Digital Sales Platform Integration to Equip Dealers with Amazon-like Experience for New and Used Vehicles

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., – June 2, 2021 – CDK Global, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDK), a leading retail automotive technology company, today completed the acquisition of Palo Alto, Calif.-based Roadster, Inc. (“Roadster”), a digital sales platform that modernizes the way consumers buy vehicles and the process in which dealers sell them. The integration of Roadster assets and capabilities positions CDK to bring the first fully integrated, end-to-end retail solution to the automotive market and deliver on the promise of Modern Retailing.

The solution will help franchise automotive dealers compete with—and exceed the capabilities of—digital-first used vehicle marketplaces that have expanded rapidly in the past year. It will enable dealers to sell new and used vehicles completely online, while also giving consumers the option to begin and end the vehicle-buying process anywhere they choose—online or in-store.

“Consumers have shown they are increasingly more willing to purchase big ticket items online, and this trend has quickly accelerated during the pandemic,” said Brian Krzanich, president and chief executive officer, CDK Global. “To meet their expectations, the automotive industry requires integrations of the right technology, data and infrastructure to better connect its online and in-store experiences. Roadster’s consumer-focused approach and innovative technology will significantly contribute to our Modern Retailing efforts to create a seamless omnichannel vehicle-buying process that puts dealers at the heart of the relationship.”

For more than 40 years, CDK has helped dealers and OEMs run their businesses more efficiently, drive profitability and create differentiated experiences that keep customers for life.

In recent years, CDK has strategically focused on delivering solutions that remove friction from the vehicle-buying experience. Specifically, CDK digitized critical pieces of the sales process with products such as Connected Store, Elead CRM, Digital Contracting and eSign.

Roadster will create an increased market opportunity for CDK with new OEM partnership potential and expanded offerings to all dealers. It will also leverage open integrations built on the Fortellis platform and provide a bridge to dealer back-end systems—regardless of dealer management system (DMS) or customer relationship management (CRM) provider.

“We’re proud of the work we’ve done at Roadster over the last eight years to modernize the car-buying experience and reduce the time it takes to purchase a vehicle,” said Andy Moss, founder and CEO, Roadster. “Automotive retailing is extremely complex, and the best way to create a truly frictionless, end-to-end buying experience is to fully integrate our technology with the back-end systems that power dealership sales, finance and operations, regardless of provider.”

About CDK Global, Inc.
CDK Global (NASDAQ:CDK) is a leading provider of integrated data and technology solutions to the automotive, heavy truck, recreation and heavy equipment industries. Focused on enabling end-to-end, omnichannel retail commerce through open, agnostic technology, CDK Global provides solutions to dealers and original equipment manufacturers, serving nearly 15,000 retail locations in North America. CDK solutions connect people with technology by automating and integrating all parts of the dealership and buying process, including the acquisition, sale, financing, insuring, parts supply, repair and maintenance of vehicles. Visit cdkglobal.com

About Roadster
Roadster provides consumer-driven Commerce Solutions for today’s modern dealership. With Roadster's proprietary technology platform, dealerships can provide hassle-free car buying in-store, online or on the go. Roadster dramatically improves dealership customer satisfaction scores, while significantly reducing sales costs. From inventory merchandising, to financing/leasing, incentives, trade-ins, service plans and accessories-- Roadster delivers near penny perfect deals in a beautifully designed interface that customers and employees will love. Roadster is based in Palo Alto, CA and was founded in late 2013. For more information, please visit Roadster.com.

