About 7,000 workers at a GM plant in Lansing, Mich., and Ford's Chicago Assembly Plant are joining the strike Friday. They build the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave, Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator.
About 7,000 workers at a GM plant in Lansing, Mich., and Ford's Chicago Assembly Plant are joining the strike Friday. They build the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave, Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator.
TrueCar has hired Oliver Foley as its CFO continuing its leadership shuffle. He starts Oct. 30.
Two of the transactions involved first-time dealership owners and another saw a company add two stores.
Negotiations between the union and the U.S. automaker resumed after workers at Ford Motor Co. of Canada voted to approve a new contract.
The right of first refusal in dealership buy-sells has helped minority dealers acquire stores, some their first, and is a tool many automakers say can help them manage their franchises. But others say an increased use of the tool can hurt factory-dealer relations, spook some would-be bidders and lead to lower dealership prices.
The U.S. has avoided a recession thus far in 2023, thanks to consumer resiliency and a strong job market. However, industry economists are watching to see whether the UAW strike and other events will detract from growth — and how wholesale used-car prices may be affected.
Stellantis said it was ‘appalled' by UAW President Shawn Fain's accusations, and GM said it had banned a third-party contractor believed to be responsible for a hit-and-run that injured five striking workers.
Oliver Zipse will lead BMW Group until 2026, including the launch of the Neue Klasse EV platform. Jochen Goller, currently head of China, replaces Pieter Nota as head of sales.
Antonio Filosa, Stellantis' COO in South America, will succeed Christian Meunier, who came to Jeep from Infiniti in 2019.
Analysts expect Q3 and September sales increases over last year when they begin to be reported Tuesday, though the pace of sales has slowed as high interest rates compound affordability challenges.
Detroit automakers will face a significant disadvantage vs. Tesla on EV costs. Tesla CEO Elon Musk teases UAW time-off demands: "Is anyone gonna be around to make the actual cars?"
UAW President Shawn Fain plans to announce another wave of workers joining the strike on Friday if he doesn't think talks have been sufficiently productive.
Drive Pilot will be offered as an annual subscription, priced at $2,500 in the first year.
Long-Lewis Automotive Group sold three dealerships in Alabama and Mississippi and bought one Alabama store this spring and summer.
The chairs of three U.S. House of Representatives committees demanded Ford Motor F.N turn over documents tied to its partnership with Chinese battery company CATL 300750.SZ and threatened to call CEO Jim Farley to testify before Congress.
European officials were expecting criticism after announcing a probe into China’s electric-vehicle subsidies. Instead they found President Xi Jinping’s government is ready to talk.
Money is tight, legal land mines abound, and companies are under pressure to slash prices while scaling production — or risk a competitor doing it first.
The SAE Levels of Driving Automation describe the capabilities of automated driving systems. Here are the levels and examples of their use.
A $5 million performance-based grant, approved by the Michigan Strategic Fund board, was needed to keep the investment from going to Kokomo, Ind.
Letter to president: "Without federal assistance, the ability of the automotive industry to resume full manufacturing capacity is at risk."
A possible all-electric successor to the NSX super sports car will headline Honda's booth at next month's Japan Mobility Show as it pulls the wraps on three world premieres.
Trump's camp confirmed Saturday that he will "deliver remarks" at Clinton Township-based Drake Enterprises Inc. at 8 p.m. Wednesday, according to a news advisory on his website. Drake is located about 25 miles Northeast of Detroit.
An armed man shot and killed a female employee at Toyota of Berkeley Certified Service Center last Thursday, according to a statement released by Berkeley Mayor Jesse ArreguÃn. The suspect was killed in shootout with police.
Trump's camp confirmed Saturday that he will "deliver remarks" at Clinton Township-based Drake Enterprises Inc. at 8 p.m. Wednesday, according to a news advisory on his website. Drake is located about 25 miles Northeast of Detroit.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have hindered efforts to deploy self-driving trucks in the state. But big rigs still face regulatory barriers in the state.
Ford said it's limiting spending on BlueOval Battery Park Michigan "until we're confident about our ability to competitively operate the plant."
Unifor picked General Motors Canada as its next bargaining target, a day after union members narrowly ratified a three-year collective agreement with Ford Motor Co. of Canada that set the pattern for this year’s auto talks.
German carmaker Mercedes-Benz MB has applied for tax breaks for potential projects at two of its U.S. plants under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a company spokesperson said Monday.
Amid a more tepid global outlook for autonomy, Chinese companies are emerging with the necessary formula to lead the world in market volume, according to S&P Global Mobility.
