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Tesla is rolling out offers of cash and other perks for buyers who get referred by existing customers. Mercedes joins Tesla's charging network. Plus, Pied Piper CEO Fran O’Hagan talks about enhancing retail customer loyalty with frictionless service call processes.

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When a customer calls to make a service appointment at a Group 1 Automotive dealership, there's a roughly 95 percent chance their call will be answered within 20 seconds and only a 2 percent chance the call will go unanswered.

Stats like that explain why the nearly 150 participating Group 1 stores ranked first in handling service appointment calls in a study by Pied Piper Management Co. from January to May. The study relied on "mystery shoppers" who posed as customers while calling 1,739 stores owned by 17 of the largest dealership groups in the U.S. to schedule service appointments.

The secret sauce for Group 1's success? A dedicated call center in Houston that employs 160 phone agents. They typically handle 130,000 to 150,000 calls a month, said Mike Jones, senior vice president of aftersales.

Group 1 created the phone center in 2011. At that time, service advisers answered the phones. But because advisers are so busy, about 30 …

There are many reasons why I love working in the automotive industry, but among the top ones is the way it is constantly transforming. From autonomous vehicles to new energy sources and beyond, innovations are ushering in an exciting new era.

Of all the ways our industry is evolving, though, there's one in particular I find especially exciting: Everywhere you look, automotive professionals are becoming increasingly diverse.

As a proud Canadian of Pakistani descent, helping with the growth of diverse representation in this industry is a goal I'm deeply passionate about. But supporting diversity isn't just the right thing to do — it's also the best thing for your business.

As an automotive dealer, you have options when it comes to the partners you work with. From parts suppliers, to marketing services, to mergers and acquisitions partners, collaborating with diverse teams can benefit your business.

Curious to learn more? Here are five ways choosin…

Automotive in-cabin technology and occupant monitoring systems are set for a major expansion with the development of software-defined vehicles.

Smart Eye's Driver Monitoring System is already counting on that. A recent update of its system, which is installed in more than 1 million vehicles globally, will remotely monitor drivers' heart rates and respiration rates.

That and similar technologies will become as common as airbags and seat belts, according to Massachusetts Institute of Technology transportation researcher Bryan Reimer.

Vehicles with head-up displays featuring holographic technology, sensors that could detect if a driver left a baby in a car or mirrors that can sense if a driver is drowsy are among the many in-cabin sensors unveiled by automakers in recent years and are just a sampling of what will become available, Reimer said.

Reimer said he could even envision a sensor that warns someone not to drive…

<!--*/ */ /*-->*/ Plug a non-Tesla into a Supercharger? It's not so simple

From the wiring to the sheet metal to the software, automakers that plan to adopt Tesla's plug for their own EVs have bigger design and engineering challenges than just changing the receptacle in the charge port.

So far, General Motors, Ford, Rivian and Volvo have committed to adopting Tesla's North American Charging Standard plugs. Stellantis and Hyundai have said they are considering making the same move. Those plug receptacles are scheduled to start appearing on non-Tesla EVs in 2025.

While Tesla's smaller North American Charging Standard receptacle easily fits behind the charge port doors on other brands' vehicles, engineers have some work to do. And onboard software enabling non-Tesla vehicles to communicate with Tesla chargers has to be created, tested, validated and integrated.

The goal, said Sam Abuelsamid, principal research analyst at Guidehouse Insights,…

General Motors' electric Hummer — a nameplate with military roots — is the foundation for GM Defense's Electric Military Concept Vehicle.

The GM subsidiary introduced the vehicle,, based on the GMC Hummer EV pickup, in June at the Modern Day Marine expo in Washington, D.C. Built on GM's Ultium battery platform, the military vehicle has a 24-module double-stacked battery pack that provides more than 200 kilowatt-hours of power and a GM-estimated range of more than 300 miles, according to the automaker.

A three-motor propulsion system offers two rear motors and a single motor in the front and produces a GM-estimated 1,000 hp and 11,500 pound-feet of torque — similar to the 2023 Hummer EV pickup for retail buyers.

