NewsPaper: March 2022

Thursday, March 31, 2022

Rivian says war in Ukraine exacerbates supply-chain woes

Rivian blamed the dispute between Russia and Ukraine, along with the ongoing pandemic and inflation, for “disruptions to and delays” in operations.

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Toyota jumps back into hot hatch rally racers with GR Corolla

Toyota’s next-gen rally racer features a manual-only transmission as well as a powertrain that allows the driver a choice of front/rear power distribution biases — 60-40, 50-50 or 70-30 — to best suit driving conditions.

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Advocacy group releases policy agenda to prepare U.S. workers for autonomous vehicles

The Partnership for Transportation Innovation and Opportunity, whose members include Ford, Toyota and Waymo, said the proposals are a "needed first step" in preparing the work force for autonomous vehicles.

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EV age launches a wave of new technologies

The auto supply chain is changing with the rise of electric vehicles. Automotive News looks at how those changes are reshaping an industry.

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GM, Ford to idle two Michigan assembly plants next week

GM will cancel production at the Lansing Grand River Assembly plant for supply chain issues; Ford will idle the Flat Rock Assembly plant due to the global microchip shortage.

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Stellantis wants to buy more semiconductors from suppliers in U.S., Europe

The automaker has "lots of initiatives" in place to develop more local sourcing of semiconductors, Tavares said.

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Tesla extends Shanghai plant suspension amid lockdown, report says

The Shanghai factory suspended production from Monday to Thursday after the city launched a two-stage lockdown to combat a surge in COVID-19 cases.

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Giga casting and robots: How VW's Trinity project aims to catch up with Tesla

VW aims to slash production times at its new Trinity plant by using techniques such as large die casting and cutting the number of components in its cars by several hundred.

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IIHS says many SUVs performed poorly in seat belt alert evaluation

IIHS said that only the Subaru Ascent and Subaru Forester earned a good rating.

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Wednesday, March 30, 2022

This time it might be real: Why this fuel price surge may hasten the end of low mpg vehicles

If there is a prolonged period of elevated gas prices, then there's good reason to believe it will hasten the demise of the internal combustion engine and accelerate the move to EVs.

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Top automakers say they support stricter U.S. vehicle emissions rules in court battle

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, representing nearly all major automakers, said in a court filing the EPA rule "will challenge the industry" but provides automakers with "critically important flexibilities."

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Mercedes cuts production again at flagship German plant on Ukraine parts shortages

Mercedes said the factory, which builds the flagship S-Class and EQS sedans, is continuing to operate despite parts shortages.

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Automakers, suppliers struggle as Shanghai locks down for latest COVID outbreak

Key suppliers Aptiv and Thyssenkrupp have sent workers home because of the need to enforce COVID controls.

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Tuesday, March 29, 2022

UAW President: Membership fell roughly 6% last year

UAW President Ray Curry blames the drop on the timing of an annual financial report that records membership numbers and said the union was on "solid footing."

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EV startup VinFast to build $2B plant in N. Carolina

Vietnamese company, a relatively new automaker, says initial EV capacity will be 150,000 a year at plant near Raleigh, with output to begin in 2024.

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VinFast poised to build major assembly plant in N.C.

VinFast plans to build 200,000 or more vehicles a year at its U.S. assembly plant in North Carolina.

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VW shareholder says Ukraine could affect Porsche IPO timing

Top Volkswagen shareholder Porsche SE supports plans to list Porsche AG but the Ukraine conflict could affect the proposed IPO's timing.

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Tight supplies, cloudy outlook to dent March, Q1 sales

March U.S. new-vehicle sales are projected to drop 24 to 26 percent, with the annualized sales pace falling to 12.7 million to 13.1 million, down from 17.8 million in March 2021, and well below January and February levels.

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GM keeps up Shanghai output with workers sleeping on factory floor; Aptiv idles plant

GM builds Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac vehicles with Chinese state-owned automaker SAIC in an area of Shanghai that has been locked down during the city's COVID-19 outbreak.

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Senate passes $52 billion bill to boost U.S. microchip manufacturing

A persistent global shortage of chips has disrupted production in the automotive and electronics industries, forcing some firms to scale back production, and there have been growing calls to decrease reliance on foreign semiconductors.

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GM keeps up Shanghai output with workers sleeping on factory floor, report says

GM builds Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac vehicles with Chinese state-owned automaker SAIC in an area of Shanghai that has been locked down during the city's COVID-19 outbreak.

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Ford adds Rattler off-road package to 2023 F-150

The package, on sale this fall, will be available on the XL trim.

