Incentives, whether in the form of rebates or the currently popular zero percent financing offers, are necessary evils that aren't going away soon and in fact, continue to zoom to record or near-record levels, said a group of auto experts, according to the Detroit Free Press.

The growing use of larger and larger incentives

means lower new car and truck prices for consumers but makes profitability a challenge for automakers and suppliers, said a panel at

the Management Briefing Seminars, an annual retreat for the auto industry's top executives.

The average vehicle sale included $1,932 worth

of incentives in June. Prices for new cars and trucks have dropped 3.1 percent since 1996, when adjusted for new content and inflation, according to the Free Press.

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