Trade News – Page 626

Tundra engine may not be up to the job

TO THE EDITOR:

It looks like Toyota is going to miss the mark again (" 'World beater' Tundra hotly anticipated," autonews.com, Feb. 6). A hallmark of the big-truck market is variable power options. A one-size-fits-all 6-cylinder is great for the Tacoma midsize crowd, but most people buying a big truck, such as the Tundra, need large towing capacity like a turbodiesel or large-torque V-8.

I drive a Honda Ridgeline, which has more than lived up to expectations, and a Dodge Cummins that has unbelievable torque and great mileage. If only it had Toyota reliability. I would love to see Toyota or Honda build a powerhouse pickup. That, I believe, people would pay up for.

TERRY GARVIN, Delhi, Ohio

How industry can prepare for 3D printing’s future role

More than a century ago, the industrial genius of Henry Ford ushered in the era of modern manufacturing, fundamentally transforming how people around the world live, work and get around.

For generations, the principles of mass production have varied little across industries and products. But today, the manufacturing sector is at an inflection point.

This new era of transportation will be driven by three key trends.

1. Personalization. One-car-fits-most hasn't been the name of the game in the auto industry for a long time. Consumers want their cars to be seamless extensions of the rest of their lives — from integrating digital assistants such as Siri and Alexa to loading driver settings automatically based on who unlocks the door. That personalization is only accelerating thanks to advances such as 3D printing, which make it more practical — and affordable — to customize a vehicle's components to a customer's specifications.

2. Flexibility. With th…

Lincoln talks facilities, not electrification

Lincoln executives promised dealers that they were committed to electrification but declined to provide any new details.

The brand used its make meeting at the NADA Show to tout the company's progress on a facility program and thank dealers for their perseverance through the pandemic.

"The main message was really thanking the dealers for the incredible job with COVID and how it positioned us to get a fast start this year," Lincoln President Joy Falotico told Automotive News.

Falotico was joined by Kumar Galhotra, Ford's president of the Americas and International Markets Group; Lisa Drake, COO of North America; Elena Ford, chief customer experience officer; and Ford Credit CEO Marion Harris. New Chief Marketing Officer Suzy Deering joined for a panel discussion.

Executives stressed the importance of growing online sales and improving customer service experiences such as pickup and delivery.

"I think Lincoln is poised to handl…

F&I ‘not getting its fair due’ in digital retail

Elliot Schor has spent nearly 20 years at JM Family Enterprises, a company he hadn't heard of until shortly before he joined as an intern. In fact, he never thought he'd enter the automotive industry at all.

After graduating from the University at Albany, State University of New York, in 2001, where he toyed with the idea of entering medical school, the New York native traded bonds on Wall Street. He watched the planes crash into the World Trade Center on 9/11 from his Manhattan office.

After a few years, Schor departed New York, following a girlfriend to Miami and enrolling at the University of Miami in the process. That girlfriend, now his wife, suggested at the time he look for a job at one of the largest companies in the state — JM Family Enterprises.

"I'd never heard of Jim Moran," Schor said. "So I did some research."

Schor quickly landed an internship at the company. After completing his MBA, he was an analyst f…

Pardon me, but would you have any Bitcoin?

Is Bitcoin the Grey Poupon of the 2020s?

Whatever it is (seriously, we're still kind of trying to figure it out), there's apparently a good chance someone driving a Rolls-Royce might have some.

Billionaire Tilman Fertitta last week said his dealership, Post Oak Motor Cars in Houston, has sold 17 Bentleys and Rolls-Royces in exchange for the digital currency. He told CNBC that his employees had suggested accepting Bitcoin back in 2018.

"We've always talked about being innovative and ahead of everybody else and don't be a dinosaur around here or you won't last," said Fertitta, who's also CEO of dining and hospitality company Landry's Inc.

Fertitta was even ahead of Tesla, which told the Securities and Exchange Commission last week that it planned to start accepting Bitcoin "in the near future." In addition, Tesla said it had converted $1.5 billion from its balance sheet into Bitcoin.

Tesla's investment, and CEO…

Growing retail sales is Ford’s game plan

Ford Motor Co. executives told dealers they expect to grow retail sales to 1.7 million vehicles in 2021, a 13 percent year-over-year increase, even as a microchip shortage slows production and the ongoing pandemic hinders demand.

The automaker said it's aiming for its highest retail share growth in seven years, behind new products such as the Mustang Mach-E, Bronco Sport crossover and Bronco SUV. Ford said the volume goal for this year would represent 5 percent improvement over 2019.

Executives outlined the target during the company's NADA Show make meeting. Kumar Galhotra, Ford's president of the Americas and International Markets Group, was among the main speakers.

Others included Matt VanDyke, the incoming CEO of FordDirect; Marion Harris, CEO of Ford Motor Credit Co.; and Frederiek Toney, vice president of Global Ford Customer Service Division.

