Ford Dealership leads with Kiosks and Video Walls

Notable recent developments

• A South Korean startup, Epikar, is pushing AI-powered kiosks to automate U.S. dealership showrooms, positioning them as possible replacements or supplements to traditional salespeople by handling initial customer interactions and Q&A via an AI assistant.

• European and UK integrators highlight interactive touch kiosks in showrooms and service areas that let customers browse inventory, schedule test drives, and handle simple tasks while waiting for staff, framed explicitly as streamlining the customer journey.

• Automotive-focused digital signage vendors are promoting dealership video walls as core to a modern showroom, emphasizing brand storytelling, immersive product video, and real‑time promotions rather than just “big TVs.”

How dealerships are using kiosks

• Self-service “digital hub” in the showroom: kiosks let walk‑ins browse stock, check specs, compare trims, and even pre‑qualify or review financing while they wait, reducing perceived wait times and offloading basic discovery from sales staff.

• Guided pre‑sales workflow: customers can input license/ID and contact info, review loan options, and start paperwork at kiosks, which shortens transaction time and lets salespeople pick up midstream to close.

• AI showroom assistants: pilots like Epikar’s concept use an AI avatar/interface on a kiosk to answer questions, walk customers through models, and potentially cover off-hours or low‑staff periods.

• Service/after‑sales applications: similar kiosk setups are referenced for check‑in, explaining service packages, and upselling maintenance plans using dynamic content instead of static posters.

How dealerships are using video walls and LED screens

• Large-format LED/video walls at the entrance or main showroom are used to run brand films, mission/values content, and high‑production vehicle videos to create an immersive first impression and emotional connection.

• “Model spotlight” zones highlight key vehicles with rotating visuals, specs, and price/offer details so customers can self-educate without waiting for a salesperson, effectively acting as visual product sheets on steroids.

• Real-time promotions and financing: dealers are using video walls and other screens to show current financing offers, limited-time packages, and warranty upsells, with reported improvements in information retention and attachment rate on high‑margin add-ons.

• Omnichannel continuity: LED displays are explicitly marketed as bridging the “omnichannel gap” by mirroring online content (configurators, promo videos, social proof) in-store so the experience feels consistent from web to showroom.

Impact metrics and business rationale

• Vendors and trade coverage cite studies that digital signage and video content influence a majority of auto shoppers (around three-quarters say video content affected their final purchase decision) and that businesses using digital signage often report higher engagement and reduced perceived wait times.

• Reported benefits for dealerships include reduced transaction time, better throughput per salesperson, improved customer satisfaction, and perceived price transparency when specs and offers are clearly visible on screens instead of hidden in brochures.

• For operations, screens act as “silent partners” – handling repetitive specs and FAQ content – so limited staff can focus on complex questions and closing deals rather than basic feature explanations.

• There is no published number just for “video walls and kiosks in car dealerships,” but we can bracket it from related markets; very roughly, dealer-specific spend is likely in the low single‑digit billions of dollars annually worldwide, with a U.S. slice in the high hundreds of millions to around 1 billion range depending on assumptions.grandviewresearch+3

  Relevant global market baselines

  • Global video wall market: estimates put the overall video wall market (all sectors) at about 10–18 billion USD in the mid‑2020s, growing at 11–14% CAGR into 2030.grandviewresearch+2

  • LED video walls specifically: one analysis pegs the LED video wall market at about 26.85 billion USD in 2025 with growth toward roughly 53 billion USD by 2032.maximizemarketresearch

  • Global digital signage market: a major report projects digital signage revenue around 21 billion USD in 2026, rising to about 31 billion USD by 2032 (all verticals, all form factors).marketsandmarkets

  • Retail digital signage: a retail-focused slice (which includes automotive) estimates about 6.85 billion USD in 2025, projected to 18.6 billion USD by 2035.market

  Given dealerships are one of many verticals (alongside QSR, grocery, DOOH, corporate, etc.), most analysts implicitly allocate only a modest share of these totals to automotive.

  Automotive / dealership-specific clues

  • Automotive digital signage guides emphasize that dealers are a significant use case for video walls and interactive kiosks but still treat them as a subset of broader retail.spectrio+2

  • One dealership-focused guide cites digital signage growth (about 8% annual through 2030 per GVR) and highlights the mix of wall displays, video walls, and interactive kiosks used in showrooms and service areas.digitaldealershipsystem

  • A dealership digital signage vendor notes that around two‑thirds of automotive dealers report seeing “value” in video walls, implying substantial but not universal adoption and leaving a long tail of greenfield sites.digitaldealershipsystem+1

  Kiosk pricing as a sizing input

  • A recent cost guide for digital signage kiosks puts indoor non‑touch wall units around 3,250–3,650 USD installed, and 55‑inch freestanding bases around 3,850 USD before enclosure customizations.crowntv-us

  • The same source notes that panel‑only commercial displays (e.g., a 43″ Samsung QM series) run perhaps 780–1,150 USD, with enclosures, integration, software, and installation typically making up the rest of a kiosk quote.crowntv-us

