Trade News

During deliberations over the evolution of Ford Motor Co.'s franchise dealership model, its retailers secured a big win: choice.

The automaker wants its dealers to invest heavily in battery-electric vehicles and redefine how they sell those products as it seeks an edge over Tesla and other newcomers that sell directly from factory to consumer. After months of meetings with its dealer council, including breakout discussions with rural dealers, the two sides struck a compromise that Ford laid out to dealers who gathered in Las Vegas last week.

Getting the right to sell Ford EVs beyond next year won't be cheap — a seven-figure investment in many cases. But it will be optional.

Anyone not ready to fully commit to electrification can gain the ability to sell a couple of EVs a month by spending less money upfront, an alternative devised by the dealer council that the company agreed to adopt. Those who aren't ready to invest at all can con…

Jeep's 4xe portfolio of electrified products continues to expand.

So far, the off-road brand has plug-in hybrid variants of the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee only. The next step of Jeep's electric transition in its biggest market begins in 2024, when two battery-electric vehicles debut: the rugged, Wrangler-inspired Recon and the luxurious Wagoneer S crossover.

Jeep says it will introduce four zero-emission vehicles in North America and Europe by 2025. The Avenger EV launches in Europe in 2023 but won't make it to the U.S. because the vehicle, which is smaller than the Renegade subcompact crossover, doesn't fit this market.

Recon: Production begins in 2024, with orders starting early next year. The Recon EV will offer open-air experiences with a power top and removable doors and glass.

Wagoneer S: The SUV nameplate is getting an electric midsize crossover sibling with unique design language that sets it apart. Jeep is targeting a ran…

The Chrysler brand plans to drop internal combustion engines by 2028.

The shallow product line that has defined Chrysler for years will get deeper when it goes electric. Chrysler CEO Christine Feuell said it's a "certainty" that the brand will have more offerings in 2028 than the three it has today.

Pacifica/Pacifica Hybrid: The Pacifica was freshened for the 2021 model year. A redesigned electric model on the automaker's STLA Large platform for electrified vehicles could arrive in 2028.

Voyager: The fleet-only minivan is back for 2023 and may end up on the automaker's STLA Large platform in 2028.

Electric crossover: The brand plans to release its first battery-electric vehicle by 2025. Chrysler unveiled a preview of what that model could look like with its electric Airflow crossover concept at CES in January. Chrysler said the concept, which offers 350 to 400 miles of electric range, is based on the STLA Large platform.

300:…

Ram will step into the electric vehicle space for the first time in 2023.

The emissions-free ProMaster will start the brand's transition. The first commercial customer for the electric van will be Amazon, which will put it to work as a last-mile delivery vehicle.

The first Ram electric pickup will come in 2024.

ProMaster: The large van will get an electric variant in 2023. The 2023 ProMaster that debuted this year features a restyled front fascia and now offers three roof heights, including a new "super-high" configuration.

ProMaster City: Production for the smallest Ram van ends after the 2022 model.

2500/3500: Redesigns are not expected until around 2027.

1500: Ram will unveil its electric 1500 concept, set to go on sale in 2024, at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. A version with a range-extending gasoline engine may arrive around the same time.

For the 2023 model, pickups equipped with the…

Alfa Romeo plans to be an all-electric brand in 2027.

Leading up to that target, the Italian marque is expanding its portfolio with the Tonale compact crossover, which will offer a plug-in hybrid powertrain, in 2023 and a smaller battery-electric crossover in 2024.

Large vehicle: Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato said a "large size vehicle" that can compete in the U.S., China and Europe is in the works. Imparato said the model could have attributes of a sedan as well as a crossover.

Stelvio: The compact crossover may move to the electrified STLA Medium platform in a redesign that could reach U.S. dealerships before the end of 2025.

Tonale: The compact crossover is expected to arrive in 2023 as both a plug-in hybrid and a conventional gasoline model. The conventional version will deliver 256 hp, and the plug-in will reach 272 hp. It's expected to have more than 30 miles of electric range.

Small crossover: Imparato said the brand plans …

Stellantis made it known in 2021 that the freshly merged company was going to make major investments to electrify its broad portfolio.

This year, it became clearer where the tens of billions of dollars are heading. Brands that were uninterested in going electric while part of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles portfolio now have far more ambitious plans to move away from internal combustion engines.

Jeep is delivering two battery-electric utility vehicles in 2024 for the U.S. The Recon is a Wrangler-inspired trail cruiser that won't pollute the environment during off-road adventures, while the Wagoneer S is a stylish midsize crossover.

Dodge is reinventing itself for the electric transition with eco-friendly muscle. The performance brand previewed its future with the Charger Daytona SRT Concept, which delivers a growl that stands out from all the silent EVs out there today.

Ram is bringing out an electric 1500 pickup in 2024 after it launches a batte…

Dodge is going to look quite different in a few years.

