The Auto Market Brief

How are unpredictable tariffs, the evolution of AI and evolving consumer expectations reshaping the future of automotive retail? In this special episode of The Auto Market Brief, recorded live at Automotive News Congress 2026, Erin Keating is joined by Automotive News' Dan Shine, Larry Vellequette, and Molly Boigon for a wide-ranging conversation on the forces transforming the automotive industry....

In this episode of The Auto Market Brief , host Erin Keating is joined by Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jeremy Robb to examine the latest Federal Reserve updates, wholesale market trends, and the economic forces helping support continued vehicle demand. They also explore several significant regulatory developments that could affect dealers, lenders, automakers, and consumers in the months ahead....

Consumer sentiment remains one of the most watched economic indicators, but it is only one piece of the consumer story. In this episode of The Auto Market Brief , host Erin Keating is joined by Kayla Bruun, Head of Economic Analysis at Morning Consult, to examine why sentiment alone does not tell the complete consumer story. They compare Morning Consult’s Index of Consumer Sentiment with its Consu...

Diesel prices have reached record highs, credit availability continues to improve, and automotive leaders are facing new questions about where to invest for the future. In this episode of The Auto Market Brief , host Erin Keating and Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jeremy Robb discuss the latest economic indicators, including credit availability, inflation, diesel prices, real wage growth, and vehi...

Is the industry's move toward more transparent pricing a response to FTC pricing rules, or a shift that was already underway? In this bonus episode of The Auto Market Brief , host Erin Keating is joined by Erin Lomax, Vice President of Operations for Consumer Marketplaces at Cox Automotive, to discuss the growing focus on all-in pricing and why pricing transparency is becoming increasingly importa...

What happens when consumer spending slows, trade policy remains uncertain, and automakers begin reassessing where vehicles are built? In this episode of The Auto Market Brief , host Erin Keating and Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jeremy Robb examine the latest economic indicators, including new Q2 GDP readings, personal income data, consumer spending, inflation, and used-vehicle market activity. W...

How does the market adapt when shoppers expect one vehicle to deliver utility, efficiency, technology, comfort, and affordability all at once? In this bonus episode of The Auto Market Brief , host Erin Keating is joined by Vanessa Ton, Senior Manager of Research and Market Intelligence at Cox Automotive, and Sean Tucker, Managing Editor at Kelley Blue Book, to explore the latest findings from the...

What happens when consumer spending slows, purchasing power comes under pressure, and automakers adjust their strategies to match a changing market? In this episode of The Auto Market Brief , Erin Keating and Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jeremy Robb break down the latest economic data, including consumer spending, wage growth, inflation, interest rates, and vehicle sales. While some indicators s...

Why is uptime becoming one of the most important metrics in transportation, and what do freight markets reveal about the state of the economy? In this episode of The Auto Market Brief , host Erin Keating is joined by Cox Automotive’s Zo Rahim and Cox Fleet’s Alex Fraser to explore the commercial side of automotive and the growing pressures facing fleet operators. From tightening freight capacity a...

How are tariffs, global competition, and shifting profit models changing the rules of automotive? In this episode of The Auto Market Brief , Erin Keating and Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jeremy Robb break down the latest economic data, dealer and automaker earnings, and the broader forces reshaping the automotive industry. While inflation showed signs of easing and the automotive market remains...

What opportunities become possible when dealers can connect their data, understand their customers more completely, and put AI to work in meaningful ways? In this bonus episode of The Auto Market Brief , host Erin Keating sits down with Aharon Horwitz, founder of Fullpath, for a wide-ranging conversation about his entrepreneurial journey, the history and evolution of Fullpath, and the role data pl...

With improved access to credit, cooler inflation readings, and stable inventory, what is the outlook for the road ahead? In this episode of The Auto Market Brief , host Erin Keating is joined by recurring guest Jeremy Robb, Chief Economist at Cox Automotive, to break down the latest economic and industry trends shaping the automotive market. From improving credit availability and easing inflation...