Executives touched on a still-under-construction e-commerce platform, Ford Express Buy. They also …

Nominations open for Automotive News’ 40 Under 40

For the 10th year, Automotive News is selecting a class of 40 Under 40 in auto retailing. We'll profile the honorees in the July 12 issue.

If you know someone under age 40 who is making a big impact at a new-car dealership in the U.S., we want to know. Self-nominations are welcome.

Go to autonews.com/40Under40 and complete the nomination form. We'll contact the nominees and ask them to tell us more about their automotive careers.

The deadline for nominations is March 31. Nominees must be younger than 40 as of July 12, 2021.

Ally is the exclusive sponsor of the program.

Japan chipmaker Renesas halts Ibaraki plant operations on quake checks

Japan’s Renesas Electronics Corp. said it halted operations at its Ibaraki factory to inspect the building’s clean rooms after a magnitude-7.3 earthquake late Saturday.

The chipmaker has power and all utility equipment is functioning, but it decided to cancel Sunday’s production for detailed inspections of the clean rooms as a precaution, the company’s spokeswoman said. It remains unclear when operations would resume.

The Ibaraki factory was forced to shut down for three months after the 2011 earthquake, which destroyed the building. The Renesas spokeswoman said the building looked fine, but she declined to comment on the resumption as employees have only just started inspecting the clean rooms.

There is a worldwide shortage of semiconductors amid booming demand for electronics, and some auto manufacturing lines have been brought to a standstill as a result. Virus-related supply bottlenecks have compounded the problem, leaving chipmakers pouring billions…

Tesla will bring EV plant to southern India, reports say

BANGALORE -- Billionaire Elon Musk's Tesla Inc. will set up an electric-car manufacturing unit in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, according to a government document seen by Reuters on Saturday.

"The U.S. firm Tesla will be opening an electric car manufacturing unit in Karnataka," the state government said in a brief statement.

The statement was part of a broader document outlining the highlights of India's budget to its people in the local language of Kannada.

The Press Trust of India also reported that the southern state’s chief minister B S Yediyurappa announced the plan.

Last month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, tweeted “as promised” in response to a report on a Tesla-focused blog that the automaker was in talks with several Indian states to open an office, showrooms, an R&D center and possibly a factory in India.

Last month, the EV maker incorporated Tesla Motors India and Energy Private Limited with its regi…

Building the software and simulation tools that accelerate autonomy (Episode 84)

Qasar Younis and Peter Ludwig, the CEO and CTO, respectively, at Applied Intuition, discuss their efforts to create the next-generation tools needed to develop and test driver-assist systems and AVs. Plus, the two discuss their Detroit roots and how best to bridge the Motor City and Silicon Valley.

How do I subscribe?

Apple Podcasts: “Shift: A podcast about mobility” is available on the iTunes Store and through the ‘Podcast’ app pre-installed on all iOS devices. Click here to subscribe.

Spotify: "Shift: A podcast about mobility" can be streamed through Spotify on your desktop, tablet or mobile device. Click here to subscribe.

Google Play: "Shift: A podcast about mobility" is available on Android devices through the Google Play store. Click here to subscribe.

Chip shortage toll: 450,000 vehicles and counting, analyst firm says

The semiconductor shortage cost the auto industry at least 450,000 units of lost production just in January and February, analyst firm LMC said.

Pete Kelly, LMC managing director, said the issue would linger through the first half, but ultimately probably would not affect annual output.

He said, however, that the chip shortfall was different than other supply chain disruptions because the industry was competing with other bidders for semiconductor makers' product.

"What's different this time is that the lead times for additional capacity seem to be longer, and also there remains competition for that capacity from other industries," such as consumer electronics, Kelly said in an online seminar on Thursday.

"This is likely to take longer to resolve than other previous supply chain disruptions" such as explosions, strikes or natural disasters, which normally play out in a quarter or two, he said. Still, he said, "most of the effects" should play out…

Jeep using augmented reality to tantalize shoppers in new ways

Before Jeep fans buy a Wrangler 4xe to take off road, they can see how it fits in their garage next to their kayaks and camping gear while doing research.

The only thing they need is a smartphone.

Jeep is one of several automakers experimenting with a budding augmented reality tool for mobile Google searches that allows users to conduct virtual walkarounds of new models, check out color options, view the interiors in some cases and place the vehicles in a consumer's everyday environment. This augmented experience is available to Android and iOS users.

The highly searched Wrangler's popularity made it a good fit for this experience, said Tom Laymac, director of global digital marketing for Jeep parent Stellantis.

Laymac said Google approached the automaker about trying the technology. A cloud-based augmented-reality experience for the Wrangler plug-in hybrid initially was tested during the virtual CES in January.