Thursday, August 31, 2023

UAW files labor complaints against GM, Stellantis

UAW President Shawn Fain said GM and Stellantis are refusing to bargain in good faith as a Sept. 14 contract expiration nears.



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Castle Automotive continues Chicago-area dealership expansion

Castle Automotive of suburban Chicago continued its growth in the region with the purchase of three dealerships representing four brands.



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Ford expands line of credit by $4 billion to weather market ‘uncertainties'

The revolving credit agreement adds to the $47 billion in total liquidity the automaker had at the end of the second quarter.



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Bosch CEO says U.S. support needed for full expansion of California chip factory

Bosch said the U.S. TSI facility would become the "third pillar" of in-house semiconductor production, along with two sites in Germany, and will help the supplier in its bid to make silicon carbide chips.

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Multiple U.S. investigations underway on Tesla, reports say

The requests for information focus on correspondence with Omead Afshar, a key lieutenant to CEO Elon Musk and the individual at the center of an internal Tesla probe.



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Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Ford's Kumar Galhotra to speak at Automotive News Congress

Galhotora, who leads Ford's gasoline-powered vehicle business, will join a keynote lineup that includes General Motors President Mark Reuss and Hyundai Motor Co. President Jose Muñoz.



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Alfa Romeo unveils 33 Stradale flagship supercar

All 33 examples of the 33 Stradale have already been sold. A V-6 twin-turbo engine has more than 620 hp, while a full-electric option has more than 750 hp.



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Tesla's Cybertruck is long on hype and short on specifications

Tesla's Cybertruck customers are getting impatient waiting for the company to release details such as price and delivery date.



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Rivian's new Enduro motor helps get the EV startup back on track

The Enduro motor opened up possibilities for Rivian, which had been struggling with supply chain shortages and elevated manufacturing costs at its Illinois factory.



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BYD confident of hitting 3 million sales despite China weakness, report says

BYD's chairman said the automaker will continue to make solid profits and hit sales goals, despite an intense sales war fueled by Tesla.



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Carvana-promoted legislation for home car delivery becames law in Illinois

The legislation, which also OK's e-signatures, received unanimous approvals in the Illinois state Senate and state House of Representatives



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What happened to shut down Toyota's production in Japan?

Toyota's system of lean production and just-in-time parts delivery, known as "kanban," is at the heart of the shutdown.



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Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Judge rejects Hyundai, Kia class-action settlement

A federal judge has denied Hyundai and Kia's proposed $200 million settlement with consumers who had their vehicle stolen.



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NHTSA questions Tesla on how Autopilot system monitors drivers

Federal regulators are honing in on the systems Tesla uses to ensure that drivers are paying attention while their vehicle is operating on Autopilot.



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U.S. Treasury unveils wage, apprenticeship guidance for clean energy tax credits

The proposed IRS rules for construction of clean energy production and manufacturing facilities build on initial guidance last year in the Inflation Reduction Act, which has enabled the announcement of more than $110 billion worth of clean energy manufacturing investments.



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EV battery supplier Redwood Materials raises more than $1 billion to expand U.S. operations

The supplier founded by Tesla board member JB Straubel in February received a conditional commitment for a $2 billion U.S. loan to build a $3.5-billion recycling and re-manufacturing complex in Nevada.



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GM using Google AI to handle some OnStar requests

Automated help with route assistance and other nonemergency requests through the in-vehicle OnStar button frees up advisers to handle issues that need human intervention.



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Toyota to resume Japan production on Wednesday after system failure hits plants

Toyota said it will restart operations at its assembly plants in Japan on Wednesday, after a production system malfunction brought domestic output to a halt at the world's biggest-selling automaker.



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Monday, August 28, 2023

2024 Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid is the most powerful version yet

The Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid, available in crossover and coupe body styles, arrives in the second quarter.



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Live talk at noon Thursday: The opportunities and challenges of hydrogen fuel cells

Guests Jackie Birdsall of Toyota and Bernd Heid of McKinsey will discuss the future of hydrogen fuel and take questions.



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Why the EV industry is talking about ‘black mass’

The metallic powder is made by crushing and shredding batteries or battery cells, extracting unwanted elements, then refining the remainder.