Ultra high-end brands, from Aston Martin to Rolls Royce, are taking different paths to balance emissions targets with performance demands. Meanwhile, electric vehicle upstarts Rivian and Lucid are gaining momentum and market share.
Starting in 2024, eligible EV buyers will be able to transfer federal tax credits to dealers and use those funds as a down payment. Dealers, anxiously awaiting details on the process, are worried about a Cash for Clunkers scenario that could leave them footing the bill for several months.
Automakers have cut about 63,400 vehicles from production schedules since the start of the month, mostly in North America, according to a new estimate.
Membership approval of the three-year deal, which was unanimously endorsed by Unifor’s auto bargaining committee, locks in substantial wage gains and pension improvements for workers, and will see Ford invest to expand production at one of its Windsor, Ont. powertrain plants starting in 2025.
Artificial intelligence could improve the auto parts purchasing process, making it quicker and more efficient for automakers and suppliers still grappling with supply chain shortages.
The American Honda Collection Hall opened this month featuring more than 60 historic cars, motorcycles, engines and other products created by the company since coming to the U.S. in 1959.
Unifor’s tentative deal with Ford offers considerable immediate wage increases, pay hikes in each of the second and third years of the agreement, a C$10,000 ($7,411 USD) signing bonus and a compression of the previous wage grid.
To make service technician jobs women-friendly, the Swedish automaker strives to make doing the work more comfortable by reinventing the shop floor uniform.
The UAW added 5,600 workers at GM and Stellantis parts depots to its escalating strike, threatening dealerships' service business, but said it had made 'real progress' in talks with Ford.
Toyota is a key player in a pilot project that uses biogas to produce clean electricity, hydrogen and water for use by the automaker for vehicles coming off ships from Japan.
Lawyer says workload and compensation were unfair compared with male colleagues.
Hyundai is giving buyers who elect to purchase or lease a new EV through its captive finance arm a free ChargePoint Level 2 home charger valued at $549 and a credit of $600 toward installation.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation said it received 95 consumer complaints alleging engine failure because of a loss of oil pressure in 2018-21 Ford EcoSport vehicles.
Toyota Group is seeking to raise EV production to about 150,000 vehicles in 2023 and gradually increase it further to about 190,000 next year on the way to producing 600,000 vehicles in 2025.
Lithia Motors Inc. said it let go a dealership employee for violating the company's social media policy. The employee's dismissal followed the individual posting an inflammatory comment about the UAW.
A jury awarded Albert Smith $87,000 in compensatory damages and $2.5 million in punitive damages.
U.S. Steel has not opened its books to Cliffs since announcing on Aug. 13 it will explore a sale, even as it accepts initial bids this week from other potential acquirers.
The UAW's strike against the Detroit 3 has made an already precarious financial situation for many suppliers even more fraught — and the automakers might be in part to blame, industry experts said.
As they did in June, Fed policymakers at the median still see the central bank's benchmark overnight interest rate peaking this year in the 5.50 percent to 5.75 percent range, just a quarter of a percentage point above the current range.
Steven Rattner, who negotiated concessions with the UAW to help keep General Motors and Chrysler afloat in 2009, says union workers deserve significant raises but can't make the automakers uncompetitive.
LeTourneau is succeeding Mark Bowser, who will retire at the end of 2023.
A senior Republican in Congress asked Tesla Tuesday to detail its relationship with Chinese battery manufacturer CATL amid concerns electric vehicle subsidies are flowing to foreign entities raising security concerns.
Hota, which makes gears and other auto components primarily in Taiwan, said it would begin construction on the factory in Santa Teresa, near the U.S. border with Mexico, early next year with mass production set for 2025.
The UAW will give strike pay to workers at KUKA Toledo Production Operations and Mobis, which are separate companies located inside the Stellantis plant that's on strike.
North American COO Mark Stewart says the company is not leaving the headquarters complex "in any shape, form or fashion, but the areas we're not using, we're looking at some different repurposing for those."
The Detroit 3 defend their positions with fact checks on UAW President Shawn Fain's statements.
Biden clearly has sided with the union, but he was rebuked by UAW President Shawn Fain, who said "this battle is not about the President." Said Cornell labor professor Art Wheaton: "Nobody has a read on Fain."
Brembo wants its new artificial intelligence-based braking system, Sensify, to set a new industry standard just as antilock braking did decades ago by bringing high-performance, all-electric, independent four-wheel braking to mass-market brands.
Union says it received 'a substantive offer from the employer minutes before the deadline' Monday.
Mary Chan comes to Nikola at a key moment. The company is being led by a new CEO and is working through a recall impacting all 209 of its battery-electric vehicles on the road.