The long-running Challenger and Charger muscle cars that tear up asphalt with an array of high-powered engines will roll down the line for the last time next year at Brampton Assembly in Ontario.

They'll give way to a new generation of electric performance in 2024, which the brand previewed with the Charger Daytona SRT Concept.

The upcoming Hornet, a fresh compact crossover entry, will be Dodge's first electrified model when it reaches dealerships next year. A gasoline version of the Hornet will join the lineup before the end of this year.

Charger: Dodge unveiled the electric Charger Daytona SRT Concept in August, providing a look into the brand's future. The noisy EV comes with an industry-first "exhaust" system for the segment and an 800-volt battery. It's slated to be released in 2024.

The final year of the muscular sedan in its current form will see numerous heritage-influe…

Six dealerships traded hands in five separate transactions in the first, second and third quarters.

Here's a look at the deals involving import and domestic dealerships and stores in Texas, Louisiana, Oregon and Minnesota.

McGavock Auto Group dealership acquired after failed sale to LMP

One of McGavock Auto Group's Texas dealerships that was slated to be included in a failed sale to auto retailer LMP Automotive Holdings Inc. has sold to a different owner.

Steve McGavock and his son Brent McGavock of McGavock Auto on June 1 sold McGavock Nissan Abilene to Dillon Clark and partners Trey Patterson, William Sparks and Richard Traweek, Dillon said.

The store was renamed Clark Nissan of Abilene and is Dillon's first dealership.

LMP in September 2021 said it planned to buy four Nissan dealerships in Abilene, Amarillo, San Marcos and Lubbock and an Infiniti store in Lubbock from Steve McGavock, principal of McGavock Auto.

The deal wa…

Daytona's Garage, an offshoot of a Stellantis dealership in Florida, has a "let's figure it out" approach when it comes to making dreams a reality for buyers with ambitious visions for customizing their vehicles.

This openness makes Daytona Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Ram's custom shop a loyalty-builder that generates excitement among customers, said dealership owner Randy Dye.

"We owe it to the customer to be able to help them beyond just selling the car and providing warranty work," he said. "So that has created a bit of fun, a bit of excitement, a bit of enthusiasm for the customer."

Sometimes, Daytona's Garage technicians end up getting ahead of the curve with their creations. Around six years ago, the team injected a jolt of horsepower into a Durango R/T that wouldn't become factory-available until the Durango Hellcat arrived in 2021.

It all started when a customer came in looking to equip a newly purchased R/T with a special hood. So the team went…

Increasing rumblings across social media suggest California has so many electric vehicles that last week's extreme heat drove the state's power grid to the brink. And so, these arguments contend, it is ludicrous to mandate additional EVs because the grid obviously can't handle it.

This commentary is just plain wrong and is being lazily offered up by some of the same voices that have shared other debunked EV myths. Batteries did not die in the 2021 snow-induced traffic shutdown in Virginia and it did not cost 10 times more to charge when cold weather caused the grid to fail in Texas. The upfront environmental impact of producing an EV does not outweigh the benefits of operating it over time.

So, is EV charging really pushing the California power grid to the brink?

No. It has nothing to do with EV charging.

The state is experiencing extreme heat, and for a few hours in the late afternoon, the electricity demand for cooling …

A manufacturing error led to a recall of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, according to NHTSA.

The rear door window trim bars may detach in several 2020-22 GLE and GLS models, including AMG and Maybach variants. An estimate in a Sept. 12 statement indicates about 161,000 vehicles are affected.

Dealers will inspect and fix the trim bars for free, a statement said. Owner notification letters will be sent on Nov. 11. Detached bars could cause a road hazard or increase the risk of a crash, NHTSA said.

“The fixation of the trim bar at the rear door windows might not meet specifications. Thus, the trim bar might separate from the vehicle while driving,” Robert Moran, a spokesperson for Mercedes-Benz, said in an e-mailed statement.

“An authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer will check the installation of the trim bars on the rear door windows and rework them, if necessary. Mercedes-Benz is neither aware of any case of material damage nor personal injury in connection wit…

WASHINGTON — This week four federal agencies agreed to work collectively to decarbonize the transportation sector — the nation's largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and a main cause of air pollution.

The EPA and Energy, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development departments signed a memorandum of understanding to combine efforts to advance affordable low- and zero-emission transportation options for all Americans and support President Joe Biden's goal of achieving net-zero emissions economy-wide by 2050.

The agencies plan to coordinate on policy while working closely with states, local communities, labor unions, the private sector and other key stakeholders. They've set high-level goals such as reducing air pollution, enabling an equitable transition to clean transportation, securing domestic supply chains, supporting U.S. jobs and leading the global decarbonization effort.

"A modernized transportation sector, equipped with accessible clean…