Cars.com Appoints Tobias Hartmann as New CEO
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 18 2025
0mins
Cars.com announced that Tobias Hartmann will become the company's next CEO and be appointed to the Board of Directors, effective January 15, 2026. Hartmann succeeds Alex Vetter, who will step down as CEO and a member of the company's Board of Directors, effective January 15, 2026. Vetter will serve as an advisor to the company from that date through March 31, 2026 to facilitate a smooth transition. Hartmann was most recently CEO and Chairman of the Management Board for Scout24 SE Group, the parent company for ImmoScout24, one of the leading European digital real estate marketplaces. Previously, Hartmann served as President U.S. and member of the Executive Management Board of HelloFresh SE. Prior to that, he led the carve-out of eBay Enterprise from eBay Inc. to form a new service-provider for omnichannel and commerce technology solutions. Hartmann succeeds Vetter, who has been with Cars.com since its launch in 1998 and has held a variety of roles until he was appointed CEO in 2014.
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Analyst Views on CARS
Wall Street analysts forecast CARS stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for CARS is 19.33 USD with a low forecast of 16.00 USD and a high forecast of 25.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
4 Analyst Rating
4 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 11.660
Low
16.00
Averages
19.33
High
25.00
Current: 11.660
Low
16.00
Averages
19.33
High
25.00
About CARS
Cars.com Inc., doing business as Cars Commerce Inc., is an audience-driven technology company. It is engaged in car buying and selling with products, solutions and machine-learning model-driven artificial intelligence technologies that span pretail, retail and post-sale activities. Cars Commerce platform is organized over four brands: the flagship automotive marketplace and dealer reputation site Cars.com, digital retail technology and marketing services from Dealer Inspire and D2C Media, essential trade-in and appraisal technology from AccuTrade, and media solutions from the Cars Commerce Media Network. It enables shoppers with the data, resources and digital tools needed to make informed buying decisions and connect with automotive retailers. Cars.com enables dealerships and original equipment manufacturers with solutions and data-driven intelligence. Its products and solutions have attracted over 19,200 franchise and independent dealer customers across the United States and Canada.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Cars.com Unveils New Technology to Empower Dealer Partners
- Technological Innovation: Cars.com launches new tech and advertising solutions in 2026 aimed at leveraging consumer demand and inventory data to drive efficient growth and profitability for dealers, significantly enhancing market competitiveness.
- AI Assistant Application: The newly introduced AI search assistant, Carson™, is expected to help dealers double their lead conversion rates, further enhancing their market performance and profitability.
- Integrated Reporting Platform: The new consolidated reporting platform from Cars.com will provide dealers with essential operational insights, helping them manage inventory and sales more efficiently, thereby improving overall business efficiency.
- Market Showcase: The company will showcase its new technology at the National Automobile Dealers Association Conference from February 4-6, attracting more dealer attention to its innovative solutions and further expanding its market influence.
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Cars.com Unveils New Tech Solutions for Dealer Partners
- AI Video Ad Innovation: Cars.com's new AI video ad solution allows dealers to create VIN-specific video ads for their entire inventory, resulting in a 2X increase in website lead conversion, significantly enhancing sales efficiency and market competitiveness for dealers.
- Market Area Expansion: The newly launched Market Area Expansion tool enables dealers to showcase inventory beyond their local market, with 34% of search result page views coming from this tool, helping dealers reach a broader potential customer base and increasing sales opportunities.
- Integrated Wholesale Tools: By deepening integrations with AccuTrade and DealerClub, Cars.com assists dealers in addressing used car scarcity, with over 50% of vehicles sourced from a desirable pool of 1-5 year old inventory, optimizing inventory management and profit strategies for dealers.
- Consolidated Reporting Platform: The new Cars Commerce Hub reporting platform offers cross-platform product performance insights, aiding dealers in making more informed decisions, enhancing operational efficiency, and improving market responsiveness.
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