Trade News

CarLotz Inc., one of several online used-vehicle upstarts to benefit from pandemic-fueled momentum, is shuttering 11 stores — half of its brick-and-mortar locations — as it dials back growth plans.

The used-vehicle consignment company, in announcing the move this week, blamed vehicle sourcing snafus and said it needed to preserve cash.

The decision to close the stores followed a "strategic review" that showed such a move was necessary to ensure future profitability. Closing those "hubs," as CarLotz calls them, will reduce the company's work force by 25 to 30 percent. CarLotz had 492 employees at the end of 2021.

CarLotz also said it was having trouble sourcing vehicles, a situation that might improve if there are fewer hubs to focus on, CEO Lev Peker said in a news release. The company will look to ramp up the number of vehicles it sources directly from consumers, reducing its reliance on auctions.

"While decisions that impact our teammates are …

A federal judge in California has issued a preliminary injunction in favor of Kia America Inc. and against the would-be seller and purported buyer of a dealership in Palmdale.

U.S. District Judge James Selna found a likelihood of consumer confusion if franchisee Rally Auto Group and would-be purchasers Alam Khan and his Dalia Auto Group continue to use Kia's trademark and other intellectual property.

"The preliminary injunction means that the Dalia defendants are prohibited from continuing to operate the dealership," said James Mulcahy, a franchise law expert in Irvine, Calif., who is not involved in the litigation.

Defense lawyer Victor Danhi said, "Despite the successful sale of its GMC, Cadillac, Buick, Hyundai and Genesis franchises to Dalia Auto Group, with the consent of those manufacturers — including Hyundai Motor Co., Kia's parent company — Kia withheld its consent to the sale of Rally Kia to Dalia Auto Group, a successful dealership group owne…

Swedish automotive supplier Veoneer is being prepared for sale by SSW Partners, people with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg.

The closely held investment firm founded by three big-name financial executives is working with advisers on the sales process, which is likely to begin in the coming months, said the people, who asked not to be identified because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly.

SSW could sell the entire business to one buyer or consider divesting the two pieces separately, the people said.

The assets include the active safety unit, which supplies radars, cameras and lidar, and the restraint-control systems unit, including electronics for airbags and seat belts. The timing and structure of any deal could change, they said.

SSW was founded in 2021 by former Lazard bankers Antonio Weiss and Josh Steiner as well as former Goldman Sachs Group executive Eric Schwartz. Steiner is chairman of Castleton Commodities International a…

<!--*/ */ /*-->*/ Einride cleared to operate on public U.S. roads, will start in Tennessee this year

Swedish autonomous-truck startup Einride has received regulatory approval to operate its trucks on public U.S. roadways and will begin doing so this year, the company said Thursday.

Einride will launch a pilot program in Tennessee with GE Appliances in the third quarter. The project will help the self-driving truck company showcase the ability of its Pod truck, which is built without a traditional front cab. The company said it received the go-ahead to drive on public roadways from NHTSA.

Einride CEO Robert Falck said gaining NHTSA approval is a significant moment for the company as it looks to expand its presence in the U.S. Einride opened its U.S. headquarters in New York in October and began setting up regional operations in California and Austin, Texas.

"For us, it's all about scaling from here on out," Falck told Automotive News.

…

General Motors' autonomous driving unit Cruise has started charging fares for driverless rides in San Francisco, the company said on Thursday, a step towards commercialization of the service.

Cruise earlier this month became the first company to secure a permit to charge for self-driving car rides in the U.S. city, after it overcame objections by local officials.

Self-driving test cars with human safety drivers have become a constant sight in San Francisco, and completely driverless ones are increasingly common too. Turning them into a fledgling business in a major U.S. city marks a milestone in the long, delayed journey toward driverless taxi service.

The fared driverless rides are currently taking place in the northwest third of the city, the self-driving tech firm said on Thursday, adding that it would expand the service.

SHANGHAI – An urgent need to revive economic growth and consumer spending in the wake of the recent wave of coronavirus infections has prompted Beijing to take a big step and fix a long-standing problem that has undermined used-vehicle sales.

The State Council, China’s cabinet, on Wednesday set a Aug. 1 deadline for all provincial governments to eliminate restrictions on residents’ purchase of used vehicles from other provinces.

China overtook the United States in 2009 as the world’s largest new-vehicle market. But the Chinese used-vehicle market remains underdeveloped.

Last year, some 13.98 million used light vehicles, including sedans, crossovers, SUVs, multi-purpose vehicles and minibuses, changed hands in China, according to a tally from the China Automobile Dealers Association.

By contrast, sales of new light vehicles industrywide approached 21.5 million in 2021.

The potential and opportunities in the used-vehicle market are also refle…

Volkswagen Group, the largest carmaker in China, is adopting a new management structure to create more autonomy and direct oversight, while accelerating decision-making in the key country. 

