A candid conversation with CarEdge CEO Zach Shefska on why agentic AI is upending car buying and selling as we know it, making vehicle purchasing faster, fairer and less frustrating
For decades, car buying has ranked among the most frustrating consumer experiences. Pricing is opaque, dealerships typically employ aggressive sales tactics, and buyers and sellers find the process to be riddled with inefficiencies. The system, built around outdated incentives and misaligned priorities, has long been in need of a shakeup. And now, as artificial intelligence transforms industries across the board, one small business startup is boldly leading the charge to bring trust, transparency, and fairness back to auto retail.
CarEdge, the entrepreneurial venture founded by father-son duo Zach and Ray Shefska, is disrupting the car buying process from both ends—helping buyers make smarter, faster, more confident decisions while equipping dealers to operate more efficiently in a data-driven age. By harnessing the power of agentic artificial intelligence (AI), CarEdge is redefining how vehicles are researched, negotiated and purchased in a way that greatly benefits both buyers and sellers.
In the exclusive conversation below, Zach provides a deep dive on how agentic AI is transforming the automotive industry by empowering consumers, transforming dealerships to lead with transparency.
Q: Why is the traditional car-buying process broken for both buyers and dealers?
ZS: The current system is a losing game for everyone. On the consumer side, trust is at an all-time low, with car salespeople consistently ranking at the bottom of Gallup's trustworthiness survey. This is a direct result of a lack of pricing transparency, confusing add-ons, and a generally adversarial environment.
For dealers, this broken system hurts their bottom line. They face a staggering 72% sales staff turnover rate, a statistic that's double that of other roles in the dealership. A major reason for this is "lead bloat" from third-party platforms that flood dealerships with a high volume of unqualified leads. The average dealership converts only about 2% of these leads into sales, leading to wasted time and resources. This misalignment—where platforms profit from lead quantity, not quality—leaves both consumers and dealers dissatisfied.
Q: What's the root of the distrust between car buyers and sellers?
ZS: Trust is at an all-time low. Only 7% of Americans say they trust car salespeople, according to Gallup. That’s dead last across all professions. But it’s not just perception—it’s the process. Many consumers are hit with hidden fees or bait-and-switch pricing. Meanwhile, dealers are overwhelmed by lead bloat and poor retention. The turnover rate for dealership sales consultants is nearly 72%. The system burns everyone out.
Q: How is AI uniquely positioned to fix these problems?
ZS: AI is the key to bringing this industry into the 21st century. We're already seeing a massive shift, with 90% of dealerships experimenting with AI tools and 25% of consumers using tools like ChatGPT to research their next vehicle. The way people access information is fundamentally changing, and car shopping is no different.
Agentic AI takes this a step further by creating intelligent agents that can act on behalf of consumers and dealers. Instead of sifting through countless listings, a consumer's AI agent can vet information and present a curated list of options. This ensures that when a customer is ready to engage with a dealership, it’s a high-quality lead. For dealers, this means less time chasing "ghosts" and more time closing deals with informed, motivated buyers.
Q: How does this new technology specifically address the dreaded process of negotiation?
ZS: Negotiation is a perfect example of where agentic AI can level the playing field and drive efficiency. It's one of the few major purchases where consumers are expected to haggle, putting them at a disadvantage against salespeople who do it every day.
With AI, a consumer’s agent can handle the negotiation on their behalf. Instead of a buyer scrolling through hundreds of listings, calling multiple dealerships, or engaging in stressful negotiations, an AI agent can handle it all. It compares offers, spots hidden fees, and negotiates on your behalf. For example, a customer named Thomas used a CarEdge AI agent to purchase a Honda Accord. The agent managed 13 messages with a dealer and saved him $1,280 off the original out-the-door price. This demonstrates how AI can replace the adversarial nature of car buying with a more transparent and efficient process, creating a new paradigm where both buyers and dealers can interact seamlessly and benefit. That’s real, measurable value.
Q: How does this model benefit honest dealers who are already trying to build trust?
ZS: AI is a powerful tool for rebuilding trust and rewarding transparency. The current system is rife with deceptive pricing practices, with online advertised prices often differing significantly from the final out-the-door price due to hidden fees and add-ons. This not only frustrates customers but also hurts reputable dealers who don't play these games.