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, including: statements regarding the company’s ability to achieve the intended benefits of the transaction; the Company’s business outlook; other plans; objectives; forecasts; goals; beliefs; business strategies; future events; business conditions; results of operations; financial position and business outlook and trends; and other information, may be forward-looking statements. Words such as "might," "will," "may," "could," "should," "estimates," "expects," "continues," "contemplates," "anticipates," "projects," "plans," "potential," "predicts," "intends," "believes," "forecasts," "future," "assumes," and variations of such words or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed, or implied by, these forward-looking statements.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements include: the accuracy of the Company’s expectations regarding the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s business; the Company’s success in obtaining, retaining and selling additional services to customers; the pricing of the Company’s products and services; overall market and economic conditions, including interest rate and foreign currency trends, and technology trends; adverse global economic conditions and credit markets and volatility in the countries in which we do business; auto sales and related industry changes; competitive conditions; changes in regulation; changes in technology, security breaches, interruptions, failures and other errors involving the Company’s systems; availability of skilled technical employees/labor/personnel; the impact of new acquisitions and divestitures; employment and wage levels; availability of capital for the payment of debt service obligations or dividends or the repurchase of shares; any changes to the Company’s credit ratings and the impact of such changes on financing costs, rates, terms, debt service obligations, access to capital market and working capital needs; the impact of the Company’s indebtedness, access to cash and financing, and ability to secure financing, or financing at attractive rates; the onset of or developments in litigation involving contract, intellectual property, competition, shareholder, and other matters, and governmental investigations; and the ability of the Company’s significant stockholders and their affiliates to significantly influence the Company’s decisions or cause it to incur significant costs.

There may be other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the forward-looking statements. The Company gives no assurances that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if any of them do, what impact they will have on its results of operations and financial condition. You should carefully read the factors described in the Company’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including those discussed under "Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors" in its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in its most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for a description of certain risks that could, among other things, cause the Company’s actual results to differ from any forward-looking statements contained herein. The Company’s SEC filings can be found on the Company’s website at investors.cdkglobal.com and the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

Media Contacts:
Tony Macrito
630.805.0782
Tony.Macrito@cdk.com

Investor Relations Contact:
Julie Schlueter
847.485.4643
Julie.Schlueter@cdk.com

Flexible vehicle transport solves complex logistics problems with transparent, trackable, one-click scheduling to meet the explosive demands of the new digital auto retail economy

LOS ANGELES, May 19, 2021 -- HONK, the tech leader in the towing and roadside space, today announced that their newest technology solution, On-Demand Vehicle Transports, is transforming the automotive industry with one-click, same-day or advance scheduling vehicle pick-ups and deliveries. HONK's new short-distance (less than 100 miles) transport solution is gaining tremendous momentum as more auto retailers change how they buy and sell cars to scale their businesses and meet the explosive demands of the new digital economy. Increasingly, consumer preference is for touchless and contactless vehicle transport options.

According to a 2019 McKinsey report, approximately 17 million new cars and 40 million used cars are sold in the US annually, and the industry is ripe for disruption. The authors of the report write: "Online providers are beginning to dilute traditional used-car dealers' positions and drive growth by empowering digitally savvy customers via three major capabilities: complete end-to-end purchasing capabilities (desired by 59 percent of buyers), extensive vehicle data and photos, along with effective search tools (desired by 64 percent of buyers), [and] unique delivery options (desired by 28 percent of online buyers)."

Transport logistics for moving millions of cars has proven to be complex, costly, and time consuming. HONK has developed a plug-and-play, scalable, digital vehicle transport solution delivering operational cost savings and business efficiencies to several large auto retailers, with about 75% less human intervention over the past six months while providing more control over the logistics process.

HONK's On-Demand Vehicle Transport Solution supports:

• Scalable on-demand vehicle transport: Auto retailers need flexible and transparent transport logistics support to quickly pick up newly acquired car inventory.

• Touchless vehicle delivery of newly purchased cars: This high-value customer touchpoint is treated as an extension of the auto retailer's brand promise when selling a vehicle.

• Contactless service for pick-up & drop-off: Auto retailers can offer this as a value-added service for customers' vehicles that need routine maintenance and servicing.

• Emergency roadside assistance coverage: A value-added service to build stronger brand loyalty and customer retention.

• Collision repair facility logistics support: Schedule the transport of damaged vehicles to certified facilities and load-balance between locations to expedite cycle times.