The changes, effective Aug. 1, are intended to give company executives “greater autonomy to further strengthen its leading position in the dynamic automotive market,” the German group said on June 17.

VW Group has started to convert its broad global car and light-truck lineup across multiple brands to electric-only and faces increased competition from Tesla Inc. and other EV startups, as well as global giants such as General Motors, and China’s traditional carmakers who have made important strides in styling and quality in recent years. 

The core of the new organization will be a China management board, chaired by Ralf Brandstätter, now CEO of the VW brand globally. 

Other members of the board will include the CEOs of the Audi and VW brands in Ch…

Honda Motor Co. has started building an electric-vehicle factory at its joint venture with local partner GAC Motor Co. in the south China city of Guangzhou.

The project is part of the Japanese automaker’s plan to ramp up EV production in China by adding one dedicated EV plant at each of its two local joint ventures. 

The 3.49 billion-yuan ($520 million) plant is slated to begin output in 2024 with initial annual capacity of 120,000 EVs, Honda’s China office said this week.

In January, Honda signed an agreement with local partner Dongfeng Motor Group to construct a similar EV plant in the central China city of Wuhan. 

The Wuhan factory is also scheduled to start production in 2024 with initial annual capacity of 120,000 EVs.

Honda recently launched China sales of the first two locally produced models developed on a new EV platform known as the e:N Architecture F. Both vehicles are compact crossovers.

In April, the e:NS1, ass…

American Honda Motor Co. is recalling 112,060 vehicles in the U.S. after the discovery of a frame defect that could increase the risk of fire.

The recall affects 2006-14 Honda Ridgeline models sold or registered in the "salt-belt" region of the country, locations where de-icing agents are applied to roads during the winter.

Honda said an investigation revealed that accumulation of de-icing agents and other debris on the rear frame, where the fuel tank is mounted, could cause the mounting bands to corrode and separate. This could result in fuel leakage and fire risk if the fuel tank is damaged.

Honda said in a statement Tuesday that the company is not aware of any fuel leaks, accidents or injuries related to the defect.

Remedies will be determined based on the corrosion level of the frame, and Honda will "explore repurchase of vehicles on a case-by-case basis."

Honda notified dealers on June 17 and will begin notifying owners on August 1. Read more

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Government Accountability Office in the coming months will examine "right to repair" issues involving the auto industry, the congressional watchdog confirmed Wednesday.

In an email to Automotive News, spokesman Chuck Young said the office accepted a request last week to study the topic and plans to begin the effort in about six months "when relevant staff complete other work and become available."

The action comes after Rep. Jan Schakowsky urged the GAO to examine "federal agencies' efforts to ensure consumers' right to repair" with respect to light-duty cars and trucks.

The Illinois Democrat asked the GAO to study how federal agencies might balance considerations such as "addressing cybersecurity risks that may be associated with greater access to vehicle data and whether technology exists to ensure both data access and cybersecurity protections," according to a letter sent June 6 to GAO Comptroller General Gene Dodaro.

Scha…

Spitzer Management Inc., which does business as Spitzer Autoworld, on June 1 acquired two dealerships in northern Pennsylvania, according to the stores' seller Brian Wasko.

Spitzer of Elyria, Ohio, bought St. Marys Ford and St. Marys Chevrolet-GMC in St. Marys, Pa., from Wasko of St. Marys Auto Group.

St. Marys is northeast of Pittsburgh.

Wasko told Automotive News in an email that Spitzer also is slated to buy his St. Marys Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram-Fiat dealership.

The two dealerships were renamed Spitzer Ford St. Marys and Spitzer Chevrolet-GMC of St. Marys.

The acquisition follows growth last year for Spitzer, which in October bought Ford-Lincoln and Honda dealerships from Greg Murray in DuBois, Pa., also northeast of Pittsburgh. In January 2021, the group acquired Rick Case Hyundai-Genesis of Cleveland and Rick Case Honda in Euclid, Ohio, from Rick Case Automotive Group.

In fall 2020, Spizer acquired Chevy-Buick-GMC-Cadillac and…

Dodge says it's going to be an electric summer.

The Stellantis performance brand plans to preview future products in August during what it calls Speed Week.

It kicks off Aug. 12 with a press preview for the MotorTrend Presents Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge event that takes place the next day. Roadkill Nights spotlights muscle car culture with legal drag racing, vehicle displays and Hellcat thrill rides with professional drivers.

Dodge plans a series of product announcements from Aug. 15 to 17 in the lead-up to suburban Detroit's Aug. 20 Woodward Dream Cruise, where the brand will have a display for the first time since 2019.

Dodge says it will make "current muscle announcements" on Aug. 15. The next day will see "gateway muscle" updates before "future muscle" plans are unveiled on Aug. 17.

Dodge's electric muscle car concept is expected to be among the reveals. The brand is launching a battery-electric muscle car in 2024.

Dodge CE…