A contract manufacturing supplier is planning to lay off 293 employees due to the United Auto Workers strike against the Detroit 3 automakers, signaling the first supplier to detail its layoff plans to the state of Michigan since the union walkout began Friday.
“At this late stage in the negotiations, the union and the company remain far apart,” Unifor President Lana Payne and other chief union negotiators told members in a joint letter late Sept. 17.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation said it received 98 consumer complaints alleging failure of the canister purge valve in 2012-18 Ford Focus cars that were either previously recalled and fixed or were not recalled but experienced the same issue.
Hendrick Automotive has snagged the top ranking among privately owned dealership groups for three straight years while AutoNation marks its second year atop public auto retailers in Reputation's rankings. And Mitsubishi and Infiniti outranked other brands, according to the study.
The Model 3 ranked seventh on the list of the top 10 leased vehicles, representing about 1.8 percent of leased new vehicles in the second quarter.
Lithia Motors plans to not only make a significant dealership acquisition in the United Kingdom. Its pending deal also includes a fleet management platform and an ownership stake in Pinewood Technologies, which plans to bring a dealership management system to North America.
After more than a century of automaking and 90 years of UAW representation, the "stand-up strike" appears to be Toledo Jeep's first walkout as part of a national contract dispute.
On Saturday, negotiators for the UAW and Ford had 'reasonably productive discussions' toward a new contract, the union said, while Chrysler parent Stellantis said it had boosted its contract offer.
Anxious retailers say guidance is needed from the U.S. Treasury Department to clarify what counts toward the used-EV tax credit's $25,000 sales price cap.
Stellantis North America COO Mark Stewart didn't elaborate on what the company would do with Belvidere but said it would be a 'very, very good' solution.
The cool waning days of summer in Detroit provided a brilliant mirror of what consumers were thinking. That after three exhausting years of pandemic disruption, deprivation and anxiety, the auto market was suddenly awash in brighter colors.
The Honda brand is on track to close 2023 with sales of 1.2 million vehicles, pacing ahead of expectations through August.
Major suppliers to the Detroit 3 plants on strike include Lear Corp., Dana Corp., Superior Industries, Cooper Standard, Tenneco and Martinrea, to name a few.
At an event bursting with technology to accelerate the industry's transition to electrification, experts say the charging experience of today remains a major hurdle.
An Indiana factory, Subaru's only assembly plant outside Asia, could well become the most-favored location for the automaker to establish an electric vehicle production site in the world's biggest economy, CEO Atsushi Osaki said.
Several dealership groups are investing in Orbee, which provides data management and digital marketing services for the sector.
Tesla appears to have solved the "gigacast dilemma," which will allow the automaker to slash EV manufacturing costs.
Ford said it never received a "substantive counterproposal" from the UAW until 8 p.m. Thursday, four hours before the strike began. UAW President Shawn Fain called company complaints "complete BS."
Talks stalled in the final hours of negotiations, even as the automakers offered record raises as high as 20 percent.
Michigan's governor said she is in contact with the federal government and that everyone is "doing our best" and focused on "getting a good result." She said both sides at the table have a responsibility to act in their best interests.
The Detroit 3 automakers and union negotiators offered little hope a deal would be reached on Thursday to avoid a midnight walk-off that would be the UAW's first-ever simultaneous strike against the U.S. carmakers.
The escalation comes as negotiations over a new deal, which began in July, between the union and Ford, GM and Chrysler parent Stellantis have yet to result in an agreement.
Innovation and collaboration are the keys to scaling the lithium supply chain in North America, said Eric Norris, president of energy storage at Albemarle Corp.
Carvana said adopting the feature allows it to eliminate unnecessary paperwork and streamline the car-buying process for Texas shoppers.
If this discovery on the Nevada-Oregon border is validated, U.S. investment in EVs will no longer be so fraught with national security concerns.
The pickup gets many of the same updates that already were made this year to the Wrangler, including UConnect 5 with a 12.3-inch screen.
More than 1,000 UAW workers went on strike at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Pickets were seen in downtown Detroit on Wednesday morning as the Detroit auto show opened its doors.
Buyers of the car are older than the average Cadillac customer, and the brand aims to change that with new styling and a customizable 33-inch touchscreen.
Stellantis has made fixing absenteeism a priority in contract talks with the UAW for its 43,000 unionized workers. The absentee rate at its U.S. plants was 23 percent last year, the company says.
The bill faces long odds of winning approval in the Senate, where Democrats have made boosting EVs a top priority. But it might pick up some Democratic support in the House.
