This week felt like a microcosm of where the automotive and mobility sectors find themselves in 2026.

On the one hand, the global used-car market continues to evolve rapidly. CarMax in the US and AUTO1 in Europe are both demonstrating that scale, data, and operational excellence matter far more than the old debate between online and physical retail.

The most successful businesses are no longer thinking in terms of individual transactions. They are thinking about customer relationships, data assets and lifetime value.

That theme carried through much of the week.

At MOVE 2026 in London, I joined a panel discussing “Beyond the Dealership: Building the Omnichannel Automotive Retail Experience of 2026” alongside Robin Kennedy of MOKE International and Irmak Mutlu of Dogus Otomotiv. Moderated by Jacqui Barker, the discussion shifted from online-versus-dealer debates to how automotive businesses create seamless customer experiences throughout the ownership lifecycle. The conversation explored what omnichannel really means, where digital and physical channels create value, the future of direct-to-consumer models, and the growing importance of personalisation and customer lifetime value.

My biggest takeaway was simple: customers don’t care about channels. They care about outcomes.

They want convenience, trust, transparency, and a seamless experience. Whether that happens online, in a showroom or through a combination of both is increasingly irrelevant.

The following day, I attended the MobilityVC and Peter Vardy Global investor gathering in London. Bringing together investors, founders, operators and entrepreneurs from across mobility and automotive, the conversations were wide-ranging but remarkably consistent.

Three themes emerged repeatedly.

1. AI is moving from theory to deployment, which should make the audience feel optimistic about the tangible impact and practical opportunities AI offers to the industry.

The discussion is no longer about whether AI will impact the automotive industry. It already is. The focus has shifted to practical implementation, workflow automation and measurable operational improvement.

2. Capital remains available for quality businesses, reassuring the audience that funding opportunities are still strong for well-executed solutions.

While funding markets remain selective, investors are actively seeking companies that solve genuine industry problems rather than simply telling compelling stories.

3. Data is becoming the industry’s most valuable asset, as businesses across retail, fleet, finance, insurance, and software leverage proprietary data to create sustainable advantages and improve customer outcomes.

Data is becoming the industry's most valuable asset because it helps businesses create sustainable advantage and improve customer outcomes, building confidence in future growth.

What struck me most was the growing convergence among automotive retail, mobility services, software, and financial services, underscoring the need for industry players to adapt to integrated ecosystems and data-driven models.

Historically, these sectors operated independently.

Today, the boundaries are blurring.

The vehicle is increasingly becoming a platform for delivering multiple services throughout a customer’s lifetime.

The implication is significant.

Future winners are unlikely to be defined solely by the products they sell. They will be defined by the ecosystems they create, the relationships they own and the data they generate.

After spending a week with retailers, OEMs, investors, founders and technology businesses, one thing feels increasingly clear:

• The automotive industry is entering its next phase.
• The first wave was digitisation.
• The second wave was integration.
• The third wave, now underway, is optimisation.

And that may prove to be the most important transformation of all.

Have a great week!