Fresh from hosting The Drivetime podcast during Automotive Management Live, Jacqui Barker of Keyloop shares her thoughts in regards to the technology in play for UK motor retailers.
For those who ever want to grasp the automotive industry in its purest form, plant a settee in the course of Automotive Management Live, activate a few microphones, and watch what happens. That is strictly what we did when The Drivetime Podcast went on the road to the NEC, and inside minutes the show was a live newsroom, an unexpected therapy session, and a pit lane for uncensored industry truth.
Theatres were overflowing, aisles were packed from the moment the doors opened, and the atmosphere carried a single shared sentiment: ready or not, change is occurring.
Keyloop delivered a keynote on the ability of a connected ecosystem, but my deepest insight got here not only from the presentations, but from the twenty conversations recorded on that sofa. Unfiltered, immediate, candid, and sometimes very funny.
What emerged was an unmistakable snapshot of where the UK automotive retail sector really is as we close the yr.
1. Recent OEMs, cautious consumers, and the truth of contemporary brand trust
The primary conversation set the tone. Jon Wakefield from AION UK joined me to speak about what it means to launch a brand new OEM into the UK market with serious intent. Aion is backed by the worldwide strength of GAC, they usually are usually not testing the water. They’re entering with scale, confidence, and a transparent appetite for ambitious retail partners who wish to be early adopters. Jon talked about constructing a brand new brand in a cautious consumer environment, where transparency and joined up journeys count for greater than glossy marketing. His message was clear. For those who deliver simplicity and trust on day one, retailers will support you and customers will follow.
Consumer sentiment got here up repeatedly throughout the day. Not collapsing, but more cautious. Shoppers are researching harder, comparing more aggressively, and expecting clarity as standard. They are usually not anti-car, they’re anti confusion.
This theme sharpened further when Alex Rose from Omoda and Jaecoo joined me later within the day. As one other recent challenger brand constructing recognition in real time, he reinforced how impatient buyers have grow to be with clunky, disjointed processes. Customers expect smooth experiences from the primary click to the handover, they usually don’t care what number of systems sit behind the scenes. His view was a reminder that brand trust isn’t any longer built on promoting alone, but on the experience a customer actually receives.
Will Jackson from Carwow added an information wealthy perspective on digital behaviour. With visibility across tens of millions of customer journeys, he sees trends long before most retailers feel them. His take was easy. The moment a process becomes messy, consumers disappear. But provide clarity, easy steps, transparent pricing, and consistent communication, they usually stick with you.
Across every conversation the theme was the identical. Buyers want journeys that work without constant effort. Less noise, less duplication, less manual chasing. They need confidence and ease, not complexity.
2. The tech stack turning point: connection is now the competitive advantage
Certainly one of the strongest insights of the day was the shared frustration around fragmented systems. Dealers are usually not wanting technology. They’re wanting tools that refer to one another. Too many logins, too many dashboards, too many data silos, and too many places where the shopper journey falls apart.
Even the innovations generating probably the most excitement, akin to voice AI, logistics tech, and recent payments infrastructure, all pointed back to the identical truth. Connection matters greater than collection.
This was captured perfectly when Elliot Perks from JigCar sat down, tackling probably the most neglected parts of the automotive process, the moment the deal is finished and the metal needs to maneuver. They’re clear that they’re greater than software. Their vehicle transport specialists work directly with retailers to optimise logistics end to finish. They assist define the precise transport and logistics model for the business, leverage the precise partners, and eliminate the chaos that usually follows a accomplished sale. It is just not glamorous, but it surely is important, and it shows how efficiency is physical in addition to digital.
Payments also took centre stage when Donal McGuinness from Prommt joined me. Customers will forgive many things, but a clunky payment process is just not one in all them. Seamless, secure checkout is now a core a part of the shopper experience. Alongside that, cyber concerns appeared in almost every discussion. The more integrated the ecosystem becomes, the more exposed businesses feel. Cyber isn’t any longer a technical detail. It’s an operational and leadership priority.
AI was the loudest topic of the day. Not abstract AI, but very practical applications. Fast triage, faster responses, warmer tone, and the flexibility to support teams who’re already stretched. Dealers want the profit, but not the burden. The message was consistent. Don’t give us one other dashboard.
And you would not miss the dimensions of Ohme’s presence. Their stand was one in all the busiest at Automotive Management Live, emphasising how mainstream EV charging has grow to be. Retailers now see charging, energy advice, and tariff guidance as integral to the buying journey.
All of this echoed one point. Dealers don’t need more technology. They need technology that works together, cleans up processes, removes friction, and supports growth.
3. The mood of the industry: honest, curious, and able to speed up
Probably the most refreshing a part of recording twenty episodes in sooner or later was the honesty. No person sat all the way down to repeat a company line. They got here to inform the reality about their business. There was curiosity all over the place, especially around AI, automation, and simplifying workflows. There was real openness in regards to the challenges too, including process gaps, duplicated effort, stretched teams, and systems which have simply outlived their usefulness.
However the strongest thread running through every conversation was optimism. Not naïve optimism, but grounded optimism. A way that we’re entering a period where real collaboration between OEMs, retailers, fintech innovators, data platforms, logistics specialists, and tech partners isn’t any longer optional. It’s the only way forward.
All of this echoed one point from our keynote: the industry doesn’t need more apps; it needs the precise apps, connected properly, wrapped in a platform that feels intuitive.
By the point we wrapped our twentieth episode, the theme of the day had written itself –Â Connection.
- Connection between systems.
- Connection between channels.
- Connection between teams.
- Connection between partners.
And, in our case, connection between twenty people on one sofa telling the reality about where the industry is right away.
Automotive Management Live was busier than ever greater stands, deeper conversations, more urgency. However the most beneficial insights didn’t come from the stages; they got here from the candid, unguarded conversations happening in real time.
If the energy at Automotive Management Live is any indication, 2026 won’t be quieter. But it is going to be smarter, more joined-up, and more collaborative if we keep listening to one another.
And in the event you missed the live event, coverage is being published by Automotive Management’s editorial team at AM-online here.Â
Plus all twenty episodes are safely on (digital) tape, capture the mood of the industry at precisely the moment it needed a reset. Trust me: they’re value a listen and will probably be available soon in our Drivetime podcast releases – watch this space.
Writer: Jacqui Barker, global OEM strategy director, Keyloop
This Article First Appeared At www.am-online.com