Agentic AI solves this by collecting and publishing real, out-the-door pricing data from thousands of dealerships. We can identify which dealers are transparent and which are adding "mandatory" fees, such as for nitrogen tire fills. This allows honest dealers to stand out in a crowded market, giving them a competitive edge and helping them attract more sales from informed, trusting buyers.
Agentic AI is fundamentally recalibrating the auto industry by moving it away from a model of information asymmetry and inefficiency to one built on trust and transparency. The car-buying process has historically left everyone frustrated, but CarEdge is demonstrating that a new model is possible. The company utilizes intelligent AI agents to prioritize data and a customer-first approach, showing that technology can be a force for good. Dealerships that embrace this change can escape the costly cycle of distrust, build lasting customer relationships, and ultimately thrive in a more efficient and fair marketplace. The future of car buying, according to this perspective, is already here and is driven by these intelligent agents.
Q: Isn’t AI already being used by dealers? What makes CarEdge different?
ZS: Nearly 90% of dealerships say they’re already experimenting with AI. But most of that usage is surface-level—automated chatbots, follow-up texts, maybe some CRM tools. At CarEdge, we’re using agentic AI to empower both sides of the marketplace. Our AI agents represent buyers in real time and gather full transparency on pricing—including dealer markups and add-ons—so shoppers don’t have to go digging. That’s the difference. We're not just automating tasks; we’re flipping the power dynamics.
Q: How does CarEdge collect all this pricing data? Isn’t that usually hidden?
ZS: Exactly. Right now, there’s no central source for accurate, out-the-door pricing—including all the hidden fees and dealership markups. Our AI agents interact directly with dealers to collect this data at scale, which no one has done before. Since launching in July, our agents have been deployed over 10,000 times and have mapped thousands of dealerships. We know which ones are adding $399 nitrogen tire fees to every car—and which ones are being honest. This creates a new layer of transparency.
Q: What about dealers…what’s in it for them?
ZS: Honest dealers benefit the most. Our system rewards transparency by directing better-informed, ready-to-buy customers their way. No more chasing ghost leads. We’re giving time back to sales teams and letting them focus on what matters—conversions and customer experience. It also reduces overhead. Imagine a world where two AI agents—one representing the buyer, the other the dealership—negotiate instantly. That’s where we’re heading.
Q: What’s your long-term vision for CarEdge in the auto industry?
ZS: Agentic commerce is the future. We’re already seeing how AI agents improve negotiations, streamline research, and eliminate friction. The car-buying journey is one of the last major consumer transactions that still relies on outdated processes. We're not just building tools, we're reengineering the entire experience to benefit both sides. The automotive industry is at an inflection point, and those who embrace AI won’t just survive, they’ll lead.
The future of car buying is not just digital, it’s intelligent, transparent, and agent-driven. As CarEdge continues to expand its reach and refine its tools, both consumers and dealerships are starting to see that there’s a better way forward. By collecting previously inaccessible pricing data, automating negotiations, and filtering out the noise of traditional lead-generation platforms, CarEdge is helping shift the market toward quality interactions and fair outcomes — not just for buyers, but for honest dealers too.
In a space where the status quo no longer works, CarEdge is doing what few others have dared to do: rewire the industry from the inside out. It’s a rare case where technology meets mission in a way that serves all stakeholders. As more people like Thomas—the Honda Accord buyer who saved time and money thanks to an AI agent—realize the power of agentic commerce, the ripple effects will grow. For now, this leading-edge technology isn’t just disrupting how we buy cars—it’s redefining what car buying shouldfeellike.
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Merilee Kern, MBA is an internationally-regarded brand strategist and analyst who reports on cultural shifts and trends as well as noteworthy industry change makers, movers, shakers and innovators across all categories, both B2C and B2B. This includes field experts and thought leaders, brands, products, services, destinations and events. As Founder, Executive Editor and Producer of “The Luxe List,” Merilee is a prolific business, lifestyle, travel, dining and leisure industry voice of authority and tastemaker. She keeps her finger on the pulse of the marketplace in search of new and innovative must-haves and exemplary experiences at all price points, from the affordable to the extreme. Her work reaches multi-millions worldwide via broadcast TV (her own shows and copious others on which she appears) as well as a myriad of print and online publications. Connect with her at www.TheLuxeList.com / Instagram www.Instagram.com/MerileeKern / Twitter www.Twitter.com/MerileeKern / Facebook www.Facebook.com/MerileeKernOfficial / LinkedIN www.LinkedIn.com/in/MerileeKern.
