The Conference of Automotive Remarketing (CAR) — co-located with the NAFA Institute & Expo in Cleveland on April 15–16, 2026 — has undergone a significant repositioning in its mission.  

While CAR has long served consignors, auctions, and remarketers, the 2026 program deliberately expands its reach to the fleet community: private and public fleet operators who care deeply about preserving vehicle value, reducing lifecycle cost, and improving the handoff between first and second owners.

“This shift aligns with what many fleet operators are already feeling: rising vehicle acquisition costs, limited OEM allocation on certain models and trims, volatility in EV residuals, and tougher internal expectations around total cost of ownership,” said Chris Brown, associate publisher of Automotive Fleet and CAR chair.  

“Extracting every ounce of vehicle value directly affects a fleet’s bottom line. CAR 2026 now meets fleets where these pressures converge — at remarketing.”

A New Set of Awards  

The agenda kicks off with the Awards Gala Reception on Wednesday, April 15, from 6 pm to 8 pm.  

The reception includes an awards ceremony: Two long-standing honors return in 2026 — Consignor of the Year and Remarketer of the Year.

A new award category, Value Champion of the Year, recognizes the supplier ecosystem that materially enhances vehicle value at resale across technology, transportation, and upfitting solutions.  

A Program Built Around Fleet Value  

The conference itself takes place on Thursday, April 16.  Session highlights include:

• Retaining Value Through Remarketing

• New industry statistics on business-to-business and retail-to-business used-vehicle flow

• Strategies for upfitting, extended warranty models, and EV battery value

• Auction prep, “downfitting,” transportation, and reconditioning best practices

• Fleet Remarketing Industry Council workshops and roundtables

Attendees will also gain insights from S&P Global's new quarterly fleet-specific remarketing data.  

Call for Speakers Open

The CAR team is now seeking subject-matter experts to speak at CAR 2026. If your work helps preserve value, reduce lifecycle cost, enhance safety, or streamline vehicle transitions, contact Chris Brown at chris.brown@bobit.com with your topic, experience, and session idea.

“We’re reaching out to the fleet community to get involved,” Brown said. “Do you have a real-world case study on improving resale outcomes? Are you a subject-matter expert in EV battery health, safety, telematics, transportation, or upfitting? Let’s talk.”

The agenda for CAR 2026 is intended to provide a clear view of which fleet technologies, safety tools, or upfit investments deliver ongoing value. Attendees will gain strategies to reduce remarketing friction, delays, and costs, as well as ways to evaluate new remarketing pathways alongside traditional ones.  

Join us in Cleveland to help form the next chapter of fleet remarketing. Register now!