Melinda Zabritski, Head of Automotive Financial Insights at Experian joined me at the Auto Finance Summit in Las Vegas last week and highlighted her recent report: Experian's State of the Automotive Finance Market Report: Q2 2025. Buyers are going old-school with cold hard cash. 67% of used vehicle deals closed all-cash in Q2, thanks to sky-high affordability hurdles. But don't hit the panic button, credit scores are skyrocketing, showing consumers are still nailing that money game amid economic speed bumps. EVs took a slight detour, dipping below 9% market share. The fix? Leasing's the hero here, dishing out low payments that make going electric like a joyride steal.

New car payments are soaring to approximately $770 a month, fueled by tariffs and beefier loans. Meanwhile, the used market's owning the track with 40 million transactions (vs. just 12 million new). But there's good news from the lender lane: Loan-to-value (LTV) ratios are dropping smartly to around 90% for top players, new and used alike. And EVs? Lenders are ditching the doubt on residuals and batteries, finally cruising with some confidence. Don't miss this episode for everything you need to know about the current state of the automotive finance market!

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Experian Automotive's exclusive quarterly report on the latest trends and analysis of the U.S. automotive finance market, presented by Melinda Zabritski, Head of Automotive Financial Insights at Experian.

Gain insights into:

• New and used financing
• Lender market share shifts
• Credit scores and risk distribution
• Changes to loan amounts, terms, rates, and payments

Download here

https://www.experian.com/automotive/auto-credit-webinar-form

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Check out Experian's EV Resource Page for all things electric vehicle data

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This episode is sponsored by Experian. Experian is a global data and technology company, powering opportunities for people and businesses around the world. Experian helps to redefine lending practices, uncover and prevent fraud, simplify healthcare, deliver digital marketing solutions, and gain deeper insights into the automotive market, all using their unique combination of data, analytics and software. Learn more here

https://www.experian.com/automotive/ev-resource-center?cmpid=EVS_for_Everyone

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Connect with Melinda on LinkedIn

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Connect with Elena:

https://evs4everyone.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaciccotelli/

Let's talk on X:

https://twitter.com/EVs_forEveryone

Are you connected with the show on LinkedIn?

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-evs-for-everyone-podcast/

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Comedian Blake Wexler joins the show today as Tesla unveils a no-frills Model Y that's cheaper than a fake Labubu but roasted harder than a cup of overcooked ramen. Elon asks, "does your mom have a question?" on X and Aubrey Strobel's mom scores a SpaceX launch invite—hmm, was it waste of a Q&A? OpenAI's Sora 2 unleashes physics-perfect deepfake video creation. From Bob Ross painting a Cybertruck to Tupac chatting up Mr. Rogers, the lines are now even blurrier between what's real and what's not. And finally, Tesla's Optimus appeared out of nowhere last week and drop-kicked the world with some Kung Fu flair before narrating a vote-hype video for the Nov 6th shareholder bash, dangling a trillion-dollar CEO carrot for Elon. Reality is stranger than fiction but hey, I'm here for it!

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Blake Wexler is a New York-based comedian who started doing stand-up at the age of 15 as a high school student in Philadelphia. In addition to writing for and appearing on Comedy Central & ABC, Blake also has been a featured performer in (too) many comedy festivals and can be regularly heard on The Cracked, Daily Zeitgeist & The Todd Glass Show podcasts. He is also the host of the gameshow LIES! for the Philadelphia Eagles. All four of Blake’s critically acclaimed stand-up comedy records debuted at #1 on the iTunes & Amazon comedy charts, and his album 12 Years of Voicemails from Todd Glass to Blake Wexler charted on Billboard.

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Follow Blake on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blakewexler

https://x.com/blakewexler

Website: https://www.blakewexler.com/

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Tour Dates!

​October 24-25: Wits End Comedy Club w/ Cy Amundson – Charleston, SC.

November 7: The Hideout – Boston, MA.

December 7: Lincoln Lodge – Chicago, IL.

January 16: Littlefield – Brooklyn, NY

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This episode is sponsored by The Merlin Group, your go-to partner for B2B success. We help companies tackle complex challenges quickly by connecting you with hard-to-reach decision makers, accessing exclusive resources, and boosting demand like nobody else. Our mission? To make your business growth simple by linking you with the key players who can take it to the next level. Learn more here: https://www.themerlingroup.co/

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Connect with Elena:

https://evs4everyone.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaciccotelli/

Let's talk on X:

https://twitter.com/EVs_forEveryone

Are you connected with the show on LinkedIn?

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-evs-for-everyone-podcast/

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Tesla's most "affordable vehicle" yet? Nah. I scoured the internet this afternoon for everything you need to know about the brand new Model Y Standard and Model 3 Standard announcement. I gotta be honest, I feel a bit let down with this one. Tune in to hear why. BBQ ribs not included : )

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Tell me what's on your mind! Email me at elena@evs4everyone.com

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Connect with Elena:

https://evs4everyone.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaciccotelli/

Let's talk on X:

https://twitter.com/EVs_forEveryone

Are you connected with the show on LinkedIn?

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-evs-for-everyone-podcast/

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