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DENVER — More than a decade ago, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen famously claimed, "Software is eating the world." That trend certainly is reverberating through the automotive world.

What was once a primarily atoms-focused hardware business is increasingly morphing into a bits-driven software and services one. Powertrain electrification and in-vehicle connectivity have turned cars into computers on wheels, with the average vehicle running more than 100 million lines of software code.

Christoph Starzynski, who leads the development of Mercedes-Benz's electric EQ subbrand, has a front-seat view of the industry's tech transformation as he helps navigate the German luxe brand toward an all-EV lineup.

In a software-first world, automakers can deliver new functionality and dial up performance via over-the-air updates long after the vehicle has rolled off the assembly line, Starzynski told Automotive News at a press event here last week.

"How can we,…

Dealership groups scramble to close their Florida locations as Hurricane Ian bares down on the Gulf Coast. GM eases up on its return-to-office mandate after employee outcry. Ford invests $700 million in its Kentucky truck plant. Plus, a conversation with Harbinger CEO John Harris about the new EV startup’s focus on the medium-duty commercial truck market.

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WASHINGTON — The pool of used electric vehicles eligible for a tax credit taking effect next year could be slim to start out, with consumer choices — at least in the near term — limited to models with shorter battery range that were built mainly to meet tougher emissions regulations, several industry experts and dealers told Automotive News.

The Inflation Reduction Act includes, for the first time, a tax credit for income-qualified buyers that's equal to 30 percent of the total cost of a used battery-electric, plug-in hybrid or fuel cell vehicle, and capped at $4,000. Vehicles must be at least two model years old and cost $25,000 or less, but they are not subject to the same stringent sourcing and assembly requirements as the revamped tax credit for new EVs.

While it sounds great in theory, in practice it could take between three and five years before the credit is used regularly by consumers, said Ivan Drury, director of insights at Edmunds.

"[It's] g…

PARIS - German air taxi developer Lilium Air Mobility plans to set up industrial capacity to make some 400 of its electrically powered Lilium Jet flying shuttles a year, while tapping schemes that provide public research support, its new chief executive said.

Lilium is competing in a crowded market for electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles, hoping to replace road trips or short hops by aircraft or helicopters.

But the challenges of securing certification and funding the innovations such as fresh battery technology have weighed on the new sector. Lilium shares have fallen 73 percent so far this year.

"I am pushing hard (for) a production system for 400 aircraft. And if by good luck one day, we need 800 we will just duplicate it, not here (in Germany)...but where the big markets are," former Airbus executive Klaus Roewe told Reuters.

Roewe joined the Bavarian start-up in August after experiencing what he described to Lilium's share…

When it comes to brand loyalty, a recent study shows mainstream brand Ford and luxury brand Tesla are the most successful.

S&P Global Mobility released its quarterly loyalty insights in a webinar titled "Loyalty viewed from a broad perspective" Tuesday. Loyalty is measured by the number of households that return to the vehicle market and choose the same brand, said Tom Libby, automotive analyst for S&P Global Mobility.

The webinar drew from year-to-date data through July. The top five mainstream leaders in brand loyalty include Ford with a loyalty rate of 59.6 percent, followed by Toyota at 57.2 percent, Subaru at 55 percent, Chevrolet at 54.9 percent and Hyundai with 53.8 percent.

The top five spots for luxury leaders in brand loyalty include Tesla with 67 percent, Mercedes-Benz at 50.5 percent, BMW at 48.8 percent, Lexus at 47.7 percent and Lincoln with 47.6 percent.

Loyalty is one metric of success, "but the drawback is that you're not…

California this month established new limits on guaranteed asset protection sales with two new laws, including one an opponent predicted would reduce GAP sales to service members.

Assembly Bill 2311, signed into law Sept. 13 by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, caps the price of GAP and bans its sale in certain situations. It also requires lenders to refund charges automatically when consumers cancel the finance-and-insurance product or pay off their auto loans.

GAP coverage pays any loan balance not reimbursed by traditional auto insurers, who are only obligated to cover the vehicle's actual value, in the event of a total loss. Like other F&I products, it is often bundled and financed within auto loans rather than purchased separately.

But Senate Bill 1311 would void a lender's security interest in a vehicle if "the loan also funds the purchase of a credit insurance product or credit-related ancillary product" sold to a service member. Coverage includi…

Ford Motor Co. is redesigning the Super Duty line of its F-Series pickups with new technology and new engine options in a bid to maintain one of its most profitable nameplates and better cater to commercial customers.

The 2023 Super Duty lineup, revealed Tuesday evening and expected to go on sale early next year, will get an embedded 5G modem with over-the-air update compatibility, an on-board generator and an upfit integration system for fleet buyers. It's also adding new driver-assist technology for towing and hauling, as well as features such as a new backup camera to be used when a tailgate is down.

Ford also is adding two new engine options: a standard 6.8-liter V-8 that replaces the current 6.2-liter V-8, and a high-output 6.7-liter PowerStroke V-8 diesel. Those will join the carryover 7.3-liter V-8 and 6.7-liter PowerStroke V-8 diesel to give the trucks what Ford says will be best-in-class towing, payload, torque and horsepower figures.

"It's thi…

VANCOUVER — Bentley's new elongated version of its popular Bentayga SUV doesn't really stick out on the crowded streets of one of the most expensive cities in North America, dotted as they are with exotic supercars and luxury sedans all waiting side-by-side in traffic.

It's not necessarily supposed to. Since its introduction in late 2015, the Bentayga — the British-built-but-German-owned luxury brand's top-selling model — has consistently concentrated more on its interior refinements than on drawing stares from onlookers as it passed.

The 2023 Bentley Bentayga EWB, for extended wheelbase, doubles down on that strategy, adding 7 inches of length, all in the second row. More than just a stretch exercise, Bentley says the additional rear legroom required developing 2,500 new parts, while the addition of four-wheel steering meant that the longer version actually has a tighter turning radius than does the original Bentayga.

Virtually …

BMW's lineup is getting a new high-powered halo model for an electrified age.

The XM plug-in hybrid SUV is the first standalone vehicle from the M performance brand since the BMW M1 launched five decades ago.

It will be assembled at BMW's U.S. factory in South Carolina, with deliveries beginning early next year. Pricing starts at $159,995, including shipping.

The new model arrives as the German performance marque steps up its electrification game.

AutoPacific President Ed Kim describes the XM as a "transition model" that shows M brand customers that electrified performance is the future.

"M is a brand for hardcore performance enthusiasts, the kinds that have petrol running through their veins," Kim said.

But BMW is looking beyond gearhead customers with the XM.

The SUV is "a pinnacle of expressive luxury," says Franciscus van Meel, CEO of the M brand.

"We are really addressing target groups that we didn't address withi…

Dealership groups scrambled to close many of their Florida locations Tuesday as Category 3 Hurricane Ian bore down on the Gulf Coast.

As of 5 p.m. EDT Tuesday, a hurricane warning was in effect on the Florida mainland from the Anclote River area to Chokoloskee, Fla., a region that includes the Tampa Bay and Fort Meyers areas, according to the National Weather Service's National Hurricane Center.

Florida’s Gulf Coast from the Suwanee River all the way to Flamingo, Fla., carried a storm surge warning, signifying a risk of life-threatening surges, as did the northeastern part of the state on the Atlantic Coast, according to the agency. Widespread catastrophic flooding was expected in Central and West Florida. Tornadoes were possible through Wednesday in Central and South Florida.

Tropical storm conditions were expected to reach Florida on Tuesday evening with hurricane conditions expected Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.

Hurricane Ian w…