Trade News

An "inventory efficiency index" created by software company Cloud Theory can tell manufacturers exactly how well their vehicles are selling in real time.

The index allows automakers to view supply and demand across all makes and models instantaneously to better see what is and isn't selling — and allocate their resources accordingly.

"Cloud Theory is collecting information via the indexing of dealer websites," Cloud Theory Vice President Rick Wainschel told Automotive News. "We have about … 99.7 percent of franchise dealers in America. We know what inventory is on their lots or on its way to their lots."

A score for manufacturers is created based on a relationship between a make or model's market share and "competitive supply situation." A score of at least 100 means a manufacturer is selling vehicles at above-average efficiency, while a score below 100 shows that supply is stronger than demand.

While manufacturers typically know their inventory p…

General Motors is considering the former Palace of Auburn Hills in suburban Detroit site for a large space for suppliers, according to Crain's Detroit Business, an affiliate of Automotive News.

GM would not confirm on Thursday evening it was looking at the centrally located 110-acre property that used to house the Detroit Pistons, but did say it was considering Auburn Hills, along with other "multiple locations for a supplier park to support its Orion Assembly Plant, which will be expanded to produce electric pickup trucks."

But a source requesting anonymity and briefed on the matter told Crain's that GM was looking at the Palace site.

Auburn Hills Mayor Kevin McDaniel said no plans have been submitted to the city to redevelop the site.

The Orion Assembly Plant is at 4555 Giddings Rd., and consists of 4.3 million square feet on 433 acres, currently producing Chevy Bolt EV and EUV, and Cruise AV. The official plant website says it is "positioning i…

Self-driving truck company Embark Technology is shutting down.

The company announced its closure Friday in an email from CEO Alex Rodrigues to Embark employees.

This is the second recent major failure of autonomous technology company. Argo AI Inc. folded in October after its main backers Ford Motor Co. and Volkswagen decided to pull the plug on the autonomous vehicle technology startup.

Rodrigues cited an inability to raise capital and delays in "the prospect of scaled commercial deployment" of autonomous trucking for the closure.

"I am writing to you today with a heavy heart. The last nine months have been tough for the autonomous trucking industry, and for Embark — the capital markets have turned their backs on pre-revenue companies," Rodrigues said.

"In challenging times, it is the whole company's job to be flexible and optimistic in pursuing a sometimes-changing direction — and it is the job of the CEO to navigate the challenges and ma…

In a surprising development, Subaru has appointed Atsushi Osaki as its next CEO, and says Tom Doll will step down as CEO of Subaru of America. Volkswagen Group will build its Scout Motors assembly plant in South Carolina. Plus, a look at how vehicle affordability and interest rates might affect F&I sales in 2023.

How do I subscribe?

Can't wait to hear the next episode of "Daily Drive"? Subscribe through a podcast app to receive episodes days in advance. If you don't have a podcast app already, here are some options. 

iPhone / iPad

Android

Spotify

DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. on Friday said it was studying ways to boost output of gasoline-powered and hybrid F-150 trucks at a Michigan factory as part of a broader plan to boost production of several models.

The No. 2 U.S. automaker also said it is increasing production by more than 80,000 vehicles for its Bronco Sport and Maverick this year, up from 225,000 in 2022.

The automaker reiterated that it is still on track to triple F-150 Lightning EV production this year, targeting an annual production run rate of 150,000 by the end of 2023. The automaker was forced to halt production in early February after a battery fire, and plans to resume production on March 13.

Ford's U.S. F-150 sales fell 9.9 percent in 2022 to about 654,000, including 15,617 F-150 EV trucks, as the company struggled with production and supply chain problems.

General Motors last month said it would idle the Fort Wayne, Ind., assembly plant that builds Chevrolet Silverado and …

Electric vehicle pioneer Tesla has trimmed some of its sticker prices to capture an even larger share of the U.S. EV market. But one of the segment's newest entrants — Swedish electric brand Polestar — has no intention of chasing the front-runner.

Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath told analysts Thursday on an earnings call that his focus is carving out a niche in the higher-margin, luxury end of the EV market.