Drivers have been much less willing to pay to use features relying on pre-installed hardware, such as the heated seats, remote-start function on a key fob, or simply going faster.
A panel of venture capitalists at the Automotive News Congress on Tuesday said that the easy funding for startups prevalent just two years ago has dried up, but that money was still available for promising technologies with good founders.
Hyundai's new safety laboratory is unique in North America for being dedicated to rapid response to field issues. Among the operations will be a field crash investigation lab, high voltage battery lab, forensics lab, a 400-meter track and a vehicle dynamics area skid pad.
Elaphe supplied wheel-hub motors for the Lordstown Endurance pickup. Now the company is moving on to work with other automakers and expects its motors to be on another vehicle by the end of the decade.
The automaker also announced new roles for two members of the founding family, Elena Ford and Will Ford.
Tesla's U.S. registrations rose 50 percent in the January-July period, giving it 59.5 percent of the EV market. Among all brands, EV registrations rose 67 percent vs. last year to 655,986.
The growth of software-defined vehicles is set to upend the traditional relationship between automakers and suppliers, according to a report released today by Deloitte.
The updated range is notable in that it marks a willingness by UAW President Shawn Fain to compromise on one of the union's top demands after holding firm for more than a month.
The UAW wants the Detroit 3 to increase retiree pay, re-establish retiree medical benefits and guarantee defined benefit pensions.
AutoCanada and the company’s founder and former CEO Patrick Priestner have settled a longtime legal battle, with neither party admitting wrongdoing or liability.
Suppliers such as Hyundai Mobis, Denso, Magna and Robert Bosch are among those to have recently announced major investments in their manufacturing and R&D capabilities.
BMW's investment will help offset a number of setbacks the U.K. has had in electrification, such as the collapse of the Britishvolt battery company.
The Dojo supercomputer can open up new addressable markets that "extend well beyond selling vehicles at a fixed price," said Morgan Stanley analysts, led by Adam Jonas.
The industry evolution toward EVs is bringing exciting new models from startups such as Fisker and VinFast, while legacy stalwart VW adds some buzz with an EV minivan.
Toyota is overhauling its r&d operations to be better, faster and cheaper in a cultural shift meant to unleash the creative power of its prestigious engineering corp.
General Motors-backed Cruise says video shows that its autonomous vehicles didn't keep an ambulance from getting an accident victim to a hospital in time for life-saving treatment.
The 2023 class of Automotive News Rising Stars distinguished themselves by addressing some of the industry’s biggest challenges. They’ve proved themselves during an era of profound and sometimes unpredictable change.
Asbury Automotive Group is primed to become the nation's fourth-largest dealership group with its pending purchase of Jim Koons Automotive Cos. Upon closure, the deal would be one of the largest in auto retail history.
Automotive News seeks to learn about dealers' succession planning and decisions to stay in the auto retail industry or why they they have chosen to exit.
The proposal compares to initial offers of 15% by Ford Motor Co. and 16% by General Motors, though Stellantis wants to structure the raises in a way that would have a larger effect on workers' future earnings.
Westlake Financial is working with Pagaya Technologies Ltd. to make auto loans using artificial intelligence, targeting a void left by some lenders that have been pulling back from the business.
Asbury's agreed-to purchase of Jim Koons Automotive Cos. would be the largest acquisition in the dealership space since 2021.
The restructuring of Volvo's U.S. and Canada operations is part of an $88 million global initiative to tighten spending, drive efficiencies, and update the work force. It does not affect Volvo's production network.
U.S. Treasury says dealers in January can submit new and used EV sales information to the IRS to receive payments for transferred tax credits. ‘Foreign entity of concern' and other important guidance also coming this year, department says.
New models and concepts from Mercedes, BMW and VW were the top debuts at the show, while Chinese brands BYD and Avatr also made a splash.
Auto sales in August increased to 1.33 million, up 17 percent over a year ago, but there are signs the market could be contracting.
Two of the largest privately owned U.S. auto retailers expanded with second- and third-quarter acquisitions, while a pair of Northeast dealership groups also grew in existing markets.
The Battery Show focuses on EV batteries, the supply chain, battery recycling, charging and more. A separate section of the show will focus on hybrid vehicle technology.
The founders of the former self-driving unit of Ford Motor Co. and Volkswagen AG are launching a new autonomous trucking startup with backing said to be more than $1 billion from Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp.
The new firm, named Stack AV, is led by Bryan Salesky, Pete Rander and Brett Browning, who previously ran Argo AI, the self-driving operation that Ford and VW shut down last year. Based in Pittsburgh, also home to Argo, Stack AV has hired 150 people and already has a test fleet of trucks on the road, Salesky said in an interview.
