The 2026 Conference of Automotive Remarketing will deliver data-driven strategies to help fleets protect resale value, manage risk, and strengthen lifecycle economics.
Attendees from both NAFA and the CAR conference can attend the other for a two-in-one experience.
Image: Automotive Fleet
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.”
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.
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.
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!
Originally posted on Automotive Fleet
The 2026 Conference of Automotive Remarketing convened with a mandate to involve a new constituency — fleet managers — and an updated mission to demonstrate unrealized value in de-fleeted vehicles.
Read More →
Franchised and independent dealers had a total of 1.95 million used vehicles in stock in March, the lowest on record in the current data set.
Read More →
Demand signals remain strong at auctions, with sales conversions, a clear sign of demand, reaching 68.2% in the most recent measure.
Read More →
From a Wall Street analyst's take on remarketing's key players to whether fleets need their own version of Carfax, CAR 2026's afternoon roundtables will answer key operational and industry questions.
Read More →
Work trucks lose value at remarketing, not because they aren't worth more, but because the data to prove it rarely makes it to the auction.
Read More →
New EV sales declined year over year in February while used EV demand rose, as prices fell and inventory tightened across both segments.
Read More →
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.
Read More →
Solid demand at Manheim auctions with higher sales conversion rates indicate an appetite from dealers to buy.
Read More →
Smart operational and spec'ing decisions can dramatically improve both the total cost of ownership during use and the resale value when it's time to remarket day cabs.
Read More →
Smart remarketing begins before vehicles enter the fleet, and is built on strong data and stronger FMC partnerships.
Read More →
