Automotive News

Why Does a Cracked Windshield Spread?Why Does a Cracked Windshield Spread?

April 19, 2023| 5:12 pm

A rock flies up and hits your windshield making a small crack. Uh oh. You know you have time, but how much time? Eventually, the crack will spread, obstruct your view, get you a ticket, and you’ll have to replace the entire windshield, something auto insurance typically doesn’t cover. So what exactly causes a small crack in a windshield to spread like wild fire? There are more than a few answers to this question. 1. Extreme Temperatures When you mix hot and cold, your windshield feels it. Going from sitting in the scorching sun to getting [...]

VW wins Russian court case over asset freezeVW wins Russian court case over asset freeze

April 19, 2023| 1:30 pm

A Russian court ruled against freezing Volkswagen’s assets in Russia, stating there were no grounds to suggest the company would try to avoid financial obligations arising from two lawsuits brought by Russian carmaker GAZ. GAZ, which was contracted to produce VW and Skoda vehicles at its factory in Nizhny Novgorod before VW suspended operations in Russia last year, in March convinced the court to freeze VW’s assets while court proceedings played out. But the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Arbitration Court had already on April 3 reversed that interim measures and ruled conclusively against such a step this week. “At present there… [...]

Rivian will speed up factory flow by making its own motorsRivian will speed up factory flow by making its own motors

April 18, 2023| 12:02 pm

Rivian is offering the most configurations of its electric pickup and crossover with only the dual-motor setup. For example, the Enduro motors can be combined with three battery sizes on the R1T: standard pack, with 270 miles of range; large pack, with 350 miles of range; and max pack, with 400 miles of range, according to Rivian’s website. The quad-motor setup — an $8,000 option — can be paired only with the large pack for 328 miles of range. Rivian customers who had already preordered the quad-motor setup with the max pack will have their orders converted automatically to [...]

LUXURY: Tesla Q1 sales more than double those of BMWLUXURY: Tesla Q1 sales more than double those of BMW

April 17, 2023| 11:54 am

The entire US luxury sector sales rose 23 percent to 616,970 cars and light trucks in the first quarter, outperforming the broader industry’s 8.4 percent bump. In the first quarter, BMW sales rose 12 percent, and the automaker secured a more than 14,000 vehicle advantage over No. 3 Lexuses. The Toyota luxury brand delivered 68,251 vehicles, up 6 percent from a year earlier. BMW, which commanded a 13 percent share of the luxury segment, extended its lead over German rival Mercedes-Benz with a more than 20,000-vehicle advantage. Mercedes’ sales of 61,531 were down 1.2 percent from the prior year as… [...]

Ford Oakville plant’s switch to EVs will start in 2024Ford Oakville plant’s switch to EVs will start in 2024

April 16, 2023| 11:49 am

Ford Motor Co. on Tuesday said the previously announced $1.3 billion transformation of its Oakville Assembly Plant for electric vehicle manufacturing will begin in the second quarter of next year and take about six months to complete. During that time some of the 3,000 workers at the Ontario, Canada, the site will be furloughed, although the company expects to retain virtually all of the employees when the plant comes back online at the end of 2024. Ford said the site, which currently builds the gasoline-powered Edge and Lincoln Nautilus crossovers, will be renamed the Oakville Electric Vehicle Complex and include… [...]

Self-driving requires trust that you’ll arrive safe and soundSelf-driving requires trust that you’ll arrive safe and sound

April 15, 2023| 11:39 am

SAN FRANCISCO — My first trip in a driverless vehicle went smoothly — until the car was pulled over and the ride ended. I arranged to ride in one of the autonomous, electric Chevrolet Bolts deployed by General Motors-backed Cruise to try out self-driving technology for myself while I was here last month for a GMC Hummer EV SUV media drive. As the new GM reporter for Automotive NewsI have heard executives talk about Cruise’s plans to expand this year and beyond, and it’s important that I become familiar with the company if I’m going to track Cruise’s progress toward… [...]

Lucid Motors Q1: Production, deliveries fall from Q4Lucid Motors Q1: Production, deliveries fall from Q4

April 14, 2023| 11:26 am

Lucid Group Inc. reported first-quarter production and delivery figures that were lower than the preceding three months, in line with its guidance of weak production this year. The luxury electric car-maker late Thursday said it produced 2,314 vehicles and delivered 1,406 in the quarter ended Mar. 31, lower than the 3,493 vehicles produced and 1,932 delivered in the December quarter. Lucid shares fell 6.8 percent in premarket trading on Friday. The company said it will report quarterly results on May 8. The Newark, Calif.-based company, already battling supply chain and logistics issues, was hit by aggressive price cuts sparked by… [...]

Are You More Likely To Crack Your Windshield in Arizona?Are You More Likely To Crack Your Windshield in Arizona?

April 13, 2023| 3:48 pm

Arizona is known for its sunshine and heat. As a result, many vehicles succumb to the extreme temperatures with auto glass damage. In fact, drivers in Arizona are more likely than drivers in any other state to need their windshield repaired. Why does Arizona fall into first place when it comes to windshield damage? Read on to find out why and how you can minimize the impact. Four Reasons Why AZ Windshields Crack 1.The 101 This highway is known for construction and is responsible for many broken windshields in Arizona. During construction, all sorts of debris flies from [...]

Nikola battles for scarce funding as it launches its first truckNikola battles for scarce funding as it launches its first truck

April 12, 2023| 9:55 am

Like every other startup, Nikola is in search of funds to continue its mission to deliver zero-pollution cargo-moving trucks. Last week, it floated a $100 million stock offering that underwhelmed Wall Street. The company’s cash is being spent in three major areas: building trucks, creating a network of hydrogen fueling stations and developing software for autonomous driving. Any one of those pursuits would be a huge project for a startup. Perfecting all three seems like a moonshot. But Lohscheller has been able to sign up partners to help defray some of the costs. And thanks to the [...]

Kia plans an EV sales blitz by 2030 with the first dedicated EV factoryKia plans an EV sales blitz by 2030 with the first dedicated EV factory

April 11, 2023| 9:54 am

Kia’s upbeat outlook comes amid increasing enthusiasm for EVs across the industry as automakers from Japan to Europe and the US raise sales expectations amid stronger customer interest and government regulations and subsidies that promote the technology. The shift to electrification will also help Kia move its upmarket brand image, Song added. “In 2021, Kia went through a full-scale transformation of its corporate name, logo, product and design, as well as corporate strategy. As a result, our brand value has improved significantly,” Song said in a news release. “Kia needs to continue its efforts to strengthen the Kia brand identity.”… [...]

Category: Automotive News