and updates with the data. It connects to BigQuery, Databricks, Snowflake and the CRM Salesforce.

Every number opens. You click a figure and see the query that calculated it. Each chart shows when it was last refreshed.

Motion makes a short animated video from your text and charts. It does not create footage or people. Dashboards are available on paid plans, and Motion on Team and Enterprise. For company admins both are off by default.

My opinion. A sales manager needs this dashboard every morning. Time to first reply by lead source, leads without an answer for over an hour, plan and fact by salesperson. Before, an analyst needed three days for this.

Car DMS systems are not on the list of connections, and that is the first question for the vendor. I would check the dashboard by hand. Open the query behind any figure and count one row yourself. A nice number with no check is worse than no number.

Source Claude

The EU prepares quotas on Chinese hybrids, and China refuses to limit exports#

The European Commission is preparing import limits on Chinese hybrids, Bloomberg reports, according to Electrive. The idea is a quota instead of a separate tariff. Inside the quota a hybrid pays the usual 10%. Above it, a special tariff of unknown size is added.

The reason is simple. Chinese hybrids avoid the tariffs of up to 35.3% that apply to electric cars. Imports from China grew from about 3,800 cars in October 2024 to about 50,000 by July 2026. The BYD Seal U DM-i alone had 11,291 registrations in Germany from January to September.

China refused to limit exports voluntarily and said the request breaks WTO rules. EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič was due in Beijing for talks.

Automotive World adds the words of BYD. Stella Li called geopolitics the hardest obstacle, and the company has put its US passenger car plans on hold. BYD registrations in Britain rose 80% in September to 20,140 cars.

My opinion. A dealer of a Chinese hybrid brand needs a backup talk with the buyer. Price and delivery times may change, and the quotas are not final. Do not promise a price that depends on a tariff.

A single-brand dealer should also remember a second traffic source. A buyer who chooses a hybrid today will compare all hybrids tomorrow. An agent records every such request, and in three months you see where demand goes.

Source Electrive and Automotive World

Mercedes sold a record 68,400 electric cars, while sales in China fell 31%#

Mercedes-Benz reported its third quarter. Global car sales fell 8% to 407,200. The reason is China, where it sold 86,800 cars, 31% fewer. In the US sales rose 6% to 75,300, and in Europe they rose 5% to 168,700.

Electric car sales hit a record 68,400, up 61% on last year. Their share reached 16.8%. The electric GLC, CLA, GLB and GLA are sold out in Europe for the rest of 2026, and orders run into 2027. The plants in Bremen, Rastatt and Kecskemét work three shifts. The numbers come from the company.

My opinion. One brand in one quarter shows three markets. China falls, the US grows, and in Europe electric cars are sold a year ahead. A dealer who watches only the home market does not see where demand goes.

For a European dealer with a sold-out model I would give the agent one script. It keeps every customer in the queue informed. Each message has the delivery time and an honest line that it can move. A customer who hears nothing goes to a competitor who has the car now.

Source CBT News and the Mercedes-Benz statement

Volkswagen sets aside 725 million pounds for car finance claims in Britain#

Car Dealer Magazine read the accounts of Volkswagen Financial Services in Britain. The company set aside 725 million pounds for car finance compensation. This is the largest provision of any carmaker and the third largest among all lenders. The loss for the year was 485.9 million pounds.

Volkswagen warns that the final bill may differ a lot, because it challenges the redress plan of the British regulator FCA in court. The finance arm of Mercedes-Benz in Britain and France's Crédit Agricole filed with it. The FCA estimates that settling claims outside its plan could cost the industry over 6 billion pounds more.

My opinion. The story is about what the customer was told when the loan was sold and what was recorded. I do not know how the court will treat dealers. But the lesson for a store is simple.

No record of every touch, no proof. I would save every talk about finance, the written price and the terms given to the customer. An agent that gives every customer the same text makes this record by itself. I would agree on the storage period with a lawyer.

Source Car Dealer Magazine

Research#

Brand loyalty in the US rose to 50.2%, and Ford pickups reached 66.2%#

J.D. Power published its eighth US brand loyalty study. The figures come from the Power Information Network for September 2025 to August 2026. They cover sales at franchised new-car dealers. The article does not give the sample size.