  • If a typical dealership installs a small cluster (say 3–6 kiosks and/or larger interactive displays) plus one or more video walls, the per‑site capex can easily land in the mid‑five to low‑six‑figure range depending on pitch, size, and whether it’s LED vs tiled LCD.crowntv-us+1

  Putting a rough bracket around dealership spend

  Because no analyst breaks out “car dealerships only,” any number here is an estimation exercise grounded in those broader markets:

  • If automotive/transport is, say, 5–10% of the global digital signage and video wall spend (consistent with how retail subsegments are often sliced), that suggests a 1–3 billion USD annual run‑rate globally for automotive digital signage, of which video walls and kiosks are a large share.grandviewresearch+2

  • Within automotive, dealership environments (showrooms, service lounges) likely account for most of that, versus smaller allocations for automotive service chains, used‑car lots, and auto‑adjacent retail; this is consistent with how vendor case studies skew toward franchised dealers.screencom+2

  • The U.S. typically represents 20–30% of global digital signage revenue; applying that to an automotive/dealer share yields a U.S. dealership signage/video wall/kiosk market plausibly in the 300–900 million USD per year range, depending on adoption assumptions and capex cycles.grandviewresearch+2

  Why the range is fuzzy (and how you could refine it)

  • Most market studies aggregate all verticals and do not break out “dealerships,” lumping them into retail or transportation, and they rarely separate kiosks from wall displays in automotive contexts.grandviewresearch+2

  • Kiosks in automotive are also counted under broader “self‑service kiosk” or “interactive kiosk” markets, not under digital signage per se, so you’d need to overlay a second dataset and estimate the share specific to dealers.digitaldealershipsystem

  • A more precise TIG‑grade estimate would require: total number of franchised and large independent dealers by region, adoption rate of video walls/kiosks by store type, and per‑site capex/opex patterns by format (LCD vs LED, kiosk count, CMS costs), then combining these into a bottom‑up model anchored to the global retail digital signage and LED markets you trust

Emerging themes you might care about

• AI + kiosks: movement from static or simple interactive kiosks toward AI agents (Epikar and similar concepts), which raises questions about labor, union issues, and customer trust in an AI “salesperson.”

• Content automation: emphasis on real-time inventory and dynamic offers suggests pipelines from DMS/CRM into CMS for signage – an integration and data‑quality story you could unpack for your audience.

• Experience vs. dark patterns: the same tools that deliver transparency can be used for aggressive promos; several vendors frame signage as improving transparency, but the actual UX patterns are an open question.

And now we have Electric Cars

We track EV on linkedin as well https://ev-charging-stations.org — Hybrids and EVs have forced dealers in the U.S. and globally to rethink inventory mix, service operations, and profit models, with hybrids currently bailing out many U.S. franchises while EVs reshape the landscape more aggressively in Europe and China. Major vendors include legacy OEMs (Toyota, Ford, GM, VW, Hyundai-Kia, Stellantis), pure-play EVs (Tesla, BYD), and a wave of Chinese brands (BYD, SAIC’s MG, NIO, XPeng) that are increasingly relevant outside China.eia+6

Market context and demand trends

• In the U.S., hybrids are gaining share while pure EV growth has cooled: about 22% of 2025 light-duty vehicle sales were hybrids, plug-in hybrids, or EVs, with hybrids accounting for a growing share as some consumers pull back from full EVs.bts+2

• Globally, EVs have much more momentum: one in four new cars sold worldwide in 2025 was electric, and electric car sales topped 20 million, driven heavily by China and Europe.pewresearch+1

• China dominates volume: around 62% of global EV and plug‑in hybrid sales in 2025 occurred in China, and BYD overtook Tesla as the world’s top maker of electrified vehicles.pewresearch+1

Impact on U.S. dealers

• Profit mix and F&I: dealers report thinner or more volatile front‑end margins on many EVs (due to OEM incentives and price wars) and are leaning more on hybrids, F&I products, and services to stabilize profitability.mckinsey+2

• Inventory strategy: many U.S. dealers have cut back on EV allocations as EV registrations dropped sharply (one report cites a 43% decrease year‑over‑year), while leaning into hybrids as a “bridge” product that fits existing customer expectations.autodealertodaymagazine+1

• Service operations: EVs reduce traditional maintenance (no oil changes, fewer moving parts) but increase demand for high‑skilled diagnostics, software updates, and high‑voltage repairs, pushing dealers to invest in training and special tooling.mckinsey+1

• Infrastructure: franchises are under pressure from OEMs to install chargers and EV-ready bays, which requires capex and facility changes that many smaller dealers find challenging.pewresearch+2

Impact on dealers globally

• Europe: aggressive emissions rules and ICE phase‑out timelines push EVs through OEM and dealer channels, forcing dealers into agency models, digital-first journeys, and higher EV inventory tolerance despite demand swings.mckinsey+1