How did negative equity become one of the automotive industry's biggest affordability challenges, and what does it mean for consumers and dealers? In this episode of The Auto Market Brief , host Erin Keating is joined by Micah Tindor, AVP of Consumer Vehicle Disposal at Cox Automotive, to explore how negative equity became one of the industry's most significant affordability challenges and why its...

Consumers are still spending, unemployment remains low, and auto sales continue to outperform expectations. But a closer look at the data reveals a more complicated story. In this episode of The Auto Market Brief , Erin Keating and Jeremy Robb unpack the latest economic indicators, from consumer spending and labor participation to trade negotiations and EV lease economics, to better understand wha...

How did the industry's push toward EVs reshape product development, and what are the long-term consequences? In this special episode of The Auto Market Brief , host Erin Keating is joined by John Murphy, founder of Murphy Automotive Partners, to discuss findings from his newly released automotive product pipeline analysis and the concept he calls the "EV head fake". How EV investments disrupted th...

Gas prices are finally coming down, but how much does that actually improve the total cost of buying and owning a vehicle? In this episode of The Auto Market Brief , Erin Keating and Jeremy Robb break down the latest economic signals shaping the market, from declining fuel costs and improving sentiment to the ongoing pressures tied to inflation, interest rates, and vehicle pricing. How much lower...

How should we really think about mobility, and what does it mean for the future of transportation, ownership, and the automotive industry? In this episode of The Auto Market Brief , Erin Keating sits down with Joe George, President of Cox Automotive Mobility Solutions, for a conversation that explores the impacts of changes to mobility, from how goods move across the economy to how affordability,...

What do newly-released May sales numbers, rising hybrid demand, and shifting consumer behavior reveal about today’s auto market? In this episode of The Auto Market Brief, Host and Executive Analyst Erin Keating is joined by Jeremy Robb, Cox Automotive’s Chief Economist, to break down May sales performance, evolving demand, and the latest data shaping how the market is responding to ongoing economi...

What are today’s economic signals really telling us about where the auto market is headed next? In this episode of The Auto Market Brief, Cox Automotive Executive Analyst Erin Keating is joined by Chief Economist, Jeremy Robb, to break down the latest data shaping the market, from interest rate volatility and inflation trends to consumer spending behavior and recent shifts in vehicle sales perform...

How are rising gas prices influencing what consumers want, and what they’re willing to buy next? In this bonus episode of The Auto Market Brief , Erin Keating is joined by Alex Bland, Cox Automotive's Sr. Director of Market and Customer Research and Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Cox Automotive's Director of Industry Insights, to uncover findings from a recent Cox Automotive consumer survey exploring h...

Pricing pressures are building across the auto market while inflation remains elevated, labor signals are mixed, and demand continues to adjust rather than retreat. In this episode of The Auto Market Brief , Cox Automotive Executive Analyst Erin Keating and Chief Economist Jeremy Robb walk through the latest economic signals and explain how broader market pressure is showing up most clearly in veh...

Service departments are no longer just another revenue stream for dealers, they’re a critical inventory funnel, customer relationship engine, and profit driver. In this special episode of The Auto Market Brief , Erin Keating is joined by Alex Bland, Cox Automotive's Sr. Director of Market and Customer Research, to break down new consumer and dealer research exposing what's changed in fixed operati...

Consumer spending remains unexpectedly strong as the auto market moves through the heart of the spring selling season. In this episode of The Auto Market Brief , Erin Keating is joined by Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jeremy Robb to break down the latest retail spending data, new‑ and used‑vehicle sales performance, and what's shaping demand across the market. Consumer spending and retail sales t...

New inflation readings, geopolitical uncertainty, and lingering tariff pressure continue to cloud the economic outlook, but the auto market is proving more resilient than the headlines suggest. From inflation reading timing and consumer income dynamics to tightening used supply and disciplined OEM strategies, this episode unpacks why rising uncertainty has not yet translated into market disruption...

Car shoppers aren’t following a linear path to purchase anymore. Instead, they’re validating information across platforms, formats, and voices, reshaping how automotive content is created and consumed. In this conversation, Erin Keating is joined by Michelle Clark, Director of Editorial for Cox Automotive’s consumer brands, to explore these shifts in behavior and what it means for the future of au...