Average loyalty is 50.2%, against 49% a year earlier. In trucks, Ford is first with 66.2%, the highest value in the study. Toyota leads mass-market cars with 64.8% and mass-market SUVs with 63.8%. Lexus leads premium SUVs with 59.2%.

J.D. Power's Tyson Jominy called it a year of "avoided chaos", because tariffs and the economy did not break loyalty.

My opinion. Half of buyers come back to the same brand. The other half leaves, and a competitor works with them. A dealer who does not write to a former customer before the loan ends gives that half away.

I would find everyone who has a year left on a loan or lease and give them a reason to hear from us. A trade-in estimate with a date, a new model, fuel use. The agent keeps the talk going, and the person joins when the customer answers.

Source CBT News, study page at J.D. Power

Buying a car in the US got harder, and the CDK index fell below 80%#

CDK Global publishes a monthly Ease of Purchase index. In September 2026 it was 79%, the first reading below 80% since December 2025. In July and August it was 81%. The CBT News article does not state the sample.

Credit is the worst step. 56% of buyers called the credit application easy, against 70% in August and 63% on average in 2025. Filling in forms was easy for 64%.

39% said the process took longer than expected, against 33% in August. 49% visited two stores, against 37% in August. Only the trade-in valuation improved, 58% against 53%. CDK links the drop to high rates and fewer factory incentives. Earlier CDK research shows that customer scores fall when a deal takes two hours or more.

My opinion. The buyer visits two stores and loses patience at the credit form. It is the narrowest step and today the weakest. Whoever speeds up credit gets the customer.

I would give the agent the first part of the form. It collects the answers in a chat while the customer is still at home. A person checks them and sends the application to the bank. In the store the customer only signs.

Source CBT News

66% of US drivers could not pay for a surprise 500 dollar repair#

The service chain Midas ran an online Consumer Pulse survey with the agency Moroch Partners on September 18 to 20, 2026. It asked 1,000 US drivers aged 25 to 64 who decide about the care of their own car. The company that ordered the survey has a commercial interest.

66% could not pay for a surprise 500 dollar repair. Another 21% of all drivers do not know how they would pay. 53% delayed or skipped recommended maintenance in the past year, most often oil changes, tires and A/C repair. When choosing a shop, 51% put trust and reputation above price, and 43% trust a mechanic recommended by family or friends the most.

My opinion. For a dealer this measures the service visit. The customer delays maintenance not because of forgetting. There is no money. And the customer trusts the one who names the price in advance and says it honestly.

I would split work by urgency and show the customer three lists. What to do today, what can wait a month, what is not needed at all. The agent reminds about the second list a week before the date. Selling everything at once sends the customer to a friend with a garage.

Source Midas, full report as a PDF

One in five British buyers would rather visit the dentist than search for a car#

Cazoo ran a survey for its "Honestly, Finally" campaign together with Car Dealer Magazine. More than 3,000 people took part. The article does not give the split between dealers and buyers. It gives no dates. The survey is part of a company campaign.

One in five consumers would rather visit the dentist than start searching for a new car. One in six buyers distrusts dealers. At the same time, 69% of dealers think difficult or unreasonable customer behavior increased in the past year. 94% of buyers call a vehicle history check important.

My opinion. The dealer says customers got worse, and the customer says they fear the dealer. Both can be right, and the talk starts with distrust. The problem is not character. It is the first contact.

I would remove everything that scares from the first reply. The price and payment in the text, the name of the person who will meet the buyer, the visit time. I would attach the vehicle history to the first email on request. A buyer who fears the dealer checks honesty by this.

Source Car Dealer Magazine

In short#

BYD grew 17% in September, but sales inside China fell 13%. BYD sold 463,561 cars worldwide, the source article reports. In China it sold 282,861, down 13%. Abroad it sold 180,700, up 154%, and this is already 43% of sales since January. A dealer who takes such a customer works with a new brand and has to build trust from zero. Just Auto

Porsche wants to raise prices of top models by 20% and cut 25% of its staff. Option revenue per car will grow, and sales through the individual order program Sonderwunsch will rise about six times. The number of management roles will fall by 40%. Porsche bets on personalization, not on volume. A premium dealer now sells options, and I would train salespeople to talk about them. Just Auto

