Trade News

The nation's largest new-vehicle retailer is commencing a multimillion-dollar "Go Be Great" advertising campaign that it says coincides with an employee retention and recruitment effort.

Auto retail giant AutoNation Inc. said on Tuesday that it was launching the campaign, featuring its employees, on television stations including ESPN, CNBC and NBC ahead of the Indianapolis 500 race on Sunday. AutoNation is a sponsor of Indy 500 driver Helio Castroneves, who is seeking a record fifth Indy 500 win. The race airs Sunday on NBC.

The campaign, which also will appear in radio, print, online and in social media, was developed by AutoNation, I Think Studios and Zimmerman Advertising.

Marc Cannon, AutoNation's chief customer experience officer, in an email to Automotive News, did not specify how many millions of dollars the retailer plans to spend on the campaign.

Cannon said the ads highlight AutoNation employees, "the people wh…

The National Automobile Dealers Association and several state associations are reaching out to Volkswagen Group of America looking for assurances on how the German automaker's new Scout brand will be retailed in the U.S., and making sure any plan doesn't violate state franchise laws, Automotive News has learned.

In announcing creation of the Scout brand on May 11, Herbert Diess, CEO of VW Group, said the automaker's plan was to build a "separate, independent company" to operate the brand, sharing a sketch of a future battery electric SUV and pickup. But Diess made no mention of how the U.S.-made vehicles would be distributed in the market, leaving concerned dealers wondering whether the new brand with products they have long coveted would either sell direct to consumers or be a competing franchise.

In a letter dated Tuesday to Scott Keogh, CEO of VW Group of America, NADA CEO Mike Stanton addressed the lack of information from the Scout announcement and urged …

Executive Editor Jamie Butters and Kellen Walker give you the top headlines and and Stellantis reaches a plea deal in the U.S. emissions fraud probe, EV surge adds to pressure on supply chains, and Hyundai recalls vehicles due to concerns over exploding seat belt components. Plus, Automotive News reporter Lindsay VanHulle explains the Bob Brockman tax evasion case. 

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MODENA, Italy – The Maserati MC20 Cielo, the roadster version of the MC20 coupe, looks set to help Stellantis' only luxury brand return to a healthy level of profitability. 

The MC20 Cielo will be Stellantis' most expensive model. In Germany, Europe's biggest market, it will cost at 260,000 euros ($277,300).

The supercar is expected to go on sale in the first quarter of next year in Europe followed by a U.S. launch in the second quarter. The Cielo name means “sky” in Italian.

The MC20 Cielo is 30,000 euros more expensive than the MC20 coupe, which costs 230,000 euros in Germany, currently the highest price tag of any vehicle among Stellantis’ 14 brands.

The MC20 Cielo is the second new Maserati model unveiled this year after the Grecale midsize SUV. 

“We are in acceleration mode,” Maserati CEO Davide Grasso said at the Cielo's unveiling at the brand's factory in Modena.

Maserati will unveil a third new m…

DENVER — As the U.S. Energy Department sets goals and targets for decarbonizing industry writ large, it also is taking steps to shed carbon from its own operations.

The department will spend $38 million to reduce carbon emissions at four of its 17 national laboratories. The initiative comes as the White House seeks to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions no later than 2050, and it is expected to serve as a blueprint for other labs and hard-to-decarbonize industries.

It's one part of an ongoing effort to promote clean-energy technology both within the transportation industry and beyond.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm unveiled the Net Zero Labs Pilot Initiative on Wednesday while speaking at the ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit in Denver. She is expected to tour the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., on Wednesday afternoon.

The national laboratories are among the most power-hungry facilities in the federal government. They …

As it was still trying to get past its 2015 global diesel emissions scandal, Volkswagen of America in 2019 unleashed a new campaign called “Drive Something Bigger than Yourself” that touted causes ranging from water conservation to highway traffic de-congestion.

Now, with the scandal mostly in its rearview window, VW is taking a decidedly lighthearted turn with a new round of ads and social media and influencer work that attempts to reclaim the clever, witty tone of the brand’s past. At the same time, VW is executing a more flexible media buying plan to deal with the unpredictability of today’s automotive market caused by supply chain issues.

“It’s time to refresh and reboot” and make “something folks can relate to on an everyday level,” Kimberley Gardiner, senior vice president of marketing at VW of America, said in an interview. “When our work has a bit of that Volkswagen smile, that wink, it feels clever, it doesn’t take itself completely seriously and it s…

DETROIT — Speaking to a gathering of automotive industry professionals gathered a conference on diversity, equity and inclusion, General Motors' top DE&I executive encouraged the audience to create "self sustaining" workplace environments that foster such initiatives.