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Why the UAW's leader wants a 46% raise, 32-hour work week in his 'war' against the Detroit 3

Shawn Fain, whose demeanor leans more Sunday school teacher than fire-breathing union leader, has brought back a tough-talking style evoking the labor movement’s roots in America.



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South Korea clears path for Hyundai strike, union says

If the strike goes forward, it could disrupt delivery of some popular vehicles and cause up to $755 million in losses.



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Sunday, August 27, 2023

ABB readies robots to begin precise inkjet auto painting

The robot maker's PixelPaint vehicle coating technology has 1,000 individual nozzles to help eliminate overspray.



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Hybrid vehicles get another U.S. boost from Ford, others

Ford is the latest of several top automakers, including Toyota and Chrysler parent Stellantis, planning to build and sell hundreds of thousands of hybrid vehicles in the U.S. over the next five years.



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Saturday, August 26, 2023

7 arrested in Raptor theft spree from Ford lots

Some of the stolen SUVs were recovered as far away as Alaska, Arizona and Texas.



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Premier Automotive, partners buy 3 dealerships in California, Texas and Georgia

Premier Automotive of New Orleans has added seven dealerships and entered three states since February.



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Friday, August 25, 2023

Automotive News hires F&I reporter

Paige Hodder was an intern who covered general auto industry topics for Automotive News before joining the publication’s auto retail team. 



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Nissan sues former New Mexico dealership

The automaker claims in a federal suit that the terminated dealership won't let Nissan workers remove signage and continues to sell used vehicles out of the location.



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UAW members at Detroit 3 authorize strike if talks break down

About 97 percent of votes were cast in favor of authorizing a strike. The vote is a routine part of contract negotiations and does not necessarily mean a strike will occur.



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Looking back on Chrysler 300's run as a pop culture staple

The assembly plant for the car driven by Snoop Dogg and former President Barack Obama is being retooled to build EVs.



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Tesla leads, Jaguar Land Rover lags in digital-focused ranking of automakers

Electric-first automakers such as Tesla and Nio outshined established brands such as Jaguar Land Rover and Toyota in a new ranking that grades companies on the software skills.

 



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Thursday, August 24, 2023

Tesla, Rivian endorse right-to-repair deal covering telematics data

In separate letters sent to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Automotive Service Association and Society of Collision Repair Specialists, the two EV makers pledged their support for the tenets outlined in a commitment unveiled in July.



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Volvo says first MPV will be Scandinavian living room on wheels

The China-focused electric EM90 minivan is a new twist for the automaker that is better known for SUVs and wagons.



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Tool-and-die makers brace for big business amid ‘unprecedented' wave of EV launches

Automotive tool-and-die companies could be in a stronger position in the coming years as automakers launch more than 130 new electric or hybrid models and redesign internal combustion mainstays.



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Illinois closes in on $2 billion EV battery plant; sources say it's for China's Gotion

The project Illinois is chasing is an additional plant to Gotion’s proposed Michigan factory.



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Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Illinois closes in on $2 billion EV battery plant

Some big questions loom, however — including whether this proposed factory would replace or supplement one already proposed for Michigan. 



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Arizona dealership executive dies following scooter crash on store property

Andrew Kimmerle, business manager at Sanderson Ford in Glendale, Ariz., was riding an electric scooter on the dealership's lot on Aug. 15 when he collided with a pickup.



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Tuesday, August 22, 2023

VinFast shares more than double to highest since market debut

VinFast's shares VFS.O more than doubled on Tuesday to the highest since Vietnamese electric vehicle maker's blowout Wall Street debut after Reuters reported that South Korea's Star Group Industrial plans to open factory in Vietnam.



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U.S. says automakers can comply with Massachusetts repair law

U.S auto safety regulators said Tuesday that major automakers could comply with a Massachusetts vehicle data law that seeks to allow car owners to get repairs completed by independent shops.



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Auto supplier Plastic Omnium plans $170M hydrogen investment in Michigan

The operation, expected to support 40,000 vehicles annually by 2027, will create 175 jobs, paying an average wage of $1,710 per week plus benefits, according to a state memo.



