ACV Auctions (ACVA) Citizens JMP Technology Conference 2026 summary

Key objectives and recent performance

• Increased go-to-market resources in Q4, adding inspectors and salespeople to drive growth in underperforming territories.

• Addressed elevated arbitration costs in Q3 and Q4, returning trends to normalized levels and improving margins.

• Launched Project VIPER, enabling digital inspections in service lanes, with initial installations at dealerships nationwide.

• Focused on expanding digital penetration in a market where 70% of dealer-to-dealer wholesale remains offline.

• Bundled offerings like ACV Max, ClearCar, and VIPER are positioned to accelerate digital transformation.

Industry trends and dealer behavior

• Dealers are holding onto more trade-ins due to ongoing supply constraints post-COVID, with 55%-60% of cars retained versus 40% pre-pandemic.

• As new car supply and off-lease returns normalize, wholesale activity is expected to increase.

• Tools are being developed to help dealers acquire cars directly from consumers, reducing dependence on OEMs and off-lease vehicles.

• Peer-to-peer sales represent a significant opportunity for dealers to expand their used car inventory.

Product innovation and technology

• ClearCar enables dealers to appraise and acquire cars in the service lane using a web/mobile app, with over 1,500 dealers actively using it.

• VIPER provides automated, hardware-based digital inspections in service lanes, offering real-time pricing and guaranteed offers.

• ACV Max is an inventory management system integrating pricing intelligence and automation, supporting both used and new car decision-making.

• Bundling Max, ClearCar, and VIPER is seen as a strategic driver for growth and higher marketplace utilization.