While Salesky and SoftBank declined to detail the investment in Stack, Matt Smith, an economic development official in Pittsburgh, said he expects the commitment to be “north of $1 billion,” adding to a growing tech corridor in the city known as Robotics Row.
The Stack AV founders connected with SoftBank early this year and Salesky said the Japanese investment tech conglomerate, which says it manages more than $160 billion in assets involved in artificial intelligence, agreed to provide “patient capital” to see the startup through to commercializing its autonomous trucking technology.
“SoftBank knows how to scale a global, real-world business,” Salesky said. “That backing is hugely helpful in an effort like this where you’ve got to be in it for the long term.”
Ford and VW grew impatient with Argo after investing a combined $3.6 billion in the startup and closed it last year as sentiment was souring on self-driving technology. A Ford executive at the time said it is easier to put a man on the moon than a full self-driving car on the road. SoftBank also exited its investment in AV firm Cruise LLC last year, selling its stake for $2.1 billion to the startup’s parent, General Motors Co.
But driverless delivery — with its repetitive routes and highway driving — has long shown promise for automation. Indeed, Amazon.com Inc. considered rescuing Argo last year before a faltering economy caused the online retailer to retrench.
Now Masayoshi Son’s SoftBank sees new opportunity in backing Stack AV to help solve the logistics and supply chain issues that emerged during the pandemic as more consumers turned to online commerce.
“Stack is led by industry veterans, Bryan, Pete, and Brett, who have been instrumental in shaping the AV industry,” Kentaro Matsui, head of new business at SoftBank, said in an emailed response to questions. “Under their leadership, coupled with SoftBank’s AI expertise and resources, we believe Stack’s AI-powered technology will fundamentally change the transportation of goods and supply chains.”
Stack will be competing against Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo, whose Via unit specializes in freight, as well as Aurora Innovation, also based in Pittsburgh, and TuSimple Holdings Inc., currently seeking a buyer. Startups and seasoned tech players have struggled to convince investors they will eventually generate a meaningful return.
But Salesky said he is demonstrating Stack’s technology on 18-wheelers to potential customers, whom he declined to name, and the feedback has been good. While the current fleet runs on traditional engines, the technology is capable of being used on electric vehicles.
“We have a fleet of trucks on the road testing today and we’re getting potential partners up-to-speed on what we’re doing,” Salesky said. “We’ve seen a lot of interest.”
Salesky and Rander, veterans of self-driving efforts at Alphabet and Uber Technologies Inc., see a strong business case for automating trucking.
“We’re looking at full-autonomy, a very capable self-driving system that isn’t just constrained to one lane or exit to exit,” Salesky said. “We have to get to a point where these trucks can go anywhere for it to eventually get adopted.”
Salesky declined to say when Stack will commercialize its technology. SoftBank’s Matsui also didn’t put a timeline on when it expects a return on its investment in Stack.
“We understand the significant resources needed to succeed,” Matsui said, “and are committed to supporting Stack as they execute their vision.”
Putting a robot behind the wheel of a big rig would help to solve many issues with long-haul trucking, such as a persistent driver shortage and significant safety issues that see a half-million crashes annually in the US involving big trucks.
“The lifesaving potential is huge,” Salesky said, “as well as the ability to improve supply chains, improve efficiency, improve uptime and get things to where they need to go faster. A strong trucking industry is an important part of a robust economy.”
The standard SAE 0 through 5 autonomous driving levels don't make sense to consumers and create misunderstandings and misuse, according to Mobileye CEO Amnon Shashua.
Rather than tie its fortunes to fully autonomous tech, Israeli tech supplier Mobileye has developed a two-pronged approach that relies on expertise in today's driver-assistance systems as a bridge to tomorrow's self-driving.
LONDON/DETROIT/MILAN - A global shortage of technicians and independent repair shops qualified to fix EVs threatens to increase repair and warranty costs for drivers, potentially undermining upcoming deadlines to cut vehicle carbon emissions.
From Milan to Melbourne to Malibu, technician training organizations, warranty providers and repairers say that independent repair shops will be vital for making EVs affordable because they are far cheaper than franchise dealers.
Many garage owners balk at training and equipment costs for fixing high-voltage EVs - with 400- and 800-volt systems that could electrocute and kill unwary or untrained technicians in seconds - especially with relatively few EVs on the road.
Along with electrocution risks, the risk of EV fires - notoriously hard to put out - also has to be taken seriously.