• China: EVs are now more popular than hybrids, with local brands dominating; dealers face intense price competition and often operate as multi‑brand EV retailers or direct-delivery hubs for OEMs.youtubepewresearch+1

• Rest of world: in emerging markets, hybrids and efficient ICE still dominate due to charging constraints and price sensitivity, so dealers often use hybrids as an “eco” upsell while cautiously testing EVs in major cities.pewresearch+1

• Global theme: across markets, dealers are being dragged into more digital, data‑driven sales processes, with OEMs experimenting with direct sales or agency models that reduce dealers’ pricing power and control.mckinsey+1

Why hybrids are attractive to dealers

• Hybrids are framed as a profitable “bridge” product: they use familiar ICE-based platforms with incremental electrification, so dealers can sell them using existing sales scripts and service infrastructure.cbtnews+1

• Customer acceptance is higher: hybrids reduce fuel use and emissions without range anxiety or charging worries, broadening the buyer pool and smoothing throughput in the showroom.eia+1

• For OEM‑aligned dealers (e.g., Toyota), hybrids generate steady volume and recurring service work, allowing them to benefit from “green” positioning without overexposure to EV price wars.eia+1

Operational and business-model changes

• Training and staffing: dealers are upskilling techs and sales staff on battery tech, range, charging, software, and incentives; this is resource-intensive but critical for credibility with EV shoppers.mckinsey+1

• Sales process: many stores now include EV/hybrid qualification questions (driving patterns, home charging, climate) early in the sales funnel to steer buyers to hybrids vs EVs vs ICE.mckinsey+1

• Partnerships: dealers are forming partnerships with charger installers and home energy providers, bundling charging solutions into the deal to close EV customers more reliably.pewresearch+1

• Risk management: some dealers are wary of high EV inventory exposure given fast depreciation, tech turnover, and potential residual-value issues, and instead move EVs via preorder or build‑to‑order where possible.youtubecyberswitching

Major hybrid and EV vendors (OEMs)

Here’s a high-level view of key players from a dealer‑relevance standpoint.

U.S. and Japan-based majors

• Toyota / Lexus: longstanding hybrid leader (Prius, RAV4 Hybrid, Camry Hybrid, various Lexus hybrids) and growing EV lineup; crucial for dealers leaning on hybrids for margins.kbb+2

• Ford: expanding hybrids (e.g., hybrid F‑150 and other models) while recalibrating EV ambitions; dealers balance Ford’s hybrid volume with selective EV offerings.kbbyoutube

• General Motors (Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC, Buick): pushing Ultium-based EVs (Chevy Blazer EV, Equinox EV, Cadillac Lyriq, etc.), with dealers asked to invest heavily in EV infrastructure and training.kbb

• Honda / Acura: growing hybrid share and rolling out EVs through partnerships (e.g., with GM platforms); dealers rely heavily on hybrid Pilots/Accords as “safe bets.”kbb+1

• Hyundai / Kia / Genesis: strong global EV portfolios (Ioniq series, EV6, EV9, etc.) plus hybrids and PHEVs, giving dealers flexibility to match local infrastructure realities.kbb+1

European majors

• Volkswagen Group (VW, Audi, Skoda, etc.): major EV rollout (ID. series, Audi e‑tron family) plus plug‑in hybrids; dealers in Europe are central to VW’s electrification strategy.kbb+1

• Stellantis (Jeep, Peugeot, Fiat, Opel, etc.): heavy on PHEVs and now BEVs; dealers juggle a complex mix of powertrains, often with regional differentiation.kbb+1

• Mercedes‑Benz and BMW: premium EVs (Mercedes EQ line, BMW i series) alongside PHEVs and mild hybrids; dealer networks are retooling for high‑ticket EVs with strong service needs.kbb+1

Pure-play and China-led players

• Tesla: still a dominant EV brand globally, but operates direct sales and service in most markets, limiting traditional dealer participation; nonetheless shapes pricing and customer expectations for all.wikipedia+2

• BYD: now the world leader in combined EV and plug‑in hybrid sales, with strong domestic Chinese presence and growing exports to Europe, Latin America, and other regions via dealer-like partners or distributors.pewresearch+1

• Other Chinese brands (NIO, XPeng, SAIC’s MG, Great Wall’s Ora, etc.): various models delivered through a mix of direct and dealer/distributor networks, increasingly affecting non‑Chinese dealers via competition and partnership.kbb+1

Snapshot: who matters most to dealers

• U.S. franchised dealers: Toyota, Ford, GM, Hyundai-Kia, Honda, and to a lesser extent VW and Nissan are central for hybrids and EVs; Tesla largely sits outside the franchise model.eia+2

• European dealers: VW Group, Stellantis, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, BMW, Mercedes, and Chinese imports (including BYD) are major forces in the EV/hybrid pipeline.pewresearch+2

• Global independent/import dealers: BYD, SAIC/MG, and other Chinese brands plus regional assemblers shape the portfolio, often with a bias toward affordable EVs and PHEVs