"HONK provides auto retailers a completely digital integrated platform, eliminating valuable management time spent getting vehicles moved to and from a destination, so they can focus on sourcing and selling vehicles," said Rochelle Thielen, CRO at HONK. 

"Our clients simply click a button, and the vehicle just shows up where it needs to be. Their operations teams are no longer wasting time calling around, trying to track down, and figure out what was delivered or picked up from a multitude of other sources. Clients quickly access critical data about transports from HONK's real-time dashboard solving this time-consuming, logistical nightmare for top auto retailers." 

About HONK Technologies

HONK, a flexible on-demand mobility platform, helps top insurers, fleets, automotive OEMs and car retailers deliver modern, digital roadside customer experiences and meet scalable same-day vehicle transport demands. HONK's digital-first, modular approach is designed to optimize roadside assistance programs, auto claims processing, accident scene management, fleet maintenance, vehicle logistics and transport, so businesses can increase efficiencies through advanced digital tools, customizable integrations, and HONK's high-performing service provider network to build brand-defining retention and loyalty engines.

To learn more, visit HONK's Vehicle Transports webpage.

Program Improves the Car Buying Experience by Solving Major Pain Points in the Deal Process

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (May 04, 2021), TrueCar, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRUE), the most efficient and transparent online destination to buy a car, today announced the launch of  a pilot program with digital sales platform, Roadster. For the first time, consumers using TrueCar will now be able to finalize their car buying deals digitally through an API that integrates directly into Roadster’s back-end software. This capability is currently available at over 650 dealers that work with both TrueCar and Roadster. 

TrueCar’s experience is flexible and aims to enable consumers to have as much or as little of their car buying experience online as they prefer. Consumers can research and find the right car online, and get real pricing on an actual vehicle. They can also get a cash offer on their trade-in to put toward their new vehicle. With this program, consumers can now extend the car buying experience even further online by completing their deal terms digitally through the integration with Roadster.

“The ability to finalize the terms of a car deal online is critical to creating a great retail experience,” said Mike Darrow, President & CEO of TrueCar. “Through our pilot program with Roadster, TrueCar consumers at select dealerships now have the ability to build real car deals digitally, including finance terms.”

The TrueCar and Roadster program marks the first step in TrueCar’s journey to leverage data exchanges and technology integrations with digital retailing providers such as Roadster to improve the car buying experience. This approach modernizes data exchanges via API integrations built by partners like Roadster as opposed to limited legacy email methods currently being utilized. This enhancement addresses pain points for both consumers and dealers that make car buying easier, removing unnecessary friction between buyers and sellers.

Consumers who use the TrueCar and Roadster integration can now pick up on the dealer’s Express Storefront right where they left off on TrueCar, without having to repeat any steps. The consumer will see the same vehicle price, qualifying incentives, and lease / finance deal terms that they configured and were presented on TrueCar (subject to validation of the information provided by the consumer). For dealers, this ensures they not only have all the pertinent deal structure inputs from the consumer, but also makes the process even more efficient by passing the information directly into the dealer’s Roadster Admin sales tool for easy follow up.

“Consumers want their car buying experience to be as easy as anything else,” said Andy Moss, CEO of Roadster. “Through the development and use of robust retail APIs, like the one we are implementing here, we will now be able to create a seamless car buying experience for marketplaces like TrueCar. We are proud to work alongside such great partners like TrueCar to offer a modern end-to-end car buying solution that consumers have been waiting for.”

 How it works:

●      Once a car buyer has built and personalized their deal on a vehicle on TrueCar, they have the option to enter into participating dealers’ “Express Store” powered by Roadster, to finalize the terms of their deal.

●      All the vehicle deal-building work configured by the TrueCar shopper is carried over from TrueCar into the “Roadster Admin” for easy follow-up. The dealer no longer has to cross-reference or ask customers questions they've already answered on TrueCar. This puts customers and dealers on the same page, reducing friction.

●      The consumer can finalize their deal terms with the dealer either online or offline.