"It means that we've created an environment that will sustain itself, and what we aim to do at General Motors and I know what many of us are aiming to do is to walk into a world where everyone owns equity and inclusion," said Telva McGruder, GM's chief DE&I officer. "Not the DEI team, not [human resources] … literally everyone and when you get to that point, then we can really talk about sustainable diversity."

McGruder on Tuesday delivered the keynote address at the fifth annual Rev Up 2030 DE&I summit in suburban Detroit, presented by The Center for Automotive Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. The daylong program consisted of networking opportunities and panel discussions among lead…

Lithia Motors Inc. sold one of its Subaru dealerships in the second quarter, while Dobbs Equity Partners' auto retail portfolio entered a new state late last year and a dealership group bought its third franchised store in the first quarter.

Here's a look at the deals involving import and domestic stores and dealerships in Montana, Indiana and Ohio. One transaction involved an auto retailer ranked on Automotive News' top 150 dealership groups list.

Lithia Motors Inc. divested a Subaru dealership in Montana earlier this month.

The publicly traded auto retailer on May 4 sold Lithia Subaru of Great Falls to Jeremy Day Automotive Group, Tom Dobry, Lithia's vice president of marketing, confirmed to Automotive News in an email.

The dealership was renamed Great Falls Subaru.

Great Falls Subaru currently is Jeremy Day's only dealership and marks his return to store ownership, according to Greg Krueger, partner at Sterling Mergers and Acquisitions…

Hackers compromised some online accounts of General Motors customers in April, potentially accessing addresses, phone numbers and other personal information, according to a data breach notice filed with California regulators.

In a letter to affected customers, GM said it identified suspicious login attempts to an unspecified number of accounts between April 11 and April 29. The intrusions allowed hackers in some cases to redeem gift cards using reward points.

It was unclear how many accounts were affected, although the California Attorney General’s Office reported that nearly 5,000 breach letters were sent to state residents. Social Security numbers and driver’s license details weren’t compromised, the company said.

GM told customers that hackers didn’t obtain passwords from GM’s systems but rather pilfered them from other websites where customers might reuse their login credentials. The company recommended its customers reset their passwords and use u…

Sales of electrified vehicles – full-electric and plug-in hybrids -- doubled globally in 2021 to 6.6 million, but that rapid growth has further stretched supply chains already threatened by the pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine, the International Energy Agency said in its annual electric vehicle outlook report.

Essential materials such as lithium, nickel and cobalt are particularly at risk, the IEA said, noting that prices for lithium – an essential component of EV batteries – were seven times higher in May than they were at the start of 2021. Cobalt prices more than doubled, and nickel prices almost doubled.

That surge was a result of "unprecedented" battery demand and "a lack of structural investment in new supply capacity," the report said.

That has had a direct impact on the price of batteries, which make up about one-third of the cost of new EVs. Battery prices fell by 6 percent to $132 per kilowatt in 2021, a slower rate of decline than 2020’s …

Executive Editor Jamie Butters and Kellen Walker give you the top headlines and a new EV battery plant is coming to the Hoosier state. Shanghai’s COVID lockdown is causing more problems for Toyota. And a federal judge says Bob Brockman must stand trial for tax evasion. Plus, more on Stellantis' tanking supplier relations with Automotive News' Lindsay Chappell.

How do I subscribe?

Can't wait to hear the next episode of "Daily Drive"? Subscribe through a podcast app to receive episodes days in advance. If you don't have a podcast app already, here are some options. 

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“Daily Drive” is available on the iTunes Store and through the ‘Podcast’ app pre-installed on all iOS devices. Click here to subscribe to "Daily Drive"

Android

“Daily Drive” is available on the Google Play store. Click here to subscribe to "Daily Drive"

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WASHINGTON -- Hyundai Motor America said it will recall 281,000 vehicles in North America over seat belt pretensioners that could explode and project metal fragments, causing injuries.

The recall, which comes after three injury reports, covers some 2019-2022 Accent, 2021-2023 Elantra, and 2021-2022 Elantra hybrid vehicles. In the event of a crash, front driver or passenger-side seat-belt pretensioners could explode upon deployment. Dealers will secure seat-belt pretensioners with a cap.

Seat-belt pretensioners are part of the a system that locks the seatbelt in place during a crash to provide additional protection to occupants.

This recall expands and replaces four earlier recalls. All Accent, Elantra, and Elantra HEV vehicles already repaired under the previous recalls will need to have the new recall fix completed, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday.

The new recall includes 239,000 vehicles in the U.S. and about 42,0…