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U.S. Treasury misses deadline to define green hydrogen

The Treasury Department had a year from the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act to release guidance on implementing the hydrogen production tax credit. Producers say they expect the delayed guidance in the fall.



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European nickel firm eyes Texas for $400 million EV battery-metal plant

Wave Nickel, which also owns a nickel mine in Brazil, expects the U.S. plant to take about four years to develop.



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Toyota Czech production halted after supplier fire causes parts shortage

Production at Toyota's plant in Kolin was halted due to a parts shortage caused by a fire at a local supplier.



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Treehouse home EV charging startup raises $10 million

The company's value proposition is making the installation process less cumbersome. Users can sign up for the installation, compare prices of different charging rigs and maximize consumer rebates and incentives on Treehouse's website.



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EV battery producer Northvolt raises $1.2 billion in latest funding round for factory build out

Leading the round alongside BlackRock were the Canada Pension Plan, Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System and, as previously reported, pension investor Investment Management Corp. of Ontario.



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Monday, August 21, 2023

Anderson Automotive buys 7 South Carolina car dealerships

North Carolina's Anderson Automotive Group, which bought five South Carolina dealerships in a January purchase, returned to South Carolina to make its latest multi-dealership acquisition.



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NHTSA proposes rule requiring seat belt warnings for front and rear passengers

NHTSA's proposed rule would amend a federal regulation for occupant crash protection, which currently mandates visual and audible alerts to encourage seat belt use for the driver's seat but does not require a warning for other seating positions.



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Lamborghini, Ferrari, Rolls-Royce: The best debuts at Monterey Car Week

Few global auto shows can compete with the quality of new car debuts during Monterey Car Week in Carmel, California. The annual multi-day festival of all things automotive has replaced the traditional auto show as among the places to be for car brands and enthusiasts alike.



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Nissan recalls more than 236,000 Sentra sedans for steering problem

The recall covers Sentra compact cars from the 2020-22 model years and expands a June 2021 recall that affected nearly 139,000 Sentra vehicles from the 2020-21 model years.



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Lamborghini's first battery-electric car will be a daily driver

The Italian performance previewed its first all-electric car with the Lanzador concept, which will become its fourth model.



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NHTSA opens query into Ford's handling of Mustang Mach-E recall amid new complaints

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation said it received 12 consumer complaints alleging a high-voltage battery main contactor failure in 2021-22 Ford Mustang Mach-E crossovers that were included in the recall and had been remedied before the incidents.



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‘Whoa!’ EV maker VinFast’s U.S. ad debut features Joey Lawrence, and his catchphrase

The ‘Changing Lanes’ campaign arrives as the Vietnamese company begins trading on the Nasdaq.



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Tesla data breach blamed on 'insider wrongdoing' impacted 75,000

A total of 75,735 people were affected by the data breach. The people appear to be current or former employees of the automaker.



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Sunday, August 20, 2023

Hyundai, Genesis and Kia EVs are U.S. bound

Hyundai, Genesis and Kia continue to invest in localizing their electric vehicles in North America while still battling for market share for crossovers and affordable sedans.



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Hyundai makes $55 million deal to put its name on Georgia Tech football field

Hyundai, which is building a $5.5 billion EV and battery plant near Savannah, will have its name on Georgia Tech's field for the next 20 years.



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Saturday, August 19, 2023

GM to eliminate 200 engineering positions in effort to reduce complexity

A GM spokesperson said "we will work with those who are affected and provide them with an opportunity to apply for open positions."



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Friday, August 18, 2023

Redesigned Mercedes-AMG GT coupe wraps 2-seater fun in 4-seat package

Mercedes-Benz has broadened the GT coupe's audience by adding a 2+2 seating option and room for a couple of Rimowa suitcases.



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Cruise self-driving vehicles involved in 2 San Francisco crashes, including 1 with city fire truck

Four incidents have been reported since AV commercial expansion was approved in San Francisco.



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Bentley Bentayga EWB Mulliner model boosts limousine luxury for SUV

Bespoke English brand Bentley introduced a Mulliner edition of its extended-wheelbase Bentayga at Monterey Car Week in California featuring a customizable tri-color interior and upgraded styling cues.