###

About TrueCar

TrueCar is a leading automotive digital marketplace that enables car buyers to connect to our nationwide network of Certified Dealers. We are building the industry's most personalized and efficient car buying experience as we seek to bring more of the purchasing process online. Consumers who visit our marketplace will find a suite of vehicle discovery tools, price ratings, and market context on new and used cars -- all with a clear view of what's a great deal. When they are ready, TrueCar will enable them to connect with a local Certified Dealer who shares in our belief that truth, transparency, and fairness are the foundation of a great car buying experience. As part of our marketplace, TrueCar powers car-buying programs for over 250 leading brands, including AARP, Sam’s Club, and American Express. Nearly half of all new-car buyers engage with TrueCar powered sites, where they buy smarter and drive happier. TrueCar is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, with an office in Austin, Texas.

For more information, please visit www.truecar.com, and follow us on Facebook or Twitter. TrueCar media line: +1-844-469-8442 (US toll-free) | Email: pr@truecar.com

About Roadster

Roadster is the auto industry’s leading digital sales platform, modernizing the way customers buy cars and the way dealers sell them. Its flagship Express Storefront product comes with everything that’s needed to transact both online and in the showroom, creating one seamless Omnichannel experience for all. Express Storefront is powered by hundreds of data sources to enable customers to configure near penny-perfect deals that factor in incentives, trade-ins, service plans and accessories. It also features the tools and insights dealers need to engage customers and guide them to complete their purchase online, or seamlessly continue it in store. As a result, dealers who use Express Storefront report 2x more engagement, 70% more sales efficiency and 2x higher customer satisfaction than the industry average. Roadster was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information, please visit www.Roadster.com

TrueCar Public Relations Contact:

Shadee Malekafzali

shadee@truecar.com

424.258.8694

Roadster Public Relations Contact:

Rachel Rogers

rachel@roadster.com

AAA members will continue to have access to the TrueCar powered Auto Buying Program

SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TrueCar, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRUE), the most efficient and transparent online destination to find a car, announces the extension of their current AAA Auto Buying Program*, powered by TrueCar. 

This year marks the 13th year of the program with TrueCar as a AAA Preferred Supplier. With the extension, more than 41 million AAA members in select areas will have access to the TrueCar powered Auto Buying Program through the end of 2023.

"AAA is one of the best known and most trusted brands for car owners. Being a trusted resource and empowering hundreds of thousands of AAA members as they make one of their biggest financial decisions is something that we are extremely proud to continue through the AAA Auto Buying Program," said Mike Darrow, CEO & President at TrueCar.

AAA Auto Buying Program Key Benefits:

• Price Context. See what others paid for your new vehicle of interest in a local area and view price ratings on used vehicles
• Savings. Save on average over $3,000 off MSRP** on new vehicles and receive discounts on used vehicles**
• Real Price Offers. Receive real transactable price offers on actual inventory on the dealer's lot
• Trade-In or Sell. Get a value on your existing vehicle and receive a real cash offer in minutes
• Build your Deal Online. Build a comprehensive deal online and save time at the dealership
• Buy from Home. Identify TrueCar Certified Dealers that offer remote paperwork, vehicle delivery and vehicle sanitization
• Extensive Dealer Network. Access TrueCar's Certified Dealer Network, which includes dealers nationwide

"TrueCar has continued to enhance and evolve its offering over the years to provide AAA members with best-in-class digital car buying tools," said Bob Huffman, director of automotive preferred suppliers for AAA. "AAA is proud to have TrueCar continue to power the AAA Auto Buying Program and provide our valued members with peace of mind during their car buying experience."

For more information, visit AAA.com/AutoBuying

* TrueCar powered auto buying services available only in participating AAA club territories: Auto Club Enterprise (excluding Southern CA and HI), The Auto Club Group (excluding NC, SC and CO), Auto Club Alliance, AAA Mountain West Group (excluding AK, AZ, MT, WY), AAA Northeast, AAA Western & Central NY, AAA Ohio Auto Club, AAA Hoosier Motor Club (IN), AAA Northampton County (PA), AAA Minneapolis, AAA South Jersey, AAA Southern Pennsylvania, AAA Hudson Valley (NY) and AAA Shelby Auto Club (OH).

