News

Not the kind of publicity one looks for at an auto show.

A fire broke out at the booth of Beijing-based design and engineering firm IAT Automobile Technology Co. on the eve of the Guangzhou auto show last month.

Grainy video of the fire circulated on social media, as did speculation about the source of the fire, which was said to be a small concept vehicle. Attendees took photos and video but were ordered to delete the images, according to reports.

On Dec. 31, two days after the fire, the company released a statement: "After preliminary investigation, the debugging personnel disconnected the external power switch and got in the vehicle for debugging and the logistics personnel turned on the external power switch accidentally, which caused an electrical short circuit and fire. The car is a static concept exhibition vehicle. During the preparation process, the high-voltage power system was removed, and only a set of 12V low-voltage power supply system was …

LAS VEGAS — Technology that could fundamentally reshape transportation was easy to find last week at CES.

There were sensors that allowed autonomous vehicles to travel at speeds approaching 190 mph, breakthrough battery advances that could enhance the transition to electric vehicles and immersive cabin technology that alters the passenger experience in cars.

How such technology moves from the show floor into the real world remains a vexing proposition. Innovation, particularly in the automotive sector, can be plodding.

It's an age-old problem scrutinized with renewed vigor during CES. Pressing concerns over greenhouse gas emissions, energy security and geopolitical stability, and economic uncertainty have automakers seeking technology that can deliver both breakthroughs and cost reductions.

But those technologies must pass through laborious and thorough development, verification and validation processes. Sometimes pat…

Dutch startup Lightyear says its second solar-powered electric vehicle will have more than 500 miles of range and cost under $40,000. The Lightyear 2 will be the first model sold in the U.S., with output expected to start at the end of 2025. The company used CES to launch a wait list. Final specs and design will be released this summer.

Another year defined by supply chain challenges turned out to be a mixed bad for U.S. automakers.

General Motors reclaimed its crown as the top-selling U.S. automaker, while Tesla continued its dominance in the electric vehicle space even as challengers posted big gains.

Here's a look at some of the key sales races from 2022.

Lingering supply chain woes dragged 2022 U.S. light-vehicle sales to their lowest level since 2011, but many dealers are entering 2023 with fuller lots as production begins to bounce back — at least for some automakers.

Still, experts warn the industry will grapple with numerous challenges this year that could slow its recovery, including rising interest rates and sky-high transaction prices that may turn away some buyers.

"We're not seeing demand collapse; there's still strong demand, but it's certainly weaker than it was," Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Cox Automotive, told Automotive News. "Interest rates on top of high prices are just freezing some people out of the market."

Among the companies that reported, U.S. light-vehicle sales fell roughly 8 percent to 13.4 million in 2022, according to the Automotive News Research & Data Center. Mercedes, Porsche and Jaguar Land Rover are set to report this week.

The seasonally adjusted ann…

Faulkner Subaru Harrisburg's boost committee is an extension of the company's open-door policy where all ideas are welcome.

"We use it to boost anything from profits to inclusion and diversity to brainstorming to come up with new ideas," said Doug Jones, general manager of the Pennsylvania dealership.

Committee members meet monthly — two each from every department including sales, parts, finance, management and business development. Membership rotates among employees at the dealership, which is one of 30 locations owned by the Faulkner Organization.

Store leaders launched the committee in 2020 after recognizing that the best ideas come from frontline employees, Jones said, who often know their department's workflow best.

The boost committee has solved both small issues, such as car wash wait times, and larger challenges, such as dealership parking problems, Jones said. The ideas generated by the committee have saved work time, improved customer…

LAS VEGAS — U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said her office is working with the Treasury Department on guidance relating to eligibility rules for revised $7,500 federal electric vehicle tax credits.

"We're working in a very interlocked way. Our folks and their folks are talking all the time," Granholm told Automotive News following an address Friday at CES. "Our policy office is working directly with Treasury to make sure that this guidance is out and it's informed by stakeholders."

The Inflation Reduction Act had required the Treasury Department to issue the proposed guidance about how the industry can meet new eligibility rules for EV tax credits on new vehicles by the end of 2022. The department, however, said it instead would offer information about the direction the rules may take.

Granholm said it was important "to send a signal about which way it's going" as Treasury delayed the release of guidance related to requirements for critical mine…

The Illinois Automobile Dealers Association will appeal a court decision last month that favors Rivian Automotive and Lucid Group in a fight over direct sales after the state government granted licenses to the EV startups over dealer objections.

Joe McMahon, the association's executive director, told Automotive News on Friday that the dealer group held a meeting a day earlier to discuss the judge's ruling, which sided with state officials who issued the licenses in 2021.

"We discussed it pretty extensively, and everyone feels that in this situation, the judge didn't really look at the law, and the law is pretty clear in Illinois that you can't be a manufacturer and a dealer, and you can't sell direct," McMahon said.

"We welcome Lucid and Tesla and Rivian, but they should play on the same playing field as car dealers," McMahon said. He said electric vehicle makers are getting special treatment from politicians, generally, because EVs are in vogue.

Read more

Automotive News Executive Editor Jamie Butters reviews the top stories from CES 2023 with tech and innovation team leader Pete Bigelow, GM reporter Lindsay VanHulