Motortech.ai’s AIME has delivered high conversion with 51% of conversations converting to a sales lead.
The data reveals a significant shift in online automotive retail: AI is no longer just capturing cold leads, but is actively nurturing customers and engaging in long-form conversations.
Gerard Thatcher, CEO of Motortech.ai, said: “In 2025 we successfully deployed an automotive AI with a depth of engagement the industry simply hasn’t seen before. The results speak for themselves, but more importantly they validate something bigger.
“Customers want to engage this way and behaviour is shifting rapidly. They expect instant, rich and helpful conversations in automotive just as they do everywhere else in their digital lives.
“Now we move forward with a clear vision for 2026; building towards a single conversational layer that supports the full customer journey, end-to-end.”
AIME engages 24/7 with 55% of conversations happening in business hours when staff might be with customers or out on demo and 45% of conversations out-of-hours when retailers are closed.
With an average response speed of just 4 seconds, AIME is keeping customers engaged for an average of 5 minutes and 15 messages per session.
AIME offers dealers a fully modular, customisable journey – searching through stock records, compare vehicles, answer complex questions, provide part-exchange valuations, book test drives, quote finance and more.
The data shows 90% go beyond just basic details such as name and number, 43% included a part-exchange valuation and 38% resulted in a customer appointment or fully booked test drive.
AIME retains memory of past interactions, meaning she can seamlessly discuss multiple vehicles over different sessions, mimicking the rapport of a dedicated sales executive.
Moving into 2026, the company is growing its offering to encompass aftersales and re-engagement and enabling AIME to act as a single communication layer for dealerships.
