Tesla designer Peter Blades departs for air-mobility startup
Peter Blades has spent much of his career in the auto industry, working at Tesla, General Motors, Kia and Nissan. Now he's looking skyward....
Automotive Electric Vehicle Apprenticeship
Pursue an apprenticeship as an EV Technician Central Florida Auto Dealers Association, Inc., GNJ 2023-FL-118419 Florida Department of Education Career and Adult Education Registered Apprenticeship Program EV Market Facts EV registrations increased 63% around the nation (Automotive News, May 2023). Florida is the second in the nation for EV adoption. Top EV brands include Chevrolet, Ford, Volkswagen, Rivian, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Tesla, Hyundai, Kia, Audi, Nissan, and Polestar. EV tax incentives promote EV adoption. In the U.S., used-EV retail sales through licensed dealerships grew 32% in the first quarter of 2023 (WardsAuto, 2023). “a transition to all electric vehicles by 2035 would save Americans $2.7 trillion while adding...
Closing out the Year
New Year Means it's Time to Close the Books for Last Year Now is a great time to do all the things you haven’t had a chance to do for a while. The holiday rush is over, and we survived 2019. So, as you make your resolutions and plan for greater successes in the new year, here’s a list of housekeeping items to consider. GENERAL Review your processes and procedures across and within departments. Have each department manager make a list of processes and procedures. Use this list to look for new and missed opportunities. Having a written list helps identify and remove time wasters and redundancies...
Accelerate is our magazine
We are excited with the launch of our very own magazine. You can read the issue here. For all of CFADA happenings follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and connect with us on LinkedIn....
Marketing Tips
Three tips to help your marketing strategy. Whatever marketing strategy you use, here are three things to keep in mind. Diversify marketing channels - consider what is offering more value for the money. Consumers use multiple channels daily, but they are not compelled to purchase from every channel. For example, they may see an ad on tv and ignore it. They may see a similar ad for the same product on Twitter and decide to buy and vice versa. Where one consumer buys may be different than another. Keep in mind that consumers are everywhere so you should be as well. You need to advertise in...
The Young and the Restless- Generation iPad
Using OTT to reach Gen Z consumers When I mention the young and the restless I am talking about the group of consumers who comprise the younger market segment. These are generation Y known as millennials and generation Z known as post-millennials, the iGeneration, and generation Tech. Generation Z consumers are reportedly better multi-taskers, less focused, and are less likely to look for bargains than millennials. They are also deemed more entrepreneurial than their predecessors. Generation Z also has higher expectations of brands. They’ve grown up with instant gratification and that is what they expect. Being a fully technical generation, they are not loyal tv viewers....
Digital Advertising Basics
Tips to improve your social media presence Many years ago, when my grandmother came to the US for the first time, she was awestruck by the windy city. She was a businesswoman well-traveled within her country, but nothing compared to Chicago. I remember once seeing her sitting in front of the microwave in the kitchen. She was trying to figure out how to turn on the "tv". At the time, we had very old equipment which meant that both the TV and the microwave had turn dials and they were both boxy. One of my dad's friends, a baby boomer, wondered how he could keep a copy of the...
Business Toolbox – Marketing
Marketing Tools Here are some tools that will help your dealership marketing staff manage social media, increase SEO traffic, manage the store's online reputation, and check how long it takes your site to load. Managing Social Media HootSuite- The free account allows one user to manage 3 social profiles, schedule 30 posts in advance and generate leads through social contests. You get some basic analytics to track follower growth and content statistics. You can also integrate two RSS feeds. Buffer- With Buffer, a user can manage 3 accounts and 10 posts per profile on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, and Instagram for free. You can add a browser extension as well...
Export Tariffs in Automotive- The Latest
Export Tariffs Impact on the Automotive Industry On June 19, 2018, NADA’s president Peter Welch testified before the Department of Commerce and Defense about how new tariffs or quotas on imported automobiles and automobile parts would adversely impact consumers and dealers. Welch used the finding of a new study by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) to evidence the burden on the automotive industry and consumers as a whole. According to the CAR study, the “automotive demand will fall by between 493,600 to 2 million vehicles.” Lower demand means decreased employment “ranging from over 82,000 to nearly 750,000 jobs (lost) and a $6.4 billion to $62.2 billion...
Business Toolbox – Legal
Free Dealer Tools Here are some tools that will help your dealership staff check recalls, read about voluntary protection products, find federal and state legal information, and learn about keeping your website ADA compliant. Recall Search, Voluntary Products, and ASE Free Auto Recall Search is a free Vehicle Recall Search Service, VIN-based search tool Check To Protect a program of the National Safety Council that allows vehicle recall searches Voluntary Products- a public website about the value of voluntary protection products such as GAP insurance and extended warranties. ASE- Since 1972, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence promotes excellence in vehicle repair, service and parts distribution. Federal Legal Information and Tools Safe...