Trade News

TOKYO — Akio Toyoda is a man of many hats.

In addition to being president of Toyota Motor Corp., the world's biggest automaker and the company founded by his grandfather, he is also longtime chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, now serving as the face of the Japanese industry for a rare third term.

On the race circuit, Akio is known as Morizo, the free-spirited, speed-demon motorhead. Off track, he is the "master driver," iron chef and top taste tester for the flavor of the company's cars.

At the premium Lexus division, Toyoda was once called the chief branding officer. But more recently, he goes by another moniker: Brand Holder, or BH as they say internally.

On paper, Koji Sato — the chief engineer responsible for the super sexy Lexus LC sports coupe — is the president of Lexus International. But Akio the Brand Holder has a big influence.

The informal title is used inside Lexus to communicate Toyoda's vision as the…

BURTON, Mich. — General Motors' largest parts processing center is fulfilling the needs of car buyers of the 2010s while preparing its operations for the automaker's all-electric future.

"This plant is what I like to call ambidextrous. It's got the right hand moving at the same time the left hand is moving," said John Roth, GM's vice president of global customer care and aftersales. "You have this running the day-to-day element that needs to happen while you're planning for this future of EVs and additional models that are going to join the GM lineup. You're always looking ahead and trying to adapt and learn."

GM's Customer Care and Aftersales division is responsible for processing parts for vehicles two years before launch to vehicles that were on the market 10 years ago. Today, that scope ranges from all internal combustion vehicles, plus alternative powertrain models such as the Chevrolet Volt and Cadillac ELR from the 2010s, to the electri…

General Motors' venerable commercial vans, the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana, will likely go electric in 2026, forecasters say.

Production of the vans is expected to remain at GM's plant in Wentzville, Mo., when they become electric vehicles. One source expects GM to discontinue the gasoline-powered Express and Savana around the same time.

Automotive News reported last year that the vans could become EVs in 2026. No major updates are expected through 2025.

The current vans, based on a design from the early 1970s and also available as passenger haulers, have been overshadowed by newer models such as the Ford Transit, Ram ProMaster and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. The Express and Savana were last overhauled for the 1996 model year and received a major update in 2003.

Chevy delivered just 44,355 Express vans last year as the microchip shortage slowed production. In 2019, it sold more than 77,000 Express vans. Deliveries peaked in 2005 at 127,585, acc…

What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

"When I was younger, I pedaled the swan boats in the Boston Public Garden during the day, and then at night I would go to Fenway Park and sell concessions in the stands." — James Greene

"I am an avid musky fisherman — the fish of 10,000 casts — and spend most summer and fall weekends musky fishing at Chautauqua Lake in New York. In 2019, I was No. 1 in the men's division of the Muskies Inc. International for most musky caught and released — 134." — David Dragisic

"Many don't know I've been working since I was 13 to buy my own school supplies. Many don't know I absolutely hate chocolate and peanut butter. Many don't know I hate shopping. Many people don't know I love to crochet. Oh, also, many people don't know I'm absolutely fascinated by history." — Jasmine Figueroa

"I have like 50 animals. … I have chickens. I have ducks. We have turkeys. We have two cats…

In June, Amy Hitch started a new job at a larger dealership group.

As finance manager of three Laura Auto Group stores in Sullivan, Mo., Hitch aims to improve her skills so she can grow within her role. She got her start in auto finance and learned a lot in 10 years at her previous dealership, Hutcheson Ford in St. James, Mo., but Hitch is now looking for the additional training and development opportunities that can come with working for a bigger group.

While finance managers can earn a lot, money is not always the biggest motivator for satisfaction at work, Hitch said.

"If the employee knows they're valued, they're more likely to stay and more likely to work harder and care more about their customers in return," said Hitch, a 2022 40 Under 40 honoree. If an employee is happy in their job, "everybody that you come in contact with throughout the day notices those things."

Young dealership leaders recognized by Automot…

Get to know this year's 40 Under 40 honorees — and what they want in their careers

Here's some good news: Young dealership leaders tell us they generally feel supported at work to pursue professional development and career growth.

They want a mentor, training through workshops and conferences, and to feel challenged on the job.