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North Carolina Nissan dealership employees face over 400 criminal charges

The misdemeanor charges primarily stem from alleged rebuilt salvage vehicles that were offered for sale at Nissan of Shelby in North Carolina and the documentation used to transfer their titles.



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Hyundai investing $290 million in Alabama for crossovers and fifth-generation Santa Fe

The plant in Montgomery, Ala., began assembling the Santa Fe in 2006. This will be its first full redesign since 2018.



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U.S. Steel says union cannot block company's potential sale

The steelmaker's statement came after the USW said it would only back Cleveland-Cliffs as a suitor for the company. The union said "Cliffs has shown itself to be an outstanding employer to all of its workers."



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Thursday, August 17, 2023

Ford says 800-hp GTD to be most powerful road Mustang ever

Ford will make a limited number of the $300,000 Mustang GTD in partnership with Multimatic starting in late 2024 or early 2025.



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In San Francisco, being a human instead of a robot will cost you

San Francisco's robotaxi rollout illustrates how regulatory standards treat human and robot drivers differently.



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Ford plans $890 million EV battery materials plant in Canada

Ford Motor Co., SK On and EcoProBM plan to build an $890 million cathode manufacturing plant in Quebec that will provide materials that ultimately supply batteries for Ford’s future EVs.



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UAW strike on Detroit 3 would cost economy billions, report says

A hypothetical 10-day strike against the Detroit 3 would result in more than $5 billion in economic losses, according to the analysis from Anderson Economic Group.



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U.S. imports of auto parts face scrutiny under law on Chinese forced labor

Until now, enforcement of a year-old U.S. law that bans the import of goods made in Xinjiang, China, has focused mainly on solar panels, tomatoes and cotton apparel.



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AAA-funded study says ADAS could save 250,000 lives over 30 years

A AAA-funded study of advanced driver-assistance systems found they could reduce traffic deaths and injuries by large amounts if widely deployed.



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Bergstrom Automotive agrees to buy 5 Wisconsin stores

Bergstrom Automotive said it has agreed to buy dealerships in the eastern Wisconsin cities of Green Bay and Manitowoc.



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Stellantis invests $100M in Calif. 'green' lithium project

The investment in the world's largest geothermal lithium sourcing effort will help make Stellantis EVs eligible for federal consumer incentives.



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Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Nissan delays next-gen Frontier as factory prepares for EV transition

Production of the current Frontier has been extended two years to the 2029 model year, according to a supplier memo.



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Assembly Ventures closes $76 million fund focused on next-generation transportation tech

Assembly Ventures' closing of its inaugural fund is a bright spot amid headwinds in the overall global venture market.



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Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Zeigler Auto buys 2 Subaru dealerships in Indiana

Zeigler Auto Group, which bought three franchised dealerships in Michigan last month, expanded its Indiana presence with its latest acquisition.



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Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway cuts its stake in GM by 45%

Warren Buffett's investment firm sold 45 percent of its stake in GM, reducing its shares from about 40 million to about 22 million.



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Mitsubishi to drop Mirage in U.S.

With a starting price of $17,340 including shipping, the Mirage was the only vehicle in the U.S. that transacted under $20,000 in July, according to Cox Automotive.



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Bankrupt Lordstown Motors reaches $40 million settlement with Karma Automotive

The settlement, placed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for approval, involves $5 million to be paid as a royalty for the use of Karma's intellectual property, which Lordstown was accused of misappropriating.

 



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Trucking bankruptcy highlights auto-industry logistics concerns

Last week's bankruptcy of one of the largest trucking companies in the U.S. serves as another reminder to suppliers of the still-fragile state of the supply chain, industry experts said.



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Tesla cuts $10,000 off Model S and X by offering lower-range versions of its flagship EVs

With Tesla's latest price cuts, the Model X crossover now starts $90,130 including shipping, with just 269 miles of range. Analyst Gary Black says the new base S and X "don't seem like great value propositions."



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Monday, August 14, 2023

Japan's latest typhoon headed toward automaking region

Japan's second typhoon in a week is expected to take a path across the center of the country’s main island — a heavy industrial region with major automobile factories.



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U.S. Steel spurns $7.25 billion takeover offer from Cleveland-Cliffs

Both companies are major steel suppliers to the U.S. auto industry.