Roberto Petrilli, 60, who owns an independent repair shop in Milan, is reluctant to spend 30,000 euros ($32,600) on the needed equipment when EV sales in Italy are still low and the charging network is tiny.
"I am seven years away from retirement and I think it is not worth it," said Petrilli.
The auto repair industry has already been short of workers since the pandemic. The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) based in Hertford, England, develops automotive training courses and is rolling out EV courses across China and aims to do so in India and across Europe. It forecasts that Britain, with a 2030 fossil-fuel car sale ban, could be short 25,000 EV technicians by 2032.
In the U.S., the world's No. 2 auto market after China, EV sales growth has trailed Europe's, but the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts around 80,000 electrician jobs will be needed annually through 2031, including technicians to fix EVs or install EV chargers.
And Australia could be 9,000 EV technicians short by 2030, the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce predicts.
Auto experts fear mechanics like Petrilli in Milan will simply avoid EVs - leaving consumers with higher bills and longer repair times.
Data shared with Reuters by UK used car warranty provider Warrantywise shows costs are already rising - with a one-year warranty for a Tesla Model 3 costing more than triple the average for comparably-priced fossil-fuel models.
CEO Lawrence Whittaker said Warrantywise must use expensive franchise dealers to fix EVs because they more often have qualified technicians than independent shops.
Whittaker's concern is that higher insurance and warranty costs mean EVs will remain too expensive for many consumers.
"How are people going to afford the higher repair costs?" he said.
Fear of the unknown
Mark Darvill, managing director at Hillclimb Garage in High Wycombe, about 30 miles northwest of London, has embraced EVs and hybrids, which he says make up around 15 percent of repairs.
Darvill says Hillclimb's planned investment of 25,000 pounds ($31,400) in training and equipment will pay for itself in late 2024 when EVs and hybrids should make up 35 percent of repairs.
Customers lacking EV repair options already come from far afield.
"What's holding a lot of independents back is fear of the unknown," Darvill said.
The IMI estimates 20 percent of UK automotive technicians have received some EV training, but only 1 percent are qualified to do more than routine maintenance.
EV sales jumped 33 percent in Britain in the first half of 2023, but the IMI said take-up of EV qualifications fell 10 percent in the first quarter and an estimated 31 percent in the second quarter compared to the number of people taking those courses in the same period in 2022.
London-based premium car service company Addison Lee operates hundreds of EVs and sustainability director Andrew Wescott said "it already takes a lot longer" to repair them than its diesel vehicles.
Carmakers are scrambling to train technicians. Market leader Tesla has launched courses at U.S. community colleges to train prospective technicians. Tesla also provides EV training for independent U.S. repair shops.
Daniel Brown, head of automotive product development at Germany's Lucas-Nuelle, which produces EV training course equipment, worries unqualified technicians could be pressured to fix high-voltage EVs, adding "it's just a matter of time until someone gets hurt."
A freaking long time
Some groups are trying to fix the shortage.
The Siemens Foundation has unveiled a $30 million program to train U.S. technicians to install and maintain EV chargers.
A lack of trained workers will "slow the progression" of shifting to electric, foundation CEO David Etzwiler said. The foundation, focusing on workforce training and education, has announced the funding to address the "tremendous and immediate" need to train technicians, Etzwiler said.
The Motor Traders' Association of New South Wales (MTA NSW) - where EVs should make up 50 percent of new car sales by 2030 - estimates basic EV training will cost 100 million Australian dollars ($64.7 million) for the state's nearly 50,000 licensed automotive technicians.
MTA NSW head of government affairs Collin Jennings said small repair shops will need subsidized EV training or many will likely stick to fossil-fuel models. The distances between many smaller Australian towns makes that a problem in the making.
"Who's going to fix your Tesla if it breaks down there?" Jennings said.
The IMI is seeking 15 million pounds from the UK government to help independent repairers afford training, said CEO Steve Nash.
But Nicholas Wyman, executive director of the U.S. Institute For Workplace Skills and Innovation, said most repairers are on their own.
"If you're waiting for the (U.S.) government to take action, you'll be waiting a freaking long time," he said.
The crossover is Ford's first electric offering in the popular off-road segment, which it has focused on in recent years with subbrands like Bronco, Raptor and Timberline.
The ads are being launched as Jeep strives to avoid a fifth consecutive year of declining U.S. sales.
Cummins Inc., the Indiana-based diesel and natural gas engine manufacturer, will partner with two truck manufacturers and China’s EVE Energy Co. to build a battery plant in the US.
Cummins, Daimler Truck Holding AG and Paccar Inc. expect to invest $2 billion to $3 billion in the joint-venture factory, the companies said Wednesday. The three firms will each own 30 percent of the venture, while EVE Energy will hold 10 percent as their technology partner.
