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  • ☀️ Summer’s winding down... but the auto market’s still got fire.

☀️ Summer’s winding down... but the auto market’s still got fire.

The Dealer's Edge is the unfair advantage newsletter of high performing dealerships - consumed in 15 minutes, delivered monthly and powered by Autocorp.ai

September 22, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

August brought slower inventory shifts, new incentives, rising EV demand, and even more pricing pressure. If you’re a dealer, it’s a juggling act: manage margins, manage risk, and make sure you don’t get left behind.

Here’s what moved the needle across North America last month and what you need to be watching and doing.

🗞 TL;DR – What You Need to Know From July

  • 🚗 U.S. new-vehicle sales up ~7.8% year-over-year in August; EVs powered a lot of the momentum. J.D. Power

  • 📉 Wholesale used-vehicle prices were essentially flat in August, with only slight dips early in the month. Cox Automotive Inc.+2Car Dealership Guy News+2

  • 🛡 Fraud continues creeping up, and Canadian dealers got a new Anti-Fraud Guide from CADA to help tighten things up. Canadian Auto Dealer

  • ⚠️ Inventory remains tight for used vehicles, especially EVs, even as some price softening shows up in certain segments. Car Dealership Guy News+2CarEdge+2

  • 🎯 EV incentives (especially federal credits expiring end of September) pushed consumer urgency in the U.S. market. J.D. CNBC

🚗 Market Watch: Used & EVs Shifting Gears

Used car supply is tighter than a summer grip. EVs in the used auction space continue to see strong value retention, with demand increasing year over year. Dealers who are leaning in on EV inventory or prioritizing supply for popular segments are the ones seeing the upside.

📉 Wholesale Market: Stability, Not a Crash

Another 0.5% dip in wholesale prices this month means there’s breathing room if you’ve been holding off on buying. Retail prices haven’t caught up yet, giving you a short-term margin advantage if you act quickly.

🛡 Fraud + Compliance: Not Just Backburner Issues

The spotlight continued to intensify on fraud. In Canada, the CADA Anti-Fraud Guide is telling dealers, “don’t wait.” Weak links (manual ID checks, unclear paperwork, disconnected processes) are being probed more often. If your fraud prevention feels patchy, now might be the time to make it more solid.

🇺🇸 U.S. Market: EVs, Incentives, and Consumer Behaviour

Electric vehicle sales spiked, partly because many buyers got antsy with the deadline for federal credits looming. Meanwhile, interest rate pressure remains, but consumers are still buying, especially when there are incentives. Transparency around deals, trade-in value, and financing is winning more trust.

 🌟 Tips of the Month – July 2025

1. Tighten Your Fraud Prevention Protocols
Audit your ID process now, look for gaps where fraud could slip in.

2. Buy Before the Fall Rush
Wholesale pricing is down, but it won’t stay there. Restock strategically.

3. Pre-Qualify Leads Early
Using pre-qualification tools on your website keeps your sales team focused on buyers who are ready now.

🎁 Free Resource Of The Month

Free AI Tools Built to Power Smarter Automotive Decisions

Make every lead, deal, and dollar count with quick calculators and AI generators designed to simplify the math and maximize your marketing.

😁 Goodies From The Autocorp.ai Team

AI in Automotive - Episode From a Conversation with Andrew Lemoine

👀 AI is changing automotive faster than anyone expected…but should people in the industry be worried about their jobs?

Catch all of the episodes from this interview on our LinkedIn page.

📅 Looking Ahead: What’s on the Radar

  • EV credit changes are coming at the end of September in the U.S., prepare for shifts in demand, pricing, and consumer urgency.

  • ACE Conference 2025 – Niagara Falls, Oct 16–17. The countdown is on. We’ll be there sharing the latest on fraud prevention, lead conversion, and compliance strategies. See the ACE agenda & register here!

  • Tariffs and import cost pressures remain unpredictable. If costs rise, expect MSRP increases or incentives to soften deals.

🏁 Final Lap: August Wrap-Up

August didn’t throw us curveballs, but it reminded us that staying sharp matters: margins are thin, fraud isn’t a myth, inventory tightness is real, and customers are watching for transparency.

Got a deal, a risk, or a win you want shared? Hit reply, we love bringing real stories from the lot into the Dealer’s Edge.

Until next time,

The Dealers Edge and Autocorp.ai Team

P.S. Share this with your team—insights are better when shared! 🚗✨