Sales Down 6%, Shoppers Down 30%, EVs Up 200%: The 2026 Used Car Market Just Flipped

The 2026 used car market just flipped on dealers, and most of them didn't see it coming. Off-lease EV returns are projected to jump 200% year over year, hitting 300,000 units. US auto sales are down 6%. Shopper index is down 30%. RAM is gaining ground while Ford, Chevy, and Subaru bleed market share. So what do you do?In this episode of LotTalk, Chris Keene, John Anderson, and Renaldo Leonard unpack the 90-day consumer search data, the hybrid versus EV demand shift, and why two dealerships sitting on the same piece of asphalt can have wildly different results. They get into self-inflicted margin compression (the gross-killing habit most used car managers don't realize they have), the "pot roast rule" that's quietly costing stores tens of thousands, and what the top 150 dealer groups did to grow in 2026 without opening a single new store.If you're a dealer principal, GM, used car manager, or BDC manager trying to stay ahead of the EV wave, hybrid surge, and shifting OEM landscape, this one is required listening. It comes down to two things: process and discipline.Topics covered: • The 200% EV off-lease wave hitting dealer lots • Why hybrid search is still beating EV (and what that means for your inventory) • The OEM brands winning and losing the last 90 days • Self-inflicted margin compression and how to stop it • Why the top 150 dealer groups are growing without adding stores • Process, discipline, and the Indiana Hoosiers playbookWant help applying any of this to your store? Visit lottalkpodcast.com to connect with Chris, John, and Renaldo.

Видео Sales Down 6%, Shoppers Down 30%, EVs Up 200%: The 2026 Used Car Market Just Flipped канала Lotpop, Inc.