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Tesla cuts prices by up to 4.5% in China for some Model Y cars

Tesla triggered the China price war that has left its locally made cars as much as 14 percent cheaper than last year, and in some cases almost 50 percent less expensive than in the U.S. and Europe.



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Sunday, August 13, 2023

CDK debuts megaplatform meant to streamline dealership software needs

CDK Dealership Xperience incorporates the company's core dealership management system and many other software platforms and tools.



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Automotive News selects 34 finalists for 2023 PACE Awards

New innovations in vehicle control electronics, lightweighting and connectivity are finalists in the 2023 Automotive News PACE Awards.



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Saturday, August 12, 2023

Cadillac's electric Escalade IQ builds on the pop culture icon

The seven-seat electric SUV, set to begin production next summer, starts at around $130,000 and offers an estimated 450-mile driving range.



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Alaska attorney general files consumer protection lawsuit against Swickard Auto

Swickard: "Of the three complaints, two of them originated from the Attorney General or affiliated employees regarding the purchase of their personal vehicles."



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AutoCanada Q2 net income rises 16% to $45 million

AutoCanada Executive Chairman Paul Antony credited improving new-car inventories, greater internal efficiency readying used vehicles for resale and the “robust performance” of dealership service departments for the strong results.



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Stellantis dealership in California doubles down on leadership team

Bob Nouri credits the co-general managers idea to his mentor who used it back in the 1970s.



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Friday, August 11, 2023

Amid another reset, Shift Technologies is evaluating options to raise additional capital

The company is considering "all avenues" to raise capital, including negotiating with its debt holders, company CFO Oded Shein said Thursday.



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Changan Ford Motor to set up electric car JV with Chongqing Changan Auto

Changan Ford Motor will own a 60% stake and Chongqing Changan Automobile the remaining 40% stake.



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Penske buys 2 North Carolina luxury dealerships

Penske Automotive Group chairman Roger Penske said the publicly-held retailer is pleased to enhance its premium retail automotive brand mix in the Southeast.



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BYD calls on China automakers to unite, 'demolish the old' in global push

BYD has said it is an "emotional need" for China’s 1.4 billion population to see a domestic brand finally become global.



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Toyota ponders plug-in, fuel cell, even an electric Land Cruiser for the future

The chief engineer of the Toyota Land Cruiser talks about how to keep the hulking SUV mean and green in the carbon-reduction age. Toyota is already looking at plug-ins, fuel cells and even full-electric vehicles.



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1 killed and 2 injured as customer crashes vehicle at California Toyota dealership

Police and fire officials say an elderly motorist lost control of a Toyota RAV4 Wednesday at a California Toyota dealership. A woman was killed as a result of the crash, which also injured two employees.



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Thursday, August 10, 2023

Carmakers are playing catch-up with Tesla on air filtration

In the U.S., the average person spends about five years of their life in a vehicle, which isn’t the best place to be from a clean-air perspective.



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EV maker VinFast set to list on Nasdaq in rare SPAC venue switch

The planned Nasdaq listing caps VinFast’s years-long efforts to become a publicly traded company.



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Suppliers are rushing to secure sources of new silicon carbide chips

Suppliers around the world are betting big on silicon carbide microchips being the key to automakers hitting ambitious EV targets, spending billions of dollars to secure a supply of them or even to make their own.



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Indonesia gives automakers more time to qualify for EV credits in investment bid

Indonesia’s government has set an ambitious target of producing some 600,000 EVs by 2030.



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EV stockpile is evidence of growing pain, not demand dip, experts say

While EV sales outpace inventory levels, some dealers still struggle to move the zero-emission vehicles.



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Gotion lays out hiring plans, non-union preference for Michigan EV battery factory

Gotion Inc. is gearing up to make its first hires around Big Rapids, Mich., for a $2.4 billion electric vehicle battery parts plant that executives hope will remain non-unionized.

The project is moving forward following the Chinese company's acquisition of 270 acres of land for the factory in Green Township and approval from company Chairman Li Zhen, who toured the site a few weeks ago with board members and expressed concerns over pushback to the plant.

