About this episode
Tighter margins, Chinese OEMs bringing their own software stacks to Europe, and electric vehicles reshaping service revenue are putting the dealership business model under pressure. In this episode of the Car Dealership Podcast, host Maarten Bekkers speaks with Hélène Lanssens, who leads Partnerships and Product Marketing at Nextlane, about how automotive retail software, connected data, and AI are changing the decisions dealers and dealer-group managers need to make today.
Why European Automotive Retail Needs a New Approach
The episode starts with the pressures rebuilding automotive retail: tightening margins, the arrival of Chinese OEMs in Europe with their own software stacks, and the impact of electric vehicles on traditional service revenue. Lanssens brings more than 20 years of experience to that discussion. Her career spans dealer network training at Volkswagen France, automotive data across more than 50 markets at JATO Dynamics, and product strategy connecting repairers, adjusters, and insurers at Solera. That background gives the conversation a perspective across OEMs, data intelligence, and aftersales. For dealers and dealer-group managers, the focus is on understanding changes already underway rather than treating industry disruption as a distant concern.
Treating Dealership Data as Infrastructure
A central theme is why dealers need to treat data as infrastructure, not an afterthought. The conversation connects that priority with Nextlane’s open ecosystem model and its platform linking seven dealer management systems across Europe through a single API layer. For dealer-group managers, this puts DMS connectivity and the role of shared software infrastructure at the heart of the discussion. Rather than looking at automotive retail software only as individual systems, the episode explores the connections between them. Maarten and Hélène also discuss Nextlane’s new partnership with NOVACO and what it unlocks for dealers on the ground, bringing the ecosystem conversation back to dealership operations.
Dealership AI: Why Adoption Is Only the Beginning
The AI discussion challenges the idea that adoption alone is the finish line. One of the episode’s central questions is why the biggest risk may be stopping too early, rather than failing to get started. That sits alongside a wider look at AI activity in automotive retail that is not yet being discussed publicly. For dealers, the conversation frames AI as an ongoing management issue rather than a standalone technology decision. It also places AI within the same industry context as connected data, changing software ecosystems, and pressure on established revenue models. The emphasis is on developments happening now, not a speculative account of what dealerships might become someday.
Customer Questions Do Not Stop When the Showroom Closes
Customer availability is another practical challenge explored in the episode. One-third of customer questions are already arriving when showroom lights are off, raising a direct question about how dealers think about responsiveness. The conversation challenges the assumption that picking up the phone is still enough to stand out from competitors. For dealer principals and group managers, this brings the discussion of AI and innovation back to customer contact: when questions arrive, whether the dealership is available, and what counts as a competitive advantage. It is a concrete example of why established ways of working deserve another look as European automotive retail changes around them.
Key takeaways for dealers
- Treat dealership data as core infrastructure, not an afterthought.
- Evaluate DMS connectivity as part of your wider automotive retail software strategy.
- Do not mistake initial AI adoption for the end of the work.
- Review customer availability: one-third of questions arrive outside showroom hours.
- Reassess service revenue assumptions as electric vehicles reshape aftersales.
- Look beyond phone responsiveness when defining your dealership’s competitive advantage.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Hélène Lanssens at Nextlane?
Hélène Lanssens leads Partnerships and Product Marketing at Nextlane, one of Europe’s largest automotive retail software groups. She has more than 20 years of industry experience, including roles at Volkswagen France, JATO Dynamics, and Solera.
How does Nextlane connect dealer management systems across Europe?
The episode explores Nextlane’s platform connecting seven DMS systems across Europe through a single API layer. It also examines Nextlane’s open ecosystem model and its new partnership with NOVACO.
What is the biggest risk with AI adoption for car dealers?
The conversation argues that the biggest risk is stopping too early, rather than adoption itself. It explores why dealers should look beyond simply getting started with AI.
Why should car dealers pay attention to after-hours customer questions?
According to the episode’s show notes, one-third of customer questions already arrive when the showroom is closed. The discussion uses this to challenge whether answering the phone remains enough of a competitive advantage.
