Trade News

The 2022 Automotive News Leading Women conference tackled issues such as diversity and work cultures, leading multigenerational teams and leadership lessons. 

Keynote speakers were racing pioneer Lyn St. James and Lisa Bodell, CEO of FutureThink.

Automotive News Vice President of Editorial Operations Chrissy Taylor moderates the panel discussion on diversity, equity and inclusion with Lia Theodosiou-Pisanelli, vice president of partner products, programs and operations for Aurora Innovation; Chandra Vasser, vice president and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer for Nissan Americas; and Cheryl Thompson, founder and CEO, Center for Automotive Diversity, Inclusion & Advancement.

Racing pioneer Lyn St. James, Automotive Hall of Fame inductee and Automotive News 100 Leading Women 2010 honoree, opens the Leading Women Conference. St. James talked about her influences, racing career, and being a female athlete before Title …

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., earlier this week said he planned to ask the Federal Trade Commission, as well as state authorities, to investigate Ford Motor Co.'s electric vehicle certification program over potential violations of franchise laws in what he labeled an "egregious treatment" of dealers.

Blumenthal joined a bipartisan group of Connecticut state legislators in criticizing the plans during a virtual press conference that also included a top-ranking member of the Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association. The lawmakers called on Ford to again delay a Dec. 2 deadline for dealers to opt-in to the program.

"I'm convinced there's a case that needs to be investigated here," Blumenthal said, saying the issue was of "profound" public interest. "I just think Ford is making a terrible mistake here if it persists in this approach."

Ford, in a statement, said it would not extend the deadline.

"The voluntary program empowers our dealers on w…

CarMax Inc. the largest U.S. used car retailer, agreed to pay $1 million to resolve claims by 36 states that it failed to disclose open safety recalls to consumers before selling vehicles to them.

Thursday's settlement followed a multistate probe led by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul that began in 2014, amid concerns that consumers were not being warned about necessary repairs and potentially serious safety recalls.

The accord requires the Richmond, Virginia-based company to provide consumers with hyperlinks and QR codes to look up recalls, and documentation that "clearly and conspicuously" discloses open recalls before presenting other sales paperwork.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, who joined the settlement,in a statement said CarMax sometimes classified vehicles as "safe" even if they had been recalled for airbags or other safety features.

"When someone buys a car, they need to know that it will keep them safe," James said.

…

DETROIT — Toyota Motor Corp. believes the microchip shortage that's plagued the U.S. auto industry is likely to remain for an extended period, even as sales in the U.S. continue to slowly rebound, according to the Japanese automaker's head of sales.

Jack Hollis, in his first year as executive vice president of sales for Toyota Motor North America, said he sees the industry finishing 2022 at 14 million new vehicle sales in the U.S., with a recovery in 2023 to 15 million as production continues to struggle through supply shortages in microchips and other components.

Early on Thursday, Toyota said its November U.S. sales rose 10 percent to 169,226 vehicles. Deliveries for the first 11 months fell 11 percent to 1.9 million vehicles.

"For 2023, we think we're really going up another million vehicles, which is great, because if you look at where we've been so supply constrained, to see there being growth and a path to growth I think is going to be encouraging…

TrueCar CEO Mike Darrow gives his thoughts on new electric models and whether they’ll help drive EV adoption. U.S. sales at Toyota, Mazda, Hyundai, and Kia rose double digits last month from a year earlier. Honda will build a CR-V fuel cell vehicle in Ohio. And Cruise eyes a big expansion next year.

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

“Daily Drive” is available on the iTunes Store and through the ‘Podcast’ app pre-installed on all iOS devices. Click here to subscribe to "Daily Drive"

Android

“Daily Drive” is available on the Google Play store. Click here to subscribe to "Daily Drive"

Spotify

"Daily Drive" is available on Spotify. Click here to subscribe to "Daily Drive"

Hertz Corp. vehicles previously rented by U.S. Secret Service agents burst into flames at Nantucket Memorial Airport early Monday morning, according to several media reports.

The large fire involved five vehicles that had been rented to the Secret Service for President Joe Biden's visit to Nantucket for Thanksgiving, the Secret Service said. Local fire officials said the fire was not suspicious, although the incident sparked national conspiracy theories, Forbes reported on Wednesday.

Investigators are focusing on a white Ford Expedition as the ignition for the fire, although the official cause is undetermined.