**Between 1/1/20 and 12/31/20, the average savings off MSRP experienced by consumers who connected with a TrueCar Certified Dealer through the AAA Auto Buying Program and who were identified as buying a new vehicle from that Certified Dealer was $3,197. Your actual savings may vary based on multiple factors, including the vehicle you select, region, dealer, and applicable vehicle-specific manufacturer incentives, which are subject to change. The MSRP is determined by the manufacturer and may not reflect the price at which vehicles are generally sold in the dealer's trade area, as many vehicles are sold below MSRP. Each dealer sets its own pricing.

***Used car discounts not available in all states.

Military, First Responders and Law Enforcement will have access to cost-savings, upfront VIN-based pricing, and a modern digital deal building experience

SANTA MONICA., February 23, 2021 — TrueCar, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRUE), the most efficient and transparent online destination to find a car, today announced a new affinity partnership with GovX, Inc., the largest e-commerce website for verified active and veteran U.S. military along with police, fire, emergency rescue and medical technicians and those from related government agencies.

The GovX Auto Buying Program, powered by TrueCar Military, will give GovX members the ability to see what others paid for the same vehicle of interest, receive upfront transactable price offers on new and used vehicle inventory, and use TrueCar’s leading digital deal building capabilities.

“TrueCar is the gold standard when it comes to ease and transparency in the car buying experience, as well as customer service and support. These are extremely meaningful value propositions for us and our members who have the responsibility and honor of protecting and serving our great country,” said Chris Bohnert, Senior Vice President at GovX, Inc. “TrueCar shares our same deep commitment to providing service members with the value and benefits they deserve. We are excited for our members to experience this new and improved way to buy a car.”

Last year, TrueCar launched, TrueCar Military, a dedicated vehicle purchase program that provides exclusive Military incentives and exclusive benefits, on top of TrueCar’s existing benefits, to those who have served our country’s armed forces and their families. TrueCar has dedicated more than fourteen years to servicing the men and women of the military through affinity car buying partnerships with leading military service organizations.

“We are thrilled to partner with GovX to provide a more transparent and more efficient way for our servicemembers, first responders and law enforcement to purchase a vehicle,” said Mike Darrow, President & CEO of TrueCar. “Through our partnership, GovX members will receive a first-class car buying experience and competitive pricing that they can trust.” 

GovX Auto Buying Program Key Benefits:

• Price Context. See what others paid for your new vehicle of interest in a local area and view price ratings on used vehicles

• Savings. Save on average over $3,500 off MSRP** on new vehicles and receive discounts on used vehicles*

• Real Price Offers. Receive real transactable price offers on actual inventory on the dealer’s lot
• Trade-In or Sell. Get a value on your existing vehicle and receive a real cash offer in minutes
• Build your Deal Online. Build a comprehensive deal online, inclusive of trade-in value and preferred terms and save time at the dealership
• Buy from Home. Identify TrueCar Certified Dealers that offer remote paperwork, vehicle delivery and vehicle sanitization
• Extensive Dealer Network. Access TrueCar’s Certified Dealer Network, which includes dealers nationwide

*Used car discounts not available in all states.

*Between 1/1/20 and 12/31/20, the average savings off MSRP experienced by consumers who connected with a TrueCar Certified Dealer through a TrueCar-powered Auto Buying Program and who were identified as buying a new vehicle from that Certified Dealer was $3,552. Your actual savings may vary based on multiple factors, including the vehicle you select, region, dealer, and applicable vehicle-specific manufacturer incentives, which are subject to change. The MSRP is determined by the manufacturer and may not reflect the price at which vehicles are generally sold in the dealer's trade area, as many vehicles are sold below MSRP. Each dealer sets its own pricing.

