Latest News Stories

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently reported that 2015 model year vehicles are expected to average 24.7 miles per gallon (MPG), up from 24.3 MPG in 2014. The increase comes at the same time that consumers are buying larger, heavier vehicles like pickup trucks and SUVs.The EPA report...

Last week Congress passed a $622 billion tax bill that will allow dealers and their customers to expense a larger portion of business equipment purchases. The “Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015” lowers taxes and gives automotive retailers (and their customers) increased certainty. The applicable provisions...

The Federal Reserve increased interest rates by .25% last week, the first increase since June 2006. The recovery from the 2008-2009 recession has been gradually improving and the Federal Reserve has been nurturing that growth by holding interest rates near zero. Industry observers say that automotive sales (and...

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently proposed major changes to the government’s five-star vehicle safety ratings. The agency is looking to add scores for crash avoidance technology, as well as, pedestrian protection and to incorporate a new test that measures performance in a frontal offset crash.The...

January 20-22, 2016 In West TrentonNJ CAR will be conducting a three-day Sales Professional Boot Camp January 20-22, 2016, at NJ CAR Headquarters (856 River Road, West Trenton, NJ 08628). The boot camp will cover every phase of the selling process, from prospecting to delivery. It is...

J.D. Power and LMC Automotive are predicting that U.S. auto sales will hit 1.71 million this month, the highest number since sales reached 1.8 million in July of 2005. The companies say this week's quarter-point interest rate increase will have only a minimal impact on auto sales. The...