In a statement released Thursday, the Secret Service said:

"The Secret Service had rented the vehicles for the President's trip and dropped the SUVs off at HERTZ on Sunday night. We were made aware of one Ford SUV catching fire early Monday morning. That SUV was parked next to several other vehicles which also caught fire becasue of the pro…

Like many other industries, the automotive market is reeling from the effects of disruption. Shifting customer preferences have led to a realignment in production. The (traditional) automotive industry is also faced with new competition, which is largely focused on electric and autonomous vehicles.

This white paper will help you understand:

Additive manufacturing is already a reality for final parts production. The design freedom afforded by additive manufacturing can help improve the performance of electric vehicles. Additive manufacturing is becoming a viable option for production while also supporting product development.

Did you know the average dealership leaves 409 callers unconnected every month? These are valuable leads dealers are letting slip through the cracks. In this FREE data study presented by Car Wars, you'll discover the top five call connection trends from 2020 to 2022, based on an analysis of thousands of dealerships' phone metrics. The study describes what "connect" truly means, offers proven strategies to improve call connection, and shares why top dealers are putting such a strong emphasis on this fundamental phone metric.

In this comprehensive data study, you'll discover:

The difference between a connected call and an answered call The top five trends that significantly impact dealerships' call connection rates The most common reasons why calls go unconnected Strategies to immediately improve your dealership's call connection rates

Stellantis is evaluating dealers for chargers, sales help, and other needs as it looks to ease the transition toward electric vehicles. Renault and Nissan clear their calendars for a potential deal. The CEO of battery startup Solid Power steps down. Plus, a conversation with Redwood Materials CEO JB Straubel about the battery recycling startup's landmark deal to supply a Panasonic plant.

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

“Daily Drive” is available on the iTunes Store and through the ‘Podcast’ app pre-installed on all iOS devices. Click here to subscribe to "Daily Drive"

Android

“Daily Drive” is available on the Google Play store. Click here to subscribe to "Daily Drive"

Spotify

"Daily Drive" is availab…

Honda Motor Co. will build a fuel cell electric version of its sixth generation CR-V compact crossover starting in 2024.

In addition to using fuel cell technology, which promises quick refueling and generous range, the vehicle will feature a plug that will enable drivers to charge the onboard battery for electricity-powered trips around town.

The Japanese automaker will produce the vehicles at its Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio. Honda did not say how many CR-V fuel cell vehicles it expects to build, but the facility is used for assembling lower-volume products and specialty performance vehicles such as the hybrid Acura NSX supercar, which ceased production there this month.

Honda, the world's largest maker of gasoline engines, has set an aggressive goal to reach carbon neutrality for its operations and products by 2050, which includes a complete electrification of its vehicle lineup by 2040.

The production of fuel cells in th…

DETROIT -- Cruise, the General Motors robotaxi unit, plans to enter a "large number of markets" and scale operations up to "thousands of vehicles" in 2023, COO Gil West told Reuters.

Cruise has announced plans to start offering rides in Austin and Phoenix, adding those cities to its current base in San Francisco. West said the company plans to expand to more cities in 2023.

"You'll likely see us expand the number of markets in a large number next year," he said. Cruise believes it can accelerate application of its technology to other cities using a "repeatable playbook" developed in San Francisco, Austin and Phoenix. That should start to deliver revenue numbers with more zeros in them, he said.

The planned launch of the Origin, designed as a purpose-built automated vehicle, "is a huge unlock" for Cruise because of its lower cost, West said.

Cruise is currently testing human-operated Origins in San Francisco. Volume production is expected to start…

Toyota and Honda are losing loyal owners to rival brands that are further ahead in the electric vehicle transition, including Tesla, Ford and Hyundai and Chevrolet, according to a new report from S&P Global Mobility.

"Early S&P Global Mobility data suggests consumers moving to electric vehicles in 2022 are largely doing so from Toyota and Honda — brands which have been unable to keep their internal combustion owners loyal until their own brands begin to participate more significantly in the EV transition," the data firm said Tuesday.

Sales of Toyota's mass-market EV, the bZ4x crossover, were stopped for months shortly after its launch earlier this year due to a risk that its wheels could fall off. Honda discontinued its Clarity EV in 2020 after offering the sedan, with 89 miles of range, as lease-only in California and Oregon. Honda's coming Prologue EV crossover is expected in 2024.

Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. executives have said th…