###

About TrueCar

TrueCar is a leading automotive digital marketplace that enables car buyers to connect to our nationwide network of Certified Dealers. We are building the industry's most personalized and efficient car buying experience as we seek to bring more of the purchasing process online. Consumers who visit our marketplace will find a suite of vehicle discovery tools, price ratings, and market context on new and used cars -- all with a clear view of what's a great deal. When they are ready, TrueCar will enable them to connect with a local Certified Dealer who shares in our belief that truth, transparency, and fairness are the foundation of a great car buying experience. As part of our marketplace, TrueCar powers car-buying programs for over 250 leading brands, including AARP, Sam’s Club, and American Express. Nearly half of all new-car buyers engage with TrueCar powered sites, where they buy smarter and drive happier. TrueCar is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, with offices in Austin, Texas, and Boston, Massachusetts. 

For more information, please visit www.truecar.com, and follow us on Facebook or Twitter. TrueCar media line: +1-844-469-8442 (US toll-free) | Email: pr@truecar.com

About GovX

GovX.com is for men and women of service. A members-only online destination for military and first responders, the site offers thousands of products from hundreds of brands at exclusive, below-retail pricing. Members include active and veteran U.S. military, firefighters, law enforcement officers, federal agents, healthcare workers and personnel from related government agencies. For more information, visit www.govx.com.

We are looking to hear directly from dealers with this very short and easy-to-answer survey. Answer a few questions, which only takes about 90 seconds, and we’ll send you a $10 Amazon gift card.

Your feedback is important to us as we work to better understand the needs of dealership professionals today.

Take the survey now!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ds-2021-trade-survey

Friendemic CEO Steve Pearson and President/CPO Jason Barber discuss the search value in responding to reviews. How can you leverage your reputation to drive search results?

In our latest video segment with Friendemic CEO Steve Pearson and President/CPO Jason Barber about creating connections with dealerships and customers. We chat about how your reputation can help you create these connections and what you can do to optimize these connection opportunities.

In our second installment of the interview with Friendemic CEO Steve Pearson and President/CPO Jason Barber, we chat about the importance of review quality and discuss some tips to get your customers to give you better feedback.

ORANGE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Computerized Vehicle Registration (CVR), the national market leader in registration and titling solutions, today announced a new partnership with Automotive Titling Corporation (ATC), a Colorado-based company that provides out-of-state title and registration services to auto dealers throughout the United States. These two large brands in the electronic vehicle registration (EVR) space are combining forces to provide an enhanced and faster vehicle registration experience for car buyers in all 50 states.

“Our partnership with ATC will allow dealers nationwide to process in-state and out-of-state fees more accurately through on-demand fee quotes,” said Monique Buduan, senior director, CVR. “By automating fee quotes and documentation, we are creating a process that will enable car buyers to trust dealers to facilitate vehicle registration through an accurate, low-hassle experience.”

To further improve the experience, dealers will also have access to forms with auto-populated data tailored to each specific transaction, minimizing the risk of inaccurate documentation from the beginning.

“This partnership is the realization of a long-held vision to bring together the best EVR and Out-of-State (OoS) providers to create a seamless title process for our customers,” said Marcus Alley, vice president of strategic initiatives, ATC. “Title clerks will have the convenience of CVR’s EVR platform and expertise of ATC’s OoS solution to reduce unnecessary penalties for our customers.”

EVR integrations for CVR and ATC will be rolled out on a state-by-state basis with integrations for select states made available by early 2021. Currently, all CVR customers can leverage ATC services while integrations for their state are rolled out.

About CVR

CVR, a joint venture between CDK Global, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDK) and The Reynolds and Reynolds Company, provides automotive dealers and other key members of the vehicle lifecycle with fast, secure, certified electronic vehicle registration. CVR processes millions of vehicle transfers and DMV inquiries annually across 17 states that offer electronic vehicle registration. CVR currently offers state certified programs providing Electronic Registration, Vehicle Record Inquiry, and Electronic Lien and Title services. For more information, visit www.cvrconnect.com.

About ATC

ATC helps auto dealers streamline the process of completing sales of vehicles across state lines, alleviating the need to navigate different DMV protocols, fees and processes for all 50 states and every county throughout the U.S.