DETROIT, July 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lotlinx, the inventory performance intelligence company for automotive retail, today released its Q2 2026 Vincensus Report, showing that stronger sales and healthier inventory are no longer the same thing.
Q2 Vincensus data found new-vehicle sales up 14%, but 49% of new and 46% of used inventory still aged, as markdown activity rose and demand concentrated in hybrids, competitively priced new EVs and used EVs.
Built on more than 24 billion proprietary VIN-level data points and over a decade of machine learning, Vincensus tracks sales, supply, pricing, aging, markdowns and consumer demand across major OEMs and powertrains, showing why market averages alone are not enough. Overall demand can mask individual vehicles losing time, margin, and market relevance. Click here to access the full Q2 2026 Vincensus Report.
The report also reveals a significant inventory visibility gap: on an average day, 53% of new-vehicle listings and 44% of used-vehicle listings received no vehicle detail page views, meaning improved market demand is not reaching every vehicle equally.
This aligns with Lotlinx’s June 2026 Inventory Health Survey of 210 dealerships: nearly half had little or no visibility into VIN advertising support, only 9% could spot a struggling vehicle within 15 days, 65% needed 15 to 45, and just 12% called their inventory, marketing and sales teams highly aligned.
Furthermore, Lotlinx’s April 2026 AI Gap research shows why technology has not closed that gap: only 30% of dealers believe AI understands their inventory, 25% believe it can diagnose slow sellers, and 23% believe it helps prioritize which vehicles need attention.
Together, the research points to one problem: dealers do not lack data; they lack an early, shared view of which VINs are becoming risky, why, and what action should follow.
New Vehicles: Sales Recover, Risk Remains
After the Q1 slowdown, new-vehicle sales rebounded 14% as major launches, including the Chevrolet Bolt’s return, Toyota’s bZ Woodland, the Subaru Trailseeker and Kia’s first hybrid Telluride, pulled demand forward. Average sold price held steady at $44,450, up 1% from Q1, and day supply fell four days to 62. Even so, markdowns rose to 29% of sales, 49% of new inventory stayed aged, and 53% of listings received no VDP views. Aged inventory is a lagging indicator. By the time a vehicle crosses that threshold, dealers have often lost selling time and margin.
Used Vehicles: Healthy Demand, Concentrated Risk
Used-vehicle sales rose 2%, average sold price up 4% to $27,988. Used EVs led all powertrains, up 23%, average price up 10% to $31,790, a markdown rate of just 34% versus 41% for ICE and 45% for hybrids, and the lowest aged inventory of any used powertrain at 35%, an accessible entry point into electrification. Outside that segment, aged used inventory reached 46% overall. Lotlinx customers ended Q2 at 44.4% aged, a 1.6 percentage-point advantage over the market, outperforming it across 54% of new-vehicle brands and 65% of used-vehicle brands.
More Discounting, Slower Decisions
New and used vehicle markdowns each rose four percentage points to 29% and 41%. This suggests many dealers respond only after inventory risk becomes visible, discounting units that would have sold at full price. Before reducing price, dealers need to determine whether a VIN is struggling due to price, merchandising, market demand, advertising visibility, or shopper connection.
Where Demand Is Moving
Q2 told three distinct electrification stories. Hybrid sales rose 28%, made up 28% of new-vehicle sales, and had the tightest day supply of any powertrain, down six days to 49. New EV sales rose 26%, day supply fell 32 days to 63, but average price fell 12% year over year to $48,144, and 54% of new EV inventory still aged, the highest of any powertrain. Used EVs again posted the lowest markdown and aging rates of any used powertrain. Buyers are not embracing or rejecting electrification as one category; each needs its own strategy.
“Q2 makes clear that sales volume and inventory health are not the same thing,” said Randy Kobat, Chief Commercial Officer of Lotlinx. “The real competitive advantage is inventory precision: seeing risk early at the VIN level, understanding why a vehicle is underperforming and knowing whether the right response is pricing, merchandising, marketing, or shopper activation. Dealers who act before aging becomes obvious will protect both turn and margin.”
Click here to download the Q2 2026 Quarterly Vincensus Report, or request a complimentary, dealership-specific inventory report benchmarked against current market results.
About Vincensus
Vincensus is Lotlinx’s recurring inventory intelligence series, translating proprietary VIN-level market and shopper data into quarterly benchmarks for vehicle sales, supply, pricing, aging, markdowns and consumer demand. By combining inventory performance with real-time shopper activity, Vincensus helps dealers and OEMs understand where market demand is moving, where inventory risk is building and how their performance compares with the broader market.
About Lotlinx
Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Peterborough, New Hampshire, Lotlinx is the inventory performance intelligence company for automotive retail. Lotlinx combines VIN-level inventory, market and shopper data with artificial intelligence to help dealers identify which vehicles need attention, understand why they are at risk and take action before turn and margin are lost. By connecting inventory, marketing and shopper activation around each vehicle, Lotlinx helps dealers improve inventory health and profitability. Learn more at www.lotlinx.com.