"Certainly they had some questions," said Chuck Thelen, executive at Gotion tasked with moving the plant in Michigan forward. "When it gets to national news, it even makes its way back to Germany and China. So, they were a little concerned."

Gotion, whose largest shareholders are Volkswagen and Zhen, a Chinese national, has been at the center of controversy, from locals concerned over environmental pollution to politicians raising red flags over national security.

Thelen said he answered the questions from the board members, who ultimately signed off on the project. "I explained where the pushback was coming from, and I outlined the overwhelming support we have from the people who are actually in office," he said.

While the land acquisition solidified the company's commitment to the controversial project, there are still hurdles to be cleared, including final contracts with the township, state and utility companies, as well as environmental permits.

Still, Thelen hopes business will be a little smoother sailing here on out. He said he aims to start recruiting employees this week, first within a 25-mile radius of the site before expanding it to the rest of the state.

Thelen said the company will likely have 40-50 employees by year's end in engineering, IT and other positions essential for initial operations. A workforce training partnership with nearby Ferris State University is a key piece of its labor sourcing strategy.

The plan also includes bringing 20-50 short-term employees from China to help set the plant up. A general contractor and architect are expected to be named in the next few days.

Wages and suppliers

In total, Gotion promises 2,350 new direct jobs. The average hourly wage is $24.50, plus benefits.

"The kickoff is not intended to be union," Thelen said of workers in the plant. "If the workers are unhappy and they wish to unionize, obviously we respect the right to do so. But our preference is that we make our workers so happy that they feel they don't need a union, and that's the way you should collaborate with your workforce."

The median household income in Mecosta County from 2017-21 was $48,440, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The median wage for a production worker in Michigan is about $19 per hour, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In Marshall, Ford Motor Co.'s new EV battery plant is expected to pay an average yearly wage of $45,136, which equates to roughly $22 per hour, according to a breakdown obtained by Crain's. The UAW said in a statement earlier this year that it "will be able to organize this new facility using a card check to prove majority interest."

The new jobs being created by LG Energy Solution's expansion in Holland are expected to pay $65,000 annually, or about $31.25 per hour.

Gotion has yet to disclose names of customers outside the Gotion umbrella, but Thelen said they include automakers and energy storage companies in Michigan. The plant, which will be capable of supporting 100 gigawatt hours of battery production, will also supply a Gotion battery pack plant in the U.S. Its location has not yet been announced, but Thelen said it will not be in Michigan.

Also yet to be announced are the suppliers of the battery parts plant in Michigan. The company is seeking contracts with companies for materials including graphite, coke and lithium iron carbonate. To the extent possible, they will tap local suppliers, according to Thelen. "The materials that we use will be targeted for local production," he said.

The project was recently pushed back a year due to various delays, including a reworked footprint cutting out a neighboring site in Big Rapids Township. Gotion has indicated that the township board's opposition to the project was the primary reason why, but height restrictions of structures near Roben-Hood Airport were also a factor.

While there has been some general concern in the industry about slumping sales of EVs, Thelen said there has been no slowdown in demand for Gotion's products. Now it is just a matter of getting the plant up and running.

"I've been involved in a lot of projects in the automotive sector, and you never know when somebody might pull a plug, but everything we're working towards right now is to have a successful launch," he said.



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Wednesday, August 9, 2023

CarGurus' Q2 net income drops 23%

An increase in the vehicle listing company's U.S. marketplace revenue provided a bright spot.



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UAW demands would mean ‘unsustainable' labor costs for Detroit 3, sources say

The UAW's demands would nearly triple labor rates to more than $150 an hour per employee at all three automakers, according to knowledgeable sources.



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Aptiv expects semiconductor prices to remain high

While supply-chain challenges are easing, Aptiv is still concerned that high prices of certain parts will decrease profits.



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Hanon Systems to build $170 million plant in Tennessee

The Loudon, Tenn., plant will be Hanon Systems' fourth location in the U.S.



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Lithia exits North Dakota with sale of two stores; closes Va. dealership

Auto retail giant Lithia Motors has sold two North Dakota stores and has exited the state. The move comes just days after it bought a store in Texas.