With electric cars becoming more widespread, battery-powered trucks are next in line as part of global efforts to reduce emissions from the transport sector. But the cost and size of batteries required to power heavy-duty vehicles has been a challenge.
The new factory, set to start making batteries from 2027, will initially focus on lithium-iron-phosphate cells for commercial vehicles. These will offer lower cost, longer life and greater safety than other battery chemistries, the companies said. A range of U.S. locations are under consideration, and a decision is due within the next six months, a Daimler Truck spokesman said.
The joint effort is a logical step for the truck and engine manufacturers, since “the economics and total cost of ownership for heavy-trucks still favor diesel,” said Bloomberg Intelligence’s Christopher Ciolino.
“It’s not practical or feasible for them to invest in all these new technologies/products so partnerships are critical for helping the industry as a whole accelerate adoption,” Ciolino said. “This deal seems to be a step toward improving the cost competitiveness.”
Daimler Truck is the world’s biggest commercial vehicle maker and owns the Freightliner and Western Star brands in the U.S. The company has estimated battery-electric and fuel cell vehicles will make up as much as 60 percent of its Europe sales by 2030. Volkswagen’s Traton and Volvo are aiming for 50 percent share in that time frame.
Since President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act a year ago, U.S. companies have announced $72 billion of investments in the EV supply chain, according to data compiled by BloombergNEF. The law is designed to level the playing field between the U.S. and China, whose companies currently dominate battery production.
LONDON/DETROIT/MILAN - A global shortage of technicians and independent repair shops qualified to fix EVs threatens to increase repair and warranty costs for drivers, potentially undermining upcoming deadlines to cut vehicle carbon emissions.
From Milan to Melbourne to Malibu, technician training organizations, warranty providers and repairers say that independent repair shops will be vital for making EVs affordable because they are far cheaper than franchise dealers.
Many garage owners balk at training and equipment costs for fixing high-voltage EVs - with 400- and 800-volt systems that could electrocute and kill unwary or untrained technicians in seconds - especially with relatively few EVs on the road.
Along with electrocution risks, the risk of EV fires - notoriously hard to put out - also has to be taken seriously.
Roberto Petrilli, 60, who owns an independent repair shop in Milan, is reluctant to spend 30,000 euros ($32,600) on the needed equipment when EV sales in Italy are still low and the charging network is tiny.
"I am seven years away from retirement and I think it is not worth it," said Petrilli.
The auto repair industry has already been short of workers since the pandemic. The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) based in Hertford, England, develops automotive training courses and is rolling out EV courses across China and aims to do so in India and across Europe. It forecasts that Britain, with a 2030 fossil-fuel car sale ban, could be short 25,000 EV technicians by 2032.
In the U.S., the world's No. 2 auto market after China, EV sales growth has trailed Europe's, but the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts around 80,000 electrician jobs will be needed annually through 2031, including technicians to fix EVs or install EV chargers.
And Australia could be 9,000 EV technicians short by 2030, the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce predicts.
Auto experts fear mechanics like Petrilli in Milan will simply avoid EVs - leaving consumers with higher bills and longer repair times.
Data shared with Reuters by UK used car warranty provider Warrantywise shows costs are already rising - with a one-year warranty for a Tesla Model 3 costing more than triple the average for comparably-priced fossil-fuel models.
CEO Lawrence Whittaker said Warrantywise must use expensive franchise dealers to fix EVs because they more often have qualified technicians than independent shops.
Whittaker's concern is that higher insurance and warranty costs mean EVs will remain too expensive for many consumers.
"How are people going to afford the higher repair costs?" he said.
Fear of the unknown
Mark Darvill, managing director at Hillclimb Garage in High Wycombe, about 30 miles northwest of London, has embraced EVs and hybrids, which he says make up around 15 percent of repairs.
Darvill says Hillclimb's planned investment of 25,000 pounds ($31,400) in training and equipment will pay for itself in late 2024 when EVs and hybrids should make up 35 percent of repairs.
Customers lacking EV repair options already come from far afield.
"What's holding a lot of independents back is fear of the unknown," Darvill said.
The IMI estimates 20 percent of UK automotive technicians have received some EV training, but only 1 percent are qualified to do more than routine maintenance.
EV sales jumped 33 percent in Britain in the first half of 2023, but the IMI said take-up of EV qualifications fell 10 percent in the first quarter and an estimated 31 percent in the second quarter compared to the number of people taking those courses in the same period in 2022.
