Bosch poised to spend $3 billion to help resolve chip needs

Bosch plans to invest more than $3 billion in its growing semiconductor business by 2026 in a bid to power its way clear of the world's gnarled supply chain of chips.

The investment will address a range of semiconductor industry needs, including the addition of testing centers, research into new kinds of chips and, most important, new chip-production capacity in Germany.

Over the past 18 months, a shortage of microchips has caused automakers around the world to cancel 13 million vehicles from production schedules, according to AutoForecast Solutions LLC.

But the bad news inside Bosch's aggressive plan: The investment won't all go to automobiles.

Bosch, the world's biggest auto parts supplier, has hundreds of mouths to feed in its sprawling global portfolio of electronic products, ranging from coffee makers and toasters to home security systems, power tools, video surveillance products and air conditioning units — on top of $49.14 billion in sales…

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V2X tech hindered by regulatory uncertainty, Alliance says

WASHINGTON — Regulatory uncertainty is delaying the widespread deployment in the U.S. of a technology that could improve road safety and provide environmental and efficiency benefits, according to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation.

In a webinar Tuesday, John Bozzella, CEO of the alliance, said the private sector is "heavily investing" in vehicle-to-everything — or V2X — technology but that the U.S. also needs "a regulatory and policy environment that supports and facilitates V2X adoption and use."

V2X allows vehicles on the road to communicate wirelessly with other vehicles and infrastructure such as traffic signals, but the technology has not yet been widely adopted by automakers and other stakeholders in U.S.

When connected, vehicles can transmit data such as GPS location, acceleration, predicted path and driver controls to other vehicles, and infrastructure can transmit data to those vehicles about upcoming hazards and road conditions, according…

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May Mobility partners with State Farm to help fund work with Toyota

Self-driving tech startup May Mobility has added to its Series C investment round and now raised funding totaling $111 million. The money will enable the company to add engineers and incorporate its system on a new vehicle platform.

The fresh funds will underpin the company's ongoing work with Toyota Motor Corp., which has been a longtime backer of the Ann Arbor, Mich.- based organization. May Mobility's work on autonomous Toyota Sienna minivans, called the Autono-MaaS will continue, with a commercial launch of service expected this year.

Further, May Mobility says it will begin preliminary work integrating its self-driving systems on the Toyota e-Palette, a battery-electric vehicle expected to someday operate in Toyota's Woven City — a prototype city of the future — and beyond.

New funding comes from State Farm Ventures, a subsidiary of the auto insurance company of the same name. Terms of its participation were not disclosed. May Mobility had said…

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Geely introduces electric pickup under new brand

SHANGHAI -- Zhejiang Geely Holding Geely on Tuesday unveiled a new electric pickup truck, targeting growing demand from city residents as coronavirus curbs fuel an interest in outdoor activities such as camping.

The Volvo owner also launched a new brand, Radar, at an online event on Tuesday where it showcased the first pickup, the RD6. It did not disclose the selling price but said it would have a driving range of more than 600 kilometers per charge.

"In an optimistic estimation, the annual sales of pickup trucks can reach 3 million units in China by 2030," Radar CEO Ling Shiquan told Reuters in an interview.

"More people are pursing a healthy lifestyle with more outdoor activities while the governments are also relaxing restrictions for pickups in cities. Those changes are supporting the growth of pickup trucks," Ling added.

Pickups are considered a niche segment in China where they are mostly used by farmers. They are still banned from most urb…

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CDK Global CEO Brian Krzanich steps down following Brookfield sale; Brian MacDonald named acting CEO

CDK Global Inc. CEO Brian Krzanich has resigned from the company following the completion of its sale last week to investment firm Brookfield Business Partners.

CDK said in a regulatory filing Tuesday that Krzanich, 62, notified the company last Wednesday that he would step down from his roles as president and CEO of the dealership technology giant based in Hoffman Estates, Ill., as of Monday, July 11. CDK said former CEO Brian MacDonald, who led the company from January 2016 to November 2018, took over the CEO role on an acting basis as of Monday.

"CDK is a mission-critical software platform for automotive commerce with a bright future, and I am excited about our path forward and accelerated growth," MacDonald, 57, said in a statement Tuesday.

The change is among several executive-level changes CDK disclosed Tuesday in the regulatory filing.

As of Monday, Joe Tautges, 46, no longer serves as COO but remains with the company as a special adviser t…

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Apotheosis Consulting Group provides compliant FI department support to automotive dealerships

BOSTON (PRWEB) JULY 03, 2022

Apotheosis Consulting Group recently launched their boutique style consulting program for Automotive dealership owners seeking to streamline their processes to increase compliance, efficiency, and profitability.

With more than 30 years of experience in the automotive industry, Apotheosis Consulting Group offers a unique and transparent approach to supporting automotive dealerships, offering tailored strategies and guidance to each individual dealership. Ensuring compliance in the finance and insurance department is one of their key deliverables.