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Honda profits surge in latest quarter on booming U.S. sales

Honda's U.S. deliveries jumped 45 percent to 347,000 vehicles in the last quarter, but demand in China was down 5 percent to 309,000 units, while sales in Europe declined 13 percent to 20,000 vehicles.



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Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Rivian rules out price cuts in response to EV rivals

"We are bullish on the continued strong demand for our products," CEO RJ Scaringe said on Rivian's second-quarter earnings call. Rivian increased its 2023 production forecast to 52,000.



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UAW president trashes Stellantis contract proposal as 'insult' to members

Shawn Fain criticized bargaining proposals from Stellantis that he said include health care cuts and no new product for the idled Belvidere Assembly Plant.



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Rivian boosts production target as Q2 loss narrows, revenue rises

The EV maker now expects to make 52,000 vehicles this year, up from its previous forecast of 50,000.



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Service departments may see boost, S&P Global Mobility says

The age of vehicles on the road is a record-high 12.5 years, which will likely result in more repair business for service departments.



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Cruise, Waymo await decisions on self-driving service in San Francisco

Barring another delay, Cruise and Waymo expect to hear Thursday from the California Public Utilities Commission whether they can expand the scope of their commercial services offered in San Francisco.



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Mazda CX-90, CX-50 help automaker swing to $207M profit in latest quarter

Mazda bounced back to profitability in the latest quarter led by a refreshed lineup of crossovers in the U.S., including the newly introduced large-size CX-90.



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Monday, August 7, 2023

BrightDrop Zevo electric vans to be sold in Mexico

It will be the 2-year-old unit's third market, in addition to the U.S. and Canada.



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Lucid's Q2 net loss widens to $764.2 million as EV price war rages

Competition from Tesla's Model S and rising borrowing costs threaten the EV firm's growth. Lucid slashed prices for its Air luxury sedan as part of an offer on Saturday.



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Tesla finance chief Kirkhorn steps down

Vaibhav Taneja takes on the CFO role in addition to his role as chief accounting officer.



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LG Energy Solution ‘seriously considering' Michigan for North American headquarters

The move could bring an influx of senior-level jobs to the area, building on hundreds of manufacturing positions the company is creating with its $1.7 billion battery plant expansion.



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Rivian poised to report Q2 earnings as EV price war heats up

EV makers are cutting prices, including Tesla on its crossovers and Ford on its F-150 Lightning pickup. Incentives are also rising, putting pressure on Rivian as it ramps up production, analysts say.



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Exclusive: Dealership buy-sell database and analysis

Automotive News has updated its online database of dealership buy-sell transactions to better serve subscribers. And for the second year, rigorously documenting transactions has turned into a package of stories and data sets that can't be found anywhere else.



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Sunday, August 6, 2023

Lucid Motors slashes price of Air sedan as EV price war grows

Rising interest rates to curb inflation and fears of recession have dampened consumer demand, prompting market leader Tesla to slash prices this year.



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NADA, National Urban League team up to train auto techs

The first group of 23 participants have completed a life skills course, ASE-certified instruction at a local community college and are now learning on-the-job at partner dealerships in Louisiana.



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Saturday, August 5, 2023

How each Detroit 3 automaker is positioning itself to bargain with Canada's Unifor

Canadian union Unifor officially opens talks with the Detroit 3 in Toronto on Aug. 10.



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CFPB: U.S. Auto Sales loan servicer cost customers millions, mistakenly disabled vehicles

The CFPB on Wednesday sued U.S. Auto Sales' USASF Servicing, alleging the buy-here, pay-here loan servicer double billed collateral protection insurance, failed to refund unneeded GAP payments and incorrectly repoed or triggered kill switches on borrowers' cars.



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Friday, August 4, 2023

Growing inventory boosts July incentives, led by EV offers

EV startup Lucid offered $12,907 per vehicle, followed by Polestar at $7,928, Motor Intelligence said. Incentives helped deliver a strong July sales report for some automakers.



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CarGurus delays Q2 earnings release; stock price plunges

The vehicle listings company offered little explanation behind its earnings disclosure delay.



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UAW seeks contract with Detroit 3 that would end May 1, 2028

The proposed four-year, eight-month pact would expire on International Workers' Day.



