automotive industry news

SPOTLIGHT: 15 questions with Corey SmithSPOTLIGHT: 15 questions with Corey Smith

September 16, 2024| 9:15 am

Corey Smith is the national fixed operations training manager at National Auto Care. First car: Eagle Summit First concert you attended: Joan Jett Name a pet peeve: Chewing sounds Most thrilling/adventurous thing you’ve done: Ziplining in Mexico your personal heroes: My stepfather Craig A. Smith First job: Raking blueberries in Maine One thing you learned on the job you never forgot: Pay attention to small details If you could pick up a new skill, what would it be? Being able to fix cars 3 people you’d invite to dinner, living or dead: Steve Jobs, Shaq, Ed Roberts What did you… [...]

Nissan Is Considering a Small Electric Pickup Truck for the USNissan Is Considering a Small Electric Pickup Truck for the US

August 7, 2024| 9:15 am

Report: Nissan Considering a Small Electric TruckNissan Nissan currently only sells the mid-size Frontier and the full-size Titan on American shores. With the Titan struggling to sell even half as well as domestic pickup-truck stalwarts such as the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado 1500, it’s only a matter of time until Nissan puts its half-ton truck and heavier-duty XD sibling out to pasture. However, a report by Automotive News suggests the Japanese automaker is considering building a small electric pickup for the US that might not only help offset the Titan’s inevitable death but also appeal to new types [...]

Tesla Cybertruck production finally starts in TexasTesla Cybertruck production finally starts in Texas

July 24, 2023| 4:28 pm

Tesla initially said it would sell the Cybertruck in three configurations: A single-motor version with more than 250 miles of range, starting at $39,900 (all figures in USD). A dual-motor model with more than 300 miles of range, starting at $49,900. And a tri-motor iteration with more than 500 miles of range, starting at $69,900. But in October 2021, the company removed pricing and specifications from its Cybertruck order page, without explanation. When asked in April this year for updated specs and pricing, Musk demurred, saying Tesla would save that information for a [...]

Hyundai is undecided where it will expand EV manufacturing; Canada ‘on the list’Hyundai is undecided where it will expand EV manufacturing; Canada ‘on the list’

July 2, 2023| 3:54 am

Romano said Hyundai has had “a lot” of such conversations with the government. And while Hyundai’s focus is on Georgia today, the US $5.5 billion plant, going up northwest of Savannah, is unlikely to produce enough vehicles to meet the government’s EV targets on its own, he added. This need for a larger North American footprint could lead Hyundai to Canada, said Sam Fiorani, vice-president of global vehicle forecasting at US-based AutoForecast Solutions. “Canada is now pushing for an EV future. It makes a lot of sense to piggyback off of the battery plants and the technology, and the good… [...]

The Port of Vancouver creates a ‘logistical nightmare’ for Canadian auto deliveriesThe Port of Vancouver creates a ‘logistical nightmare’ for Canadian auto deliveries

June 23, 2023| 1:52 am

Delays of up to a month at the Port of Vancouver, driven by heightened vehicle imports and a shortage of railcars, are prompting automakers that ship vehicles through the West Coast logistics hub to enact elaborate contingency plans to get vehicles to Canadian dealers. Facing weeks of waiting at Vancouver’s Annacis Auto Terminal, Hyundai Auto Canada, for one, has begun diverting vessels to ports in the United States, where vehicles are offloaded, placed on railcars and shipped across the border into Canada. The rerouting is no simple task, said company CEO Don Romano, but it beats a month of idling… [...]

The UK expects a deal on EU ‘rules of origin’ for EVsThe UK expects a deal on EU ‘rules of origin’ for EVs

May 30, 2023| 9:08 pm

The UK and the European Union will “soon” announce a solution on post-Brexit trading rules that automakers warn could lead to factory closures, Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said. “This is not a UK problem, it is an EU-UK problem. It works both ways,” Badenoch told Bloomberg on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha. “We should see an answer soon.” Stellantis this month warned that British car plants would close with the loss of thousands of jobs if the issue was not addressed. Ford called for post-Brexit EU trade requirements on rules of origin… [...]

Consider This Before Repairing Your WindshieldConsider This Before Repairing Your Windshield

May 25, 2023| 6:57 pm

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… [...]

New Toyota CEO touts a three-step plan to EV profits and productivityNew Toyota CEO touts a three-step plan to EV profits and productivity

April 27, 2023| 2:33 pm

From now on, Toyota enters the second phase, when it will quickly incorporate learnings and improvements from those EVs into forthcoming model introductions. That stage will last until around 2026, when Toyota will have built up enough capacity to sell some 1.5 million EVs globally. The third phase kicks off in 2026, when Toyota introduces a completely new EV platform along with its Arene software system for cars. That will allow Toyota to leverage a new vehicle software system to unlock new revenue streams, business models and hyper-efficient product development cycles. The new setup being developed will enable Toyota’s future… [...]

Tesla cuts prices in Germany, France to boost demandTesla cuts prices in Germany, France to boost demand

April 20, 2023| 1:50 pm

BERLIN — Tesla’s latest price reductions in Europe were made possible because of a scaling up and improvement in its production capacity, the company said. Tesla cut prices in European markets including Germany and France on Friday, with all versions of the Model 3, Model S, and Model X selling for lower prices as well as the Model Y Performance. “Our mission is to accelerate the transition to renewable energy. Our master plan has set a clear pathway to achieve that mission: the transformation of cost-intensive small-series products to cheaper mass-series vehicles,” Tesla said in a statement. In Germany, Tesla… [...]

Auto manufacturers are not trying to squeeze retailers out of businessAuto manufacturers are not trying to squeeze retailers out of business

April 2, 2023| 6:30 am

I’ve covered the auto industry for a long time, but mostly from the factory, automaker, supplier or Wall Street perspective. Before I got to Automotive News, I probably wrote more about the consumer experience than the dealer experience. That all made sense when I was writing for general interest newspapers or a financial wire service. But I’ve always admired the entrepreneurial spirit of auto dealers, and I’m glad to have more exposure to them since I joined Automotive News almost four and a half years ago. I remember David Hult, CEO of Asbury Automotive, before the pandemic talked [...]

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