“The finance and insurance department is an important part of the customer experience. Maintaining compliance in this area means that customers are better served with intelligent loan offers, transparent product offerings , and safe use of their data,” says a representative of Apotheosis Consulting Group. “This starts with a solid F and I compliance plan that monitors updates and chan…

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FCC authorizes phone companies to cut off likely auto warranty scam robocall campaign

WASHINGTON, July 7, 2022—The FCC’s Robocall Response Team today announced a series of actions to cut off a flood of possibly illegal robocalls marketing auto warranties targeting billions of consumers.  The FCC and its partners believe upwards of eight billion robocalls have been generated by Roy Cox, Jr., Aaron Michael Jones, their Sumco Panama companies, and international associates.  

Based on its investigation so far, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau told certain carriers to cease and desist carrying this possibly illegal traffic and ordered all networks to be on the lookout for this traffic.  Also, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel today confirmed that the Bureau has opened a formal case and are actively investigating these calls for possible legal violations.  This investigation involves multiple robocall investigatory partners including the Ohio Attorney General who today announced a lawsuit against this operation.

FCC Chairwoman Rosenwo…

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Openbay+ automotive repair and maintenance subscription service now available with vehicle service contract plans offered by Toco Warranty

Toco Warranty, a direct-to-consumer provider of vehicle service contracts (VSC), now includes Openbay+ to help its customers reduce the total cost of owning and operating their motor vehicles. Openbay+ is a subscription service that matches vehicle service contract holders with automotive service centers that deliver automotive repair and maintenance services at preferred pricing. Openbay+ is a separate offering and complementary to vehicle service contract plans. It provides discounts for vehicle repair and maintenance services not covered by vehicle service contracts.

Toco Warranty vehicle service contract holders get upfront pricing on general repair and maintenance services and can book appointments with nearby service professionals that offer up to 25% in discounts on parts and labor. Contract holders gain immediate access to Openbay+ as soon as they purchase their vehicle service contract from Toco Warranty. There is no waiting period.

Toco Warranty vehic…

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Rivian R1S: A promising second act

One automotive enthusiast site, Jalopnik, is calling it the rightful heir to the Toyota Land Cruiser.

Electric vehicle startup Rivian's quick follow-up to the R1T pickup is launching this summer: the R1S, which takes the same basic formula and running gear from the truck and packages it in a five- or seven-seat SUV.

The two models feature the same front end, dash, cabin and front seating. But one novelty in the R1T, the "gear tunnel" that stretches horizontally between the rear doors and the pickup bed, creating a decent amount of cargo space, has been scrapped on the R1S to move the rear wheels forward and make room for passengers in back.

Both the truck and SUV weigh around a hefty 7,000 pounds and rely on a 128.9-kilowatt-hour battery pack; four electric motors, one in each corner, to produce 835 hp — yes, 835 — and 908 pound-feet of torque.

It has 316 miles of range, according to EPA estimates, and fast-charging cap…

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Volkswagen latest automaker to partner with battery recycler Redwood

Volkswagen Group of America said Tuesday it will partner with battery recycling company Redwood Materials Inc.

Redwood, which was started by Tesla Inc. co-founder JB Straubel, already has partnered with Toyota, Ford, Volvo and Tesla to recycle batteries used by electric vehicles. Redwood also has partnerships with Panasonic and Amazon.

VW said in a statement that its tie-up with Redwood will create a network to recycle Volkswagen and Audi EV batteries in the U.S.

The announcement comes amid Volkswagen's commitment for 55 percent of its U.S. sales to be EVs by 2030. The statement said the companies will use Volkswagen's dealership network to recycle the batteries. At the stores, batteries will be analyzed; if they cannot be repaired, they will be shipped to Redwood's plant in Nevada.

"The collaboration can support local battery capacity and expertise as Volkswagen continues its transition to an electrified portfolio," the statement read.

Vol…

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Lordstown Motors, in another leadership shuffle, taps industry veteran Hightower as CEO

EV startup Lordstown Motors Corp. replaced its CEO with insider and automotive industry veteran Edward Hightower on Tuesday in a management shake-up aimed at ramping up efforts to start production of its pickup truck.

Hightower, president of the company since November, takes the reins from Daniel Ninivaggi who will become executive chairman and focus on partnerships and capital raising.

The former Ford Motor Co. and General Motors executive takes the helm at a crucial time for the 4-year-old company, which plans to start production of its Endurance pick-up truck with Foxconn in the third quarter.

While demand for electric vehicles has surged globally, supply chain disruptions and rising material costs have made it tough for companies to raise output and meet red-hot demand.

Lordstown Motors has also struggled with funding and had to sell certain assets to Taiwan-based Foxconn in May to secure capital essential for production.

The company …

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A fond farewell to Hyundai’s Ioniq hybrid

SEATTLE — As gasoline-electric hybrids go, the market hardly got to know the Ioniq, introduced in 2017, before Hyundai decided to pull the plug on the Toyota Prius rival.

Blame the market rush to full EVs, the pandemic or even the chip shortage that has left showrooms bare, but the Ioniq — a clever portmanteau that marries "ion" with "unique" — never seriously challenged the Prius.

With some good fortune, I recently spent some quality seat time in one and came away with a lot of respect for one of the auto industry's shortest-lived models.

Late last month, my wife and I flew to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as a starting point to explore Washington's three national parks.

When making the rental-car reservation months ago, I selected the option that allowed us to pick from an aisle of vehicles. It was a bit of a gamble, but the last time we scored a Hyundai Venue and enjoyed it.

We knew the trip would require a lot of driving from on…

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