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Does NHTSA's fuel economy proposal come up short? Some policy experts say yes

NHTSA last month outlined fuel economy standards for the 2027-32 model years that some policy experts argue would do little to improve the efficiency of gasoline-powered vehicles if finalized alongside the EPA's stricter limits on tailpipe pollution.



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Fisker slashes annual production forecast as supply chain issues linger

The startup automaker now expects to produce between 20,000 and 23,000 vehicles in 2023, down from 32,000 and 36,000 units projected in May. It posted a net loss of $88 million during the Q2.



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Magna raises outlook after swinging to $339 profit in Q2 amid production surge

Demand for parts has remained strong from automakers as they strive to manufacture new models to cater to consumers looking to snap up pickups, crossovers and SUVs.



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Thursday, August 3, 2023

UAW to seek more than 40% wage gains from Detroit 3, sources say

The gains would include a 20 percent raise upon ratification, followed by 5 percent raises each year of the four-year deal, according to the people, who requested anonymity discussing the negotiations.



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Openlane posts net loss of $193 million in Q2; rebrand strategy heats up

Openlane Inc. said it recorded a wider net loss in the second quarter and continued advancing a rebrand strategy it announced in May.



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Cars.com Q2 net income jumps from one-time use of valuation allowance

Price increases and acquisitions are fueling more revenue growth, but dealership marketplace churn grew more than analysts expected.



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GM robotaxi unit Cruise says it reached union agreements in San Francisco

The agreement will employ “dozens” of workers who will construct and staff Cruise’s operations, the company said.



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BMW invests more in EVs to meet growing demand

The level of buyer interest in EVs means BMW is "investing more than originally planned in the global ramp-up of e-mobility," CFO Walter Mertl said.



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Wednesday, August 2, 2023

TrueCar CEO: ‘Nimble team' working well together after job cuts

New CEO Jantoon Reigersman said it is business as usual for the vehicle listings company in the wake of job reductions and a restructuring.



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Lithia buys Honda dealership in San Antonio

Growing Lithia Motors entered San Antonio for the first time with the purchase of a Honda dealership.



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Stellantis, Mercedes battery JV in 'exploratory' talks about North America plant

Automotive Cells Company, a joint venture between Stellantis, Total Energies and Mercedes, said it was exploring setting up a battery plant in North America.



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Tuesday, August 1, 2023

2024 Toyota Land Cruiser resurrected with slimmed-down body, price tag

The revived and redesigned 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser off-roader is based on the Land Cruiser Prado and will start about $30,000 cheaper than the previous version.



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Guest commentary: For Detroit 3 labor contract talks, the pedal is about to hit the metal

Promises made but not kept during collective bargaining will be analyzed and criticized by those who are currently your biggest cheerleaders.



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Three R.I. Grieco stores to pay $557K for deceptive sales

The combined sum three Rhode Island dealerships must pay for alleged deceptive trade includes $457,815 to customers and $100,000 to the Office of the Attorney General for costs of the investigation and lawsuits.



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Ford promises shorter F-150 Lightning wait times, more dealer stock

Ford said production of its F-150 Lightning electric pickup had resumed after a six-week plant shutdown to expand capacity and reaffirmed plans to hit a production run rate of 150,000 units this year.



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NHTSA probes 280,000 Tesla models after steering problems reported

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation said it received 12 complaints alleging loss of steering control and power steering in 2023 Tesla Model 3 and Y vehicles.



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TrueCar, amid restructuring and new CEO, says Q2 net losses surpass $20 million

The vehicle listings company's new leadership said that layoffs during the second quarter will help improve its bottom line.



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Hyundai, Kia sales advance 12th straight month

U.S. light-vehicle sales are forecast to rise 15 to 18 percent in July behind improving inventory and healthy pent-up retail and fleet demand.



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Toyota nearly doubles quarterly profit as sales surge, North America lags

The world's largest automaker warned that lagging performance in the important North American market is sapping the carmaker's ability to invest heavily in EV production.



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Toyota doubles quarterly profit as sales surge, North America lags

The world's largest automaker warned that lagging performance in the important North American market is sapping the carmaker's ability to invest heavily in EV production.



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