While Tesla "is very much concentrating to go mass market in the future to compete with the likes of Volkswagen and Toyota, Polestar's ambition is to go fully into this premium, luxury sports car segment," Ingenlath said. "We are not aiming to produce 10 million cars per year."

Ingenlath's approach is pragmatic.

Polestar has neither the brand awareness nor the profit margin to launch into a market share war with segment heavyweights Tesla and Ford. The Volvo affiliate began delivering its first and only mass-market EV, the Polestar 2 fastback,…

Vietnamese automaker VinFast has delivered its first electric vehicles to U.S. customers, marking its official entry into the North America market.

VinFast, which cut prices on its VF 8 crossover last month, handed over the first 45 units of the midsize EV to customers at its nine California stores on Wednesday, the company said in a press release.

The vehicles were part of a shipment of 999 vehicles that arrived in California in late December. Deliveries were delayed until this month in order to install a software update, VinFast said.

"It's extremely gratifying in fulfilling our delivery promise and to witness the excitement our customers have for the VinFast brand," said Gareth Dunsmore, deputy CEO for global sales and marketing.

The first batch of VinFast crossovers are a limited version called the VF 8 City Edition, available only as part of a $399 per month lease. The lease promotion was cut from $599 per month in February.

VinFast sa…

SHANGHAI -- Tesla sold 74,402 China-made electric vehicles in February, up 32 percent from a year earlier, China Passenger Car Association data showed on Friday.

That was up 13 percent from January, when the U.S. electric carmaker delivered 66,051 China-made Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.

Rival BYD with its Dynasty and Ocean series of EVs and hybrids generated sales of 191,664 last month, CPCA data showed.

Tesla had planned to run its Shanghai plant at an average weekly output rate of 20,000 units in February and March after price cuts it made in early January stoked demand.

But the latest weekly data showed its retail sales in China were still running short of the pace seen in the fourth quarter, indicating the bump from discounted prices in its biggest overseas market is waning. 

Tesla's market share in China's new energy vehicle sector, which includes both pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars, slid to 9 percent in February from 10…

MARYSVILLE, Ohio - Honda Motor Co. is moving rapidly to catch up with electric-vehicle competitors in global markets, but the company's top executive said combustion engines could last through 2040 and beyond.

Regarding the Japanese automaker's accelerating transition to EVs, Chief Executive Toshihiro Mibe said, “I’ve been in the engine development business for more than 30 years, so personally it’s a little threatening. But I have to separate my own feelings from what is best for the business.”

That includes the establishment next month of a standalone business unit to oversee development of Honda's EV and battery business, which eventually could include an investment in charging stations, similar to Tesla Inc.'s Supercharger network, Mibe said in Marysville, Ohio, at the hub of the company’s U.S. operations.

"The charging infrastructure is not at a place that it needs to be for our customers,” he said.Mibe added that Honda is running feasibility studies o…

Growing tensions between franchised dealers and legacy automakers over evolving sales models and vehicle service work are emerging as key issues in statehouses across the U.S. this year.

Several state dealer associations are backing legislation to amend franchise laws that govern the relationship between dealerships and the automakers whose brands they sell. The issues run the spectrum.

Some states, such as Virginia, are proposing language that would prevent traditional automakers from negotiating the sale or lease of a new vehicle directly with consumers or declaring dealers to be delivery agents. Other states want to spell out dealers' role in participating in future subscription revenue that automakers may seek to activate with over-the-air software updates. Proposals to remove automakers' right of first refusal in buy-sell deals — the ability to assign an alternative buyer — also are on the table.

And the question of how much …

When big rigs pull to a highway shoulder, their drivers are required by federal regulations to place three reflective triangles behind the vehicle within 10 minutes of stopping.

In a self-driving world, there's nobody around to perform that task.

That's a problem for companies that intend to deploy driverless trucks, but self-driving tech firms Aurora and Waymo may have an answer.

The two companies are seeking a five-year exemption from Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations that address the required placement of warning devices.

Their exemption request will be made public Friday when the administration, which provides safety oversight of commercial motor vehicles, is expected to publish it in the Federal Register. A copy of the application was available online Thursday night.

Instead of triangles or flares at night, Waymo and Aurora have requested their partner motor carriers be allowed to equip truck cabs with flashing w…