Automotive News

Auto industry, partners, researchers join the EV charging consortium

The National Charging Experience Consortium has more industry involvement than other government-led consortia, Smart said. The industry has struggled with charging consistency and reliability for a number of reasons, including a lack of data sharing as automakers and charging companies are reluctant to share data with competitors. The national labs will keep members’ data confidential and provide an independent review of data from all participants, Smart said. Industry participation is critical to scaling and validating EV charging infrastructure, Smart said. “Our goal is to produce solutions that the industry buys into and can immediately implement to overcome barriers to charge…

Automotive News

Ford, reversing course, to keep AM radio on all models

Ford Motor Co. will keep AM radio in all 2024 Ford and Lincoln models and restore it on two electric vehicles via a software update, according to CEO Jim Farley. In a tweetFarley said the decision was made “after speaking with [U.S.] policy leaders about the importance of AM broadcast radio as a part of the emergency alert system.” The company removed AM radio from the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning and planned to discontinue it on all products moving forward. Farley said the company would look for other ways to deliver emergency alerts in the future. “Customers can currently…

Automotive News

Gentex auto supplier hit by ransomware attack

According to TechTarget, a Dunghill operator reached out with a link to what the group claims is 5 terabytes of sensitive corporate data from Gentex, including client documents and personal employee information. The report indicated Dunghill posted the stolen information on the dark web as well as shared data with unspecified foreign and domestic manufacturers after Gentex “refused to cooperate.” Threats against companies in the manufacturing industry have become more prevalent and more costly as of late. According to an annual report from IBM, the cost of a data breach for the industrial sector — which includes chemical, engineering and…

Automotive News

Consider This Before Repairing Your Windshield

Does your windshield currently have a crack, chip, or some sort of break? While you may not believe the damage is too significant right now, it can turn into a real problem for your safety. As such, windshield repair and replacement are important and should be pursued urgently. The skilled, friendly, and professional team at Lucky Dog Auto Glass has put together a list of questions for you to consider before choosing how to deal with windshield damage–take a look! How bad is the chip in the windshield? Yes, chips may seem small or, as stated above, insignificant, but they’re…

Automotive News

A growing concern in the Canadian automotive industry

According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, which tracks fraud trends across the country, there were 109 reported cases of vehicle identity fraud in Canada in 2020, resulting in losses of over $1.2 million. 2 This represents a 13% increase from the previous year .2 CARFAX Canada has also seen a similar trend, reporting a 30% increase in VIN cloning investigations since 2020.3 The impact of VIN cloning is significant and negatively affects consumers, insurance companies and the automotive industry. Consumers who unintentionally purchase a vehicle with a cloned VIN can face a variety of problems including vehicle safety concerns, reduced…

Automotive News

2024 Ford Ranger Raptor to boost ICE profits at little extra cost

“When you can get scale and engineering efficiencies through a lot of re-use of parts, you can really do a lot of things both from a business perspective and also from a customer perspective, making sure we’re bringing them new and exciting products ,” John Emmert, Ford’s general manager of North America trucks, told Automotive News. “A lot of our enthusiast products create a halo for the rest of the brand.” The Raptor line started as a skunkworks project on the 2010 F-150 that was well received by customers looking for off-road performance. Such buyers also exist in the midsize…

Automotive News

Polestar 3 electric crossover delayed again

Polestar now expects 2023 global sales volumes of 60,000 to 70,000, compared with its earlier forecast of about 80,000 units. Polestar delivered 51,491 units last year. “Given the tougher economic climate, it is difficult for us to compensate for the absence of the Polestar 3 volumes with an incremental Polestar 2 volume,” Polestar CFO Johan Malmqvist said on an earnings call Thursday. “That, coupled with high market uncertainties, led us to call down the volumes.” Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said the volume forecast adjustment would also help the automaker protect the profit margin on the Polestar 2. “We are intent…

Automotive News

Cost of Windshield Replacement Is Going Up

Today, it seems as if the prices on just above everything (food, gas, rent) are going up–and glass is no exception. Unfortunately, maybe not all that surprisingly, the cost of automobile glass materials has been rising every month. . . and continues to do so. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data pulled back in January 2022 showed that motor vehicle parts increased by 5.2 percent from the previous year. Specifically, adhesives and sealants increased in price by 14.2 percent, while prices for materials related to motor vehicle repair and maintenance increased by 2.9 percent. Here’s…

Automotive News

Insurers sue Hyundai and Kia over costs of easily hot-wired vehicles

The widespread theft of vulnerable older Hyundai and Kia models not equipped with a crucial anti-theft device could end up costing the US insurance industry up to $600 million. Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, American Family and 65 other auto insurers, which comprise only a fraction of the country’s insurance companies, estimate that just their portion of the payout to owners who have been affected by the social media-driven crime wave could top $300 million . The insurers, who filed a lawsuit in US District Court in Orange County, Calif., in March, say they have already paid out $190 million. They are…