Orders for the Xiaomi Skynomad reached 70,000, but the pace is weaker than for the earlier SUV. Xiaomi says it got over 70,000 firm orders in the first month and delivered over 10,000 cars. The price starts at 209,900 yuan, about 31,300 dollars. CarNewsChina notes that the yearly goal of 550,000 cars needs a faster pace. Orders were tied to a promotion until October 7, and I would write to those who missed it. CarNewsChina

Xpeng opened its Yoyo robotaxi in China by invitation. The car is based on the GX SUV and runs on four in-house chips without lidar. Xpeng did over 2,200 trial rides with employees, and the pilot runs in Guangzhou. The company did not give fleet size or the date of open access. The robotaxi is still a pilot, and it is too early to call it a rival of the dealer. CarNewsChina

FAW, Toyota and GAC signed a framework alliance deal in China. GAC will buy FAW's 50% of the joint venture FAW Toyota for newly issued shares, and FAW becomes a GAC shareholder. There is no price or timetable. The venture keeps working on its own, and pooling research, buying and sales is planned for a later phase. Toyota has to bring two networks under one set of rules, and dealers should expect new requirements. Automotive World

The British arm of Group 1 Automotive doubled its loss to 52 million pounds. It sold 56,234 new and 85,067 used cars at retail. Revenue grew over 40% to 4.51 billion pounds, and the network fell from 114 to 109 sites. Interest costs rose from 35.5 to 57.6 million pounds. Revenue growth did not save profit, and I would look at interest before sales volume. Car Dealer Magazine

Polestar sold 14,371 cars in the third quarter, and without the US sales fell 8%. The 1% growth comes from the US. Without it, Polestar sold 12,211 against 13,256. The Swedish Polestar started Polestar 5 deliveries and did not give the number. The brand's growth rests on one market, and I would not read the total as a sign of demand in Europe. CBT News

The brake pedal of the Huawei-JAC Maextro V800 broke in a Chinese media test. Dongchedi tested three cars in braking from 100 km/h, and the pedal bracket broke each time. Maextro promised a free pedal upgrade for owners and said its own tests exceed standards. The price is up to 1,016,000 yuan, and a buyer at this price will ask about safety first. Have the answer ready in advance. CarNewsChina

The rear axle of a Chery Omoda 5 came off in Malaysia, as in a 2024 case. The whole rear suspension assembly separated on October 6 in Johor Bahru, and nobody was hurt. In 2024 Chery checked 600 cars because of a weld on the beam. The company has not yet said whether this car was in that campaign. A dealer can use such a case as a reason to call owners before they call first. CarNewsChina

US dealers move to F&I and service because front-end margin is below target. Adam Marburger, head of Ascent Dealer Services, told CBT News that losses on insurance programs grew, so dealers build reserves. He recommends short weekly meetings where the F&I specialist explains products to salespeople. A good handoff from the salesperson helps the F&I manager. I would start with one five-minute talk a week. CBT News

Dealership culture starts with the leader, say the founders of Car Guy Coffee. Fred Lennartz and Lou Ramirez, both from military service, teach dealers to follow one process with no skipped steps. They say managers often lack skills nobody taught them, because they grew up as salespeople. The rule is simple, and I would start by writing the whole process on one page. CBT News

Hype of the day#

These are headlines with no review. Most outlets write about them, or the source did not open.

• Reuters. Why EV sales are lukewarm in America but hot in Europe, 10 outlets
• Reuters. Mexican auto exports slump in September as US tariffs take their toll, 5 outlets
• Reuters. Anthropic launches dashboard and animation tools for Claude, 157 outlets
• Axios. OpenAI annualized revenue is 20 billion dollars lower than reported before, 21 outlets
• TechCrunch. Anthropic changes its usage policy to ban model abuse and election interference, 13 outlets
• CNBC TV18. Auto sector in India expects 5 to 7% growth as festive demand stays strong, 2 outlets
• Bloomberg. Pakistan says the Middle East oil shock is speeding up the EV shift, 2 outlets
• Forbes. Paris car show will be overshadowed by a China threat, a report says, 1 outlet
• Automotive News. What Chinese automakers' US entry could mean for your franchise, 1 outlet
• Automotive News. Most car buyers do not know if they have GAP and service contracts, 1 outlet