Those are among the responses we received as part of a recent Automotive News survey of past and present 40 Under 40 recipients, and they provide important insights for dealers as we get ready to reveal this year's class of promising young dealership talent on Monday, July 11.

As younger generations enter the workforce, dealers should pay attention to what they desire from their employers — particularly now, when finding candidates to fill open jobs remains a challenge, but also to keep them engaged given high turnover rates in auto retail. Pay ranks high on their list, sure, but so does work-life balance, opportunity for…

A $60 million project that will feature garage condominiums along a 2.2-mile European-design driving circuit is getting underway in Michigan.

The developer of an "automotive country club" called Motorsports Gateway Howell says 75 percent of the 92 garage condos are reserved and that it aims to have the track ready for members to drive on by next summer.

A group of private investors is paying for the 273-acre project, which will have an automotive innovation business park, mixed-use zone for retail, entertainment and restaurants, and public nature trail.

"The idea that a new state-of-the-art track, that can have multiple configurations, is going to be so close to home is fantastic," Vince Messina, a founding garage condo owner, said in a statement.

Most amenities will be restricted to members, but the public will be able to access the automotive innovation business park as well as restaurants and retail areas.

The concept has been around f…

Electric vehicle startup Canoo has provided its first look at the transport vehicle it's developing for NASA's project to return astronauts to the moon.

Canoo, based in Arkansas, showed off the vehicles it won a contract to supply within the next year in two Instagram posts. The vehicles are designed to have enough room for four astronauts, three additional crew members and a driver, plus cargo space for equipment and cooling units.

The company plans to provide NASA with modified versions of the Lifestyle Vehicle it aims to begin selling to consumers this year or in early 2023.

They'll be used for Project Artemis, which has a 2025 goal of sending humans back to the moon for the first time since 1972. General Motors has partnered with Lockheed Martin to design the lunar rover that Project Artemis will use to traverse the moon's surface.

SUVs tend to cost more than sedans. But does the relation hold for traffic-law violations?

Perhaps in Germany.

A court in Frankfurt, according to Autoblog, has ruled that a driver who ran a red light should pay more than the usual fine because he was driving a sport utility vehicle. The verdict dated June 3 could set a precedent.

In its ruling, published late last month, the court ordered the driver to pay €350 ($365) — almost twice the regular fine of about $200 — for running a red light. It also imposed a one-month driving ban.

The court argued that the shape of the SUV, with its high, boxlike hood, meant the driving infraction posed a greater risk to pedestrians than if the defendant had driven a smaller car.

The verdict, which also took into account the defendant's previous driving convictions, can be appealed.

It's clean, it's environmentally kind and it's utterly indistinguishable from ordinary car paint.

But sometimes a technological innovation just makes you blink.

BMW and the global coatings supplier BASF are partnering to create vehicle paints out of bio-waste from sewage treatment plants.

The organic material replaces traditional petroleum-based building blocks, such as naphtha.

The solution will be used at BMW's factories in Leipzig, Germany, and Rosslyn, South Africa.

The companies claim the resulting corrosion protection and matte paint process lowers CO2 emissions by 40 percent.

BMW also points out that the process reduces the total consumption of fossil resources and avoids emissions associated with the production, transport and processing of crude oil.

"As we strive to secure the most sustainable supply chain in the automotive industry, we are working with all our suppliers to pinpoint potential CO2 savings," Dirk Bube…

The 4xe family of plug-in hybrid Jeeps dropped the SUV brand into the world of electrification for the first time.

This has created some interesting shopping behavior around the 4xe version of the Wrangler, a nameplate not known for being eco-friendly. The hybrid powertrain added a layer to the versatile utility vehicle, with its promise of quiet rides and 21 miles of electric range.

Edmunds cross-shopping data gives a peek into how the electrified Wrangler has broadened its reach and taken on some unlikely competitors.

The Wrangler 4xe is being researched alongside gasoline vehicles such as the Ford Bronco as well as battery-electric options.

It's no surprise that the Bronco is high on the list of competitors for the conventional Wrangler and the Wrangler 4xe. It was the most cross-shopped non-Jeep model and No. 2 overall for both versions in May on Edmunds.

But the Wrangler 4xe also is finding itself in competition with vehicles from To…