Trade News

The number of U.S. franchised dealerships in 2022 rose for the second year in a row after two years of declines, according to Urban Science's annual Automotive Franchise Activity Report.

There were 18,257 new-vehicle dealerships as of Jan. 1, 2023, up 27 stores from 2022, according to Urban Science's report, released Tuesday.

Urban Science found California added 25 dealerships, Texas added nine and Virginia added five, representing the states with the most dealership gains. Michigan lost the most stores with a decrease of nine dealerships, while Indiana lost seven and Minnesota fell by five.

While the number of dealerships increased, Urban Science said the number of franchises declined slightly. Urban Science said as of Jan. 1 there were 31,554 franchises, down 0.29 percent. The number of franchises fell 1 percent in 2021 to 31,646.

Amid lower vehicle sales and inventory shortages, the average number of new vehicles sold by U.S. dealerships, known…

Although Mary Kubitskey has been with General Motors for more than 30 years and has amassed an impressive resume — helping to launch OnStar, appearing twice on “The Apprentice” and more — she knows, she said, “what will be written on my tombstone.”

Kubitskey was a young brand advertising manager for the Pontiac G6 when she pushed GM to do a giveaway on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in September 2004. That moment when Oprah shouted “You get a car! You get a car! Everybody gets a car!” to her 276 screaming and crying audience members has become an iconic cultural moment, the subject of countless memes. The effort resulted in legendary numbers: an estimated $100 million in free press coverage and 87 percent awareness of the promotion among the American public, according to GM.

But for Kubitskey, who serves as senior manager-brand strategy, media and partnerships for Chevrolet, it was just one moment in a career she said she loves.

Growing up, she said, “I a…

Leasing is a basic F&I fundamental, and though it has been put on a shelf for the last couple years it's making a comeback because it offers customers flexibility, says Becky Chernek, founder of financing and insurance consulting firm Chernek Consulting in Oak Ridge, N.C.

"More and more dealers are seeing the opportunity that a lease now offers, and more and more F&I people need to wrap their head around it and train up on how to calculate a lease, how to present a lease, how to sell products with a lease, how to convert a customer from a cash deal or credit union deal," Chernek told Automotive News.

For some customers, she says, it might be better to put them in a 36-month lease if it makes sense, with higher residuals and a higher advance.

"If I can take that difference and put it into where it makes sense, not only to get them out from under that trade but into a vehicle they like and also payments that they can afford because the residual is …

LONDON -- Bentley will stop production of its 12-cylinder engine next year as the brand shifts to selling electric cars.

"The time has come to retire this now-iconic powertrain as we take strides towards electrification," Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark said in a statement.

The W12 has powered Bentley cars since the ultraluxury brand's reinvention by owners Volkswagen Group in 2003.

The engine gets its name because it has 12 cylinders arranged in a W formation rather than a V shape.

The first Bentley to use the engine was the 2003 Continental GT coupe and it still powers top-end versions of the GT, the Flying Spur sedan and Bentayga SUV.

The 6.0-liter, twin-turbo powerplant was initially built by VW in Salzgitter, Germany, but it was moved to Bentley's factory in Crewe, England, in 2014.

Bentley took over the design and development of the engine, initially exporting it back to Germany for use in the VW Phaeton and Audi A8 luxury sedans…

Stellantis, the parent company of the Ram, Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler and Fiat brands, posted robust profit and revenue gains in 2022 along with the largest payout to UAW employees among the Detroit 3 automakers.

The automaker, which doesn't disclose quarterly results under French financial reporting rules, on Wednesday said net profits for the year surged 26 percent to 16.8 billion euros ($17.9 billion) while global revenue rose 18 percent to 179.6 billion euros ($190.9 billion).

North American results paced the company's 2022 gains. Stellantis said North American adjusted operating income rose 23 percent to 13.9 billion euros ($14.8 billion). Revenues surged 23 percent to 85.5 billion euros ($90.9 billion). Deliveries rose 2 percent to 1.86 million vehicles.

In the U.S., Stellantis will distribute $14,760 each to eligible UAW-represented workers as part of a profit-sharing plan. About 40,500 workers are eligible for the bonus. The payout is up slightly fro…

Mercedes-Benz's manufacturing joint venture with Nissan in Mexico could be on the bubble.

A top Mercedes-Benz executive questioned the long-term prospects of the $1.4 billion manufacturing partnership with Nissan Motor Co.

The auto assembly plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico, known as COMPAS, builds the Mercedes GLB crossover and Infiniti QX50 and QX55 crossovers.

On an earnings call from Germany last week, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius referred to the Mexico manufacturing partnership as "stable" for now.

"We have a good partnership with Nissan, and it's supposed to stay this way for the next three years," Kallenius said. "What will happen after that, we haven't decided yet."

The sprawling factory in central Mexico is the cornerstone of an extensive industrial partnership, announced in 2010, for Daimler and the Nissan-Renault alliance to share vehicles and powertrain technologies.

The Euro-Japanese industrial collaboration was willed…

Today’s vehicles, including hybrid and electric, are more connected than ever. We may not be Jetson’s level yet (as much as we may have hoped), but contactless digital experiences have dramatically changed customer expectations for how they buy and service their vehicles.

By 2035, connected vehicle sales in the US are expected to grow over 260% i. In California and Canada, 100% of new vehicles will be required to be zero-emission in that same period.

In response to these evolving expectations, automotive brands must transform the automotive buying and ownership experience. That includes how they strategize, resource, and execute on delivering a better, data-driven customer experience (CX) for the future. We recently conducted a study to determine just how effective OEMs are at these critical CX-building activities.

To achieve desired CX, automotive brands must invest in their customer data strategy, infrastructure, and use of data. That means asking the…

Thanks to their economic and ecological benefits, electric vehicles are surging in popularity. In 2021 alone, global EV sales hit a record $6.9 million, up 107 percent from 2020. As governments around the world look to provide manufacturers and consumers with incentives to curb emissions, these numbers will only climb.

Charging stations for EVs are also multiplying. In the U.S. alone, the number of sites has increased by 38 percent in just the last year. Similar trends can be tracked internationally. In 2021, for example, publicly available EV charging stations rose by 40 percent the world over.

Organizations hoping to capitalize on this explosion in demand need the right tools to analyze, plan, and implement effective EV charging networks. The main driver for this is location data, which can help organizations to select sites that serve the most customers. Let's dive into the variables that should be considered for a successful EV charging si…

Here Technologies has successfully fended off competition from technology giants looking to move into high-definition mapping, which is one of the key components for autonomous driving. CEO Edzard Overbeek recently told Automotive News Europe Correspondent Nick Gibbs how the location data and technology platform provider will keep a step ahead of Google.

Volvo and Google used CES to announce a partnership on HD maps. How do you fight the tech giants?

We do pretty well. For example, the Mercedes S-Class with Level 3 autonomous capability uses our high-definition maps. We just launched with the BMW i7, which is currently Level 2 Plus and will go to Level 3. As far as I know, we are the largest supplier of HD maps in commercial contracts. Google has a relationship with Volvo, but we also have a relationship with Volvo, not for HD maps, but on other things.

What are your strengths against someone like Google?

They don't have our capabilities. For ex…