Drive Chicago

Name

Drive Chicago

Legal name

DriveChicago.com (operated by Chicago Automobile Trade Association)

Website

https://drivechicago.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Automotive Marketplace

NAICS

Automobile Dealers (4411)

SIC

Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations (5500)

akta.pro primary industry

Automotive Vehicles & Parts C2C (CRAFAKAE)

Keywords

• Automotive marketplace platform
• Vehicle listings search
• Dealer directory services
• Car review content
• Car show events

Headquarters

HQ city

Countryside

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Dealer Advertising & Listings: DriveChicago.com appears to generate revenue by providing online listing and promotional services to Chicagoland automobile dealers, supported by the Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA). The platform explicitly states it will never charge consumers a fee for purchasing a vehicle.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

DriveChicago.com is a digital automotive marketplace platform serving the Chicagoland area, owned and operated by the Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA). The platform enables consumers to search new and used vehicle inventories, browse dealer directories, access expert vehicle reviews, use a finance calculator, check recall information, and view a calendar of local car shows and cruise nights. Dealers connect with local buyers through listings, advertising, and a 'Best Deal' lead-submission service that solicits competitive bids from multiple local dealers.

Product overview

DriveChicago.com is a consumer-facing automotive marketplace platform for the Chicagoland area, operated by the Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA). The platform provides a unified marketplace connecting vehicle buyers with dealers through multiple integrated services: a vehicle listings search (new/used), a dealer directory, a Best Deal competitive bidding service, vehicle reviews authored by professional automotive journalists, a finance calculator using Experian-based rates, a recall check tool, and a comprehensive car shows/cruise nights community calendar. The site also promotes the annual Chicago Auto Show.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DriveChicago.com Automotive Marketplace
• Best Deal Service
• Vehicle Reviews Library

Quantifiable outcome

• Access to thousands of vehicles in Chicagoland area
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ComEdcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 September 2025ComEd (Commonwealth Edison) is serving as the presenting sponsor for the fourth annual 'Chicago Drives Electric' event, an EV test drive and education experience hosted by the Chicago Automobile Trade Association. DriveChicago.com is among the event sponsors, with the event taking place October 2-5, 2025 at the ComEd Building at 3 Lincoln Center in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois.
• Cars.comminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 September 2025Cars.com is listed as an event sponsor for the 'Chicago Drives Electric' EV test drive and education experience.
• StellantisminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 September 2025Stellantis is listed as an event sponsor for the 'Chicago Drives Electric' EV test drive and education experience.
• Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 September 2025DriveChicago.com is owned and operated by the Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA), the organization representing Chicagoland automobile dealers. CATA also hosts the Chicago Auto Show and organizes automotive community events.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• AutoTrader: Large national automotive marketplace owned by Cox Automotive, offering vehicle search, reviews, and dealer connections nationwide including the Chicago market. Closest functional analog to DriveChicago at national scale.
• TrueCar: Online automotive marketplace that connects buyers to certified dealers for upfront pricing. Comparable in offering transparent pricing and dealer lead competition similar to DriveChicago's Best Deal tool.
• Cars.com: National automotive marketplace connecting buyers to dealers with vehicle search, reviews, and lead submission. Cars.com is even a sponsor of Drive Chicago's Chicago Drives Electric event, making it a direct comparator operating at much larger scale.
• CarGurus: Online automotive marketplace focused on price transparency and dealer ratings, with new and used vehicle search across the US including Chicagoland inventory. Directly comparable product offering to DriveChicago's core listing and Best Deal tools.
• Edmunds: National automotive research and listings site combining expert vehicle reviews, pricing tools, and dealer connections. Highly comparable to DriveChicago's mix of editorial reviews plus finance and inventory tools.

Broad incumbents

• AutoNation: Large US auto retailer with its own digital storefront covering the Chicagoland area. Represents the dealer-side counterpart that DriveChicago aggregates, illustrating vertical integration risk for marketplaces.
• CarMax: National used vehicle retailer with online search, reviews, and transfer-to-local-store model. Adjacent rather than directly competing, but overlaps with DriveChicago's used car shopper use cases in the Chicago market.
• Kelley Blue Book (KBB): Long-established vehicle valuation and research brand from Cox Automotive, offering pricing, reviews, and dealer connections across the US. Overlaps heavily with DriveChicago's research and pricing calculator functionality.

Emerging players

• Hemmings: Niche marketplace focused on classic and collector vehicles with editorial content and event listings. Overlaps with DriveChicago's enthusiast-oriented car show calendar and review content strategy.

Regional players

• CarSoup: Regional automotive marketplace serving the Twin Cities and upper Midwest with dealer listings and consumer research. Comparable regional marketplace model to DriveChicago's geography-focused approach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/drivechicago
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/drivechicago
• Facebookfacebook.com/drivechicago
• Instagraminstagram.com/drive_chicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/drive-chicago

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Drive Chicago