Interest Rates Ups and Downs, Cheaper Used Cars, Charge Wars Over

The Automotive Troublemaker w/ Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier

It’s Thursday and we're talking about the impact of the Fed’s interest rate decision on Dealers. We’re also covering the dramatically changing used car market, as well as the end of the charging platform wars as we’ve known them.

• After the Federal Reserve's decision to keep interest rates steady at 5.25-5.5%, auto dealerships face a mixed bag: relief from further hikes but challenges from existing high rates continue.
  • Yesterday, the Federal Reserve decided not to adjust the benchmark interest rate, remaining at 5.25-5.5%. This was primarily due to a preference for a 2% inflation target while recent figures showed a 2.4% increase year over year in January.
  • Currently, The average interest rate for new vehicle loans rose to 7.2%, with used vehicles at 11.9% in Q4 2023.
  • According to Cox Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke, the anticipation of future rate cuts could deter consumers from making immediate purchases. A week ago, Smoke said, “"It sends a clear message that, 'You need to wait because rates are going to be lower later in the year, so it takes a lot of urgency out of thinking of buying right now."
  • According to a recent dealer sentiment poll, Interest rates remain a top challenge for franchised dealers, with 70% indicating a negative impact on their business.
    
• The gap between new and used vehicle prices is widening, leading to a significant rise in sales of used and certified pre-owned vehicles, according to a new report from ZeroSum.
  • The average list price for used vehicles is decreasing for the eighth consecutive month, from $30,000 in June to just over $26,000.
  • The average new-car price is falling below $50,000 for the first time in over a year, but the decline in used-car prices is outpacing this, widening the price gap between new and used vehicles.
  • Used vehicle inventory is dropping to 1.89 million units, still far above February 2023’s 1.34 million, while the turn rate is jumping from 57% in January to 71% in February.
  • The certified pre-owned segment is rebounding from a slow fourth quarter to reach 163,000 sales in February. Inventory is dropping below 200,000 units for the first time in five months, and the turn rate is soaring to 86%
• It looks like the charging platform wars are winding down for good as ChargePoint announces the integration of Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector cables into its EV charging infrastructure.
  • This move, originating from the Campbell, California-based EV infrastructure giant, is a significant step towards unifying the charging experience for both Tesla and non-Tesla drivers.
  • In an announcement, appropriately on X (formerly Twitter), the company revealed that NACS cables for its Express 250 DC fast charger are now ready for EV charging site owners to order, with the capability to retrofit these cables onto existing DC fast charger models due to ChargePoint stations' modular design.
  • New ChargePoint models can ship with the NACS cable ready to go

Hosts: Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier
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