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CAR 2026: What Really Moves Vehicle Value Now — And What Doesn’t

A panel at the 2026 Conference of Automotive Remarketing will examine how resale value is created across the vehicle lifecycle and which traditional remarketing practices still deliver ROI.

Chris Brown
Chris BrownAssociate Publisher
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March 11, 2026
Graphic promoting a CAR 2026 conference session showing four speaker headshots above the title “What Really Moves Vehicle Value Now — And What Doesn’t” with automotive conference branding

A panel of remarketing and fleet experts will take the stage at CAR 2026 to challenge long-held assumptions about what actually drives vehicle resale value in today’s rapidly evolving market.

Credit: Automotve Fleet

3 min to read


For decades, fleet remarketing strategies have relied on familiar playbooks — standard reconditioning thresholds, traditional auction lanes, certification programs, and long-standing assumptions about what protects vehicle value.

But as remarketing channels, buyer behavior, and vehicle technologies evolve, not every legacy practice continues to deliver measurable returns.

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That shifting landscape is the focus of “What Really Moves Value Now — And What No Longer Does,” a panel discussion scheduled for April 16 at the 2026 Conference of Automotive Remarketing (CAR). 

The session will explore how fleets can reassess long-standing remarketing assumptions and identify where value is actually created or lost across the vehicle lifecycle.

Examining the New Drivers of Resale Value

Moderated by Pierre Pons, founder of TPC Management, the panel will bring together experts across remarketing, logistics, and emerging vehicle marketplaces to examine how value outcomes are changing.

Panelists include Jimmy Douglas, founder and CEO of EV wholesale marketplace Plug; Lawrence Knapp, director of remarketing at Wheels; and Nathan Cummings, director of strategic alliances at Anew Solutions.

The discussion will explore which pre-sale actions — such as reconditioning, certification programs, and lane placement strategies — continue to generate measurable resale value, and which practices may have become outdated habits as the market evolves.

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Panelists will also examine how speed-to-market, logistics coordination, and channel strategy increasingly influence remarketing outcomes as fleets look to minimize downtime between de-fleet decisions and vehicle sales.

Another key focus will be the growing complexity of EV remarketing, including how traditional value drivers interact with emerging considerations such as battery health, specialized resale channels, and the expected influx of off-lease electric vehicles entering the wholesale market.

Aligning Strategy Across the Vehicle Lifecycle

Beyond individual tactics, the session will address how integrated data and end-to-end remarketing services can help fleets accelerate decision-making and avoid value loss caused by delays in the vehicle lifecycle.

By examining both traditional remarketing assumptions and newer market dynamics, the panel aims to help fleet managers and remarketing professionals pressure-test their strategies in a changing resale environment.

About the Conference of Automotive Remarketing (CAR)

Founded in 1995, the Conference of Automotive Remarketing has long served as a gathering place for consignors, auctions, fleet managers, dealers, and service providers shaping the vehicle resale market.

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Under the theme “Where smart fleet data meets higher vehicle value,” the 2026 conference will focus on recognizing the value of fleet-maintained vehicles and examining how data, transparency, and evolving remarketing channels are reshaping resale outcomes.

CAR 2026 will be held in partnership with the NAFA Fleet Management Association and will coincide with NAFA’s Institute & Expo (I&E). The conference begins with an awards ceremony and reception on April 15, followed by programming on April 16.

For more information and registration details, visit www.carconference.com.

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