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Sunday, March 27, 2022

Throughput recovers at U.S. dealerships last year

The number of U.S. dealerships fell slightly in 2021. But average throughput, or new-vehicle sales per franchise, increased, according to Automotive News' annual dealership census.

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1st of 4 Automotive News Congress events set for May 18

The Automotive News Congress has been transformed for 2022. Automotive News will host events in four key markets.

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GM, dealers collaborate in quest to boost profits

To reduce what it calls "waste" in dealerships' operations, GM has rolled out free tools that track incoming inventory, find areas where stores can make more money and suggest the fastest-moving inventory to order.

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Where metaverse meets ‘motorverse'

The metaverse — where the virtual and physical worlds meet — is poised to take in-vehicle entertainment to places typically associated with science fiction movies.

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Russian invasion of Ukraine may leave manufacturers hesitant to return

Many of the companies that have moved operations outside of Ukraine or Russia might not be quick to return.

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Jeep aims to broaden reach with Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in

Jeep took its time developing the plug-in hybrid version of the Grand Cherokee to ensure it can handle whatever obstacles it faces.

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$13.5B committed to North American EV battery plants only scratches the surface

Automakers and battery companies are spending unprecedented sums of money as they build out North America's EV supply chain.

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Tesla to idle China plant as Shanghai moves to stem virus

Shanghai will lock down the city in two phases to conduct a mass testing blitz for COVID-19, as authorities scramble to staunch a spiraling outbreak in the Chinese financial hub and beyond.

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Continental has a plan to let drivers look around corners

Continental says its Collective Perception system can allow vehicles to pull together image data from other vehicles and infrastructure sensors to improve a driver's field of sight.

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Saturday, March 26, 2022

Lawsuit puts focus on exemption for car loans with GAP

Federal officials have again argued that bundled guaranteed asset protection coverage renders an auto loan subject to the Military Lending Act, raising a potential concern for dealerships and the auto finance industry.

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BMW dealership interiors will be upgraded

BMW's future showrooms will feature fewer cars, and each model will have a display with lounge like seating, unique lighting elements and premium furnishings.

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EV charger installation sparks dealership sticker shock

A lot of dealers have discovered that installing powerful fast chargers for electric vehicles — as some brands are requiring dealerships to do — is a complicated, expensive and time-consuming exercise.

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Ex-California Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols on zero-emission transportation

In this Q&A, former California Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols discusses her work with the Coalition for Reimagined Mobility, whether high gasoline prices are a crisis or opportunity, and the persistent longevity of the internal combustion engine.

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Friday, March 25, 2022

Charger installation sparks sticker shock

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Q&A: Mary Nichols on zero-emission transportation

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Maryland dealership group boosts used-car inventory with own platform

Koons of Silver Spring repurposed a defunct subscription service into an acquisition company in the mold of Carvana or Vroom.

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Former UAW local official pleads guilty to embezzling more than $2 million of union funds

Tim Edmunds, 54, is the 16th person charged — and 16th to plead guilty — in an ongoing corruption probe that has resulted in a six-year period of oversight for the UAW.

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Second bridge will ease insecurity at busiest trade route between Canada, U.S.

The Gordie Howe International Bridge links directly to Ontario’s Highway 401 and Michigan’s Interstate 75. The two multilane highways are a main artery for the automotive industry.

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Elon Musk aims to build 20 million EVs a year — or maybe 10 million

Tesla is opening two new global factories in Berlin and Austin, Texas, and expanding plants in China and California. Its goal: millions of Teslas per year and continued global EV dominance.

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Lithia sells California dealership; Ken Ganley Automotive and Ourisman Automotive add dealerships

Lithia Motors sold a dealership in California in March, while buyers of recent dealership acquisitions include Ken Ganley Automotive Group, Ourisman Automotive Group and Sam Toliver and Shelton Toliver.

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Ferrari teases its new crossover

The Purosangue will be unveiled by the end of this year with deliveries expected to begin in 2023. Earlier spy shots hint at the vehicle being more of a crossover than a traditional SUV.

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Ex-Reynolds CEO Robert Brockman complains IRS seized wife's bank account

Robert Brockman says the IRS emptied his wife's account and shunned an offer by his family’s Bermuda trust to set aside $1.45 billion while he contests the agency’s civil claims.

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VW will delay the ID5 electric car launch by a month due to a lack of wire harnesses from Ukraine

VW has been unable to produce enough ID5 exhibition and demonstration vehicles for dealerships.

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