The vehicle is equipped for off-road use, including performance shocks, 37-inch tires and improvements in approach and departure angles. It offers an onboard 12-kilowatt diesel generator, which GM says can generate electricity…

For suppliers with diverse ownership, there are bridges to success in the auto industry just waiting to be crossed.

General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis are among automakers that have helped diverse suppliers along on their journeys as they work to develop a rich ecosystem of service providers that can be partners for years to come. Prime examples are the supply chain stalwarts at Detroit's James Group, and DFM Solutions, a Detroit operation that specializes in facilities and construction management.

GM, the first automaker to begin a minority supplier program in 1968, spends around $7 billion annually with diverse suppliers. The former Chrysler Corp., now Stellantis, founded its minority supplier program in 1983 and has spent more than $100 billion with diverse suppliers since. Ford has spent more than $161 billion since 1978, the year it officially created its supplier diversity program. Ford's supplier diversity initiative was a byproduct of the in…

Power-thirsty electric big rigs will soon need places to charge up.

Charging company TeraWatt Infrastructure intends to become a prime destination as truck operators begin to electrify their fleets. The San Francisco startup tailors its charging stations for fleets, often heavy-duty trucks.

TeraWatt Infrastructure has raised $1.1 billion and aims to have its first charging station operational by the end of the year. Neha Palmer, the company's CEO and co-founder, recently joined Automotive News News Editor Pete Bigelow on "Shift: A Podcast About Mobility" to discuss TeraWatt's business strategy and plans.

Below is an excerpt from their conversation, edited for brevity.

Q: There are a lot of charging companies, but TeraWatt has a distinct business strategy focused on a single niche. Can you tell us about that?

A: We start with fleets first, and build our solutions around the complex needs of fleets. Something that's key for fleets and maybe …

A deadly fire breaks out on a cargo ship carrying 1,200 new and used vehicles in New Jersey. Pickup sales thrust Ford to double-digit gains in Q2. And PHINIA CEO Brady Ericson talks about the company’s spin-off from BorgWarner and its new listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

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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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Learn about the four stages that can foster a supply chain's digital journey and help OEMs and tier suppliers develop better sense-and-respond capabilities to address today's automotive supply chain.

4 Key Takeaways

Build supply chain resiliency Address the volatility in today’s automotive supply chain Understanding of the sequential stages of the supply chain’s digital journey Develop better sense-and-respond capabilities

Ford Motor Co.'s U.S. sales increased 9.9 percent in the second quarter, as F-Series pickup volume jumped to the highest level in nearly three years.

Sales increased 11 percent for the Ford brand while declining 15 percent for Lincoln. In June, the Ford brand achieved a 17 percent increase to mark its seventh consecutive monthly gain and sixth straight month as the nation's top-selling brand. Lincoln snapped a three-month losing streak with a gain of 0.6 percent in June.

Ford sold 212,516 F-Series pickups in the second quarter, 34 percent more than a year ago and the most for any quarter since 2020. Ford attributed the increase to the launch of the redesigned Super Duty and improved inventory flow.

Nearly 4,500 of those trucks were the electric F-150 Lightning, 4.1 percent more than in the first quarter. The company's overall EV sales rose 36 percent in June, with Mustang Mach-E volume more than doubling from a year ago.

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"In a recent survey by Forbes, Generation Z listed mental wellness as their primary focus going forward. It's the first time that survey has ever been performed on a generation and [the priority] wasn't income. ... We got a technician shortage — and I believe it's not necessarily a technician shortage, it's an apprentice shortage. And I look at it as apprentices or any technician that's got less than five years of experience. We want new people into our trade. Well, that's Generation Z. If their focus is mental wellness, so should our focus be. What can we do as leaders to improve the environment around these folks so that they have less anxiety, less stress, less conflict, less challenges in their day? What challenges and what barriers can we remove from their day to improve it?" — Joshua Taylor on another consideration in the technician recruitment effort, speaking on the "Fixed Ops 5" podcast hosted by Corey Smith. Taylor is publisher of the Wrenches for Wrenches ne…