London-based premium car service company Addison Lee operates hundreds of EVs and sustainability director Andrew Wescott said "it already takes a lot longer" to repair them than its diesel vehicles.
Carmakers are scrambling to train technicians. Market leader Tesla has launched courses at U.S. community colleges to train prospective technicians. Tesla also provides EV training for independent U.S. repair shops.
Daniel Brown, head of automotive product development at Germany's Lucas-Nuelle, which produces EV training course equipment, worries unqualified technicians could be pressured to fix high-voltage EVs, adding "it's just a matter of time until someone gets hurt."
A freaking long time
Some groups are trying to fix the shortage.
The Siemens Foundation has unveiled a $30 million program to train U.S. technicians to install and maintain EV chargers.
A lack of trained workers will "slow the progression" of shifting to electric, foundation CEO David Etzwiler said. The foundation, focusing on workforce training and education, has announced the funding to address the "tremendous and immediate" need to train technicians, Etzwiler said.
The Motor Traders' Association of New South Wales (MTA NSW) - where EVs should make up 50 percent of new car sales by 2030 - estimates basic EV training will cost 100 million Australian dollars ($64.7 million) for the state's nearly 50,000 licensed automotive technicians.
MTA NSW head of government affairs Collin Jennings said small repair shops will need subsidized EV training or many will likely stick to fossil-fuel models. The distances between many smaller Australian towns makes that a problem in the making.
"Who's going to fix your Tesla if it breaks down there?" Jennings said.
The IMI is seeking 15 million pounds from the UK government to help independent repairers afford training, said CEO Steve Nash.
But Nicholas Wyman, executive director of the U.S. Institute For Workplace Skills and Innovation, said most repairers are on their own.
"If you're waiting for the (U.S.) government to take action, you'll be waiting a freaking long time," he said.
BMW Group investment in North American EV output sets the stage for localized Mini production, a top exec says.
The all-cash takeover will supersize Toronto-based Alpha Auto, adding 147 U.K. locations to its 15 new-vehicle stores in Canada and the United States.
The UAW has warned it could strike all three Detroit automakers at once, but it also could target key production sites to avoid burning through its $825 million strike fund.
Campbell, who joined America's Car-Mart last year, steps into the CEO role next month.
The agency's initial decision affects about 41 million driver and passenger inflators made by ARC from 2000 through January 2018 and about 11 million driver inflators made by Autoliv-acquired Delphi under a licensing agreement with ARC.
Dodge is phasing out its high-powered Hellcat line but has decided to continue producing the Durango version into the 2024 model year.
Led by BYD, Chinese carmakers will almost double their share of the auto market by the end of the decade, UBS analysts said.
There is a glaring division between EV-friendly and EV-lagging states.
A smaller G-Class would compete with models such as the Land Rover Defender in Europe and likely cost significantly less than the current version, which starts at 118,256 euros ($127,547.97) in Germany.
Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson, who ranked second on the list, made 11 times more than No. 3 Mary Barra of GM.
Lithia Motors, Penske Automotive, Group 1 Automotive and Asbury Automotive all saw same-store F&I gross profit per vehicle decline year over year in second-quarter earnings, while AutoNation and Sonic Automotive posted increases. Analysts from Stephens and Jefferies said consumer affordability and the return of leasing would reduce gross profit in the future.
VW describes the ID GTI concept as a "sports car for the electric age” and said it will have enhancements such as a front-axle differential lock that better helps the wheels put down power to the road.
The 2024 E-Class All-Terrain grows taller, wider and longer than the outgoing model, and it gets a host of upgrades designed to appeal to customers who like the look of a beefy wagon that can traverse dirt and gravel country roads.
CEO Elon Musk proposed the idea of a diner and drive-in cinema at a Supercharger location more than five years ago.
The new EV concept is based on the Neue Klasse platform that the automaker says is the “biggest investment in the company’s history.”
A borrower's income is quickly and accurately verified using AI, matching the applicant with the right type of auto loan.
In July 2022, 26 percent of new EV deals were leases vs. sales, up significantly from 7 percent in December, J.D. Power data showed.
Gruner, the former CEO of Porsche Cars North America, resigned in July after less than three years on the job. His title at Rivian is chief commercial officer and president of business growth.
Some dealerships lost power and took on water after Idalia surged up the Southeast coast.
A new recall affects another 169,000 vehicles in the U.S., including the 2020-23 Lincoln Aviator and 2021 Ford Bronco.
Chinese brands will be heavily represented at this year’s show, at a time when automakers from the global No.1 market are expanding into Europe by targeting key countries and building up retail networks.
The 2025 Countryman arrives in U.S. stores in September next year.
