Trade News

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…

The Chinese new-vehicle market expanded significantly in June after anti-pandemic measures were lifted and tax incentives became widely available, with wholesale volume jumping 24 percent to nearly 2.5 million following steep declines in May and April.

The market rebound was driven by deliveries of new light vehicles, which surged 41 percent to top 2.2 million last month, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers released on Monday show.

The sales surge came after Shanghai -- China’s financial center and industrial hub -- lifted a two-month lockdown and the central Chinese government rolled out temporary tax incentives for gasoline vehicles on June 1. 

Under the incentive program, vehicle purchase taxes were halved to 5 percent for new gasoline new light vehicles with engine sizes of up to 2.0 liters and priced at 300,000 yuan ($44,709) or below.

In June, the market for new commercial vehicles including buses and trucks rema…

Volkswagen Group’s software unit Cariad believes one of the ways the automaker can monetize future software developments is by offering customers pay-as-you-go autonomous driving technology.

“There is a new business model already out there -- a subscription model, or function-on-demand -- where you can drive autonomously if you want, for the next 50 miles. We would support that, “ Cariad CEO Dirk Hilgenberg told Bloomberg in an interview.

Although VW does not yet offer either Level 4 or Level 5 self-driving options, Hilgenberg said it was possible to see that the service would allow the automaker the opportunity to offer other services to consumers who are freed from driving the vehicle.

“You have to make sure to have what we call a digital services platform that lets the outside world in -- Google, Apple, Amazon -- where you can bring your accounts to stream and be entertained, or where you can work with office products, do a videoconference or prepare…

BMW's fourth-generation X3 compact crossover will feature the brand's upsized signature kidney grille and slimmer LED lights, according to photos of a heavily camouflaged prototype spied in Germany.

The X3 is BMW's second-bestselling model in the U.S., accounting for 21.4 percent of total sales in the first half of 2022.

The redesigned model should go into production in August 2024 at BMW's factory in Spartanburg, S.C., with U.S. deliveries beginning in late 2024, according to AutoForecast Solutions.

BMW will offer multiple versions of the upcoming X3 globally, including all-electric, plug-in hybrid and M performance variants.

It's unclear whether BMW will build the next-generation battery-powered iX3 on the current model's Cluster Architecture platform or hold off until 2025, when the automaker unveils an all-electric Neue Klasse architecture.

The Neue Klasse platform will play "a crucial part" in ramping up EV sales for the company, BMW…

LAKEWOOD, Colo. — When they first came together during a college competition at the University of Wisconsin, three friends eschewed the school's three decades of internal combustion racing history and instead formed its first electric racing team.

Their inexperience was no hindrance.

"We threw ourselves into the deep end," said Max Liben. "It was, 'All right, how do you make an electric vehicle?' "

From that formative turn in the 2017 Formula SAE electric competition, Liben and his cohorts, Jason Sylvestre and Eric Maciolek, quickly learned. As a result of that competition and another the following year, they founded their own company based on those underpinnings.

The startup aims to pack a lot of power into a lightweight package by developing high-performance integrated motor drives that combine the motor, inverter and gearbox into a single unit in a cohesive fashion they say is unlike anything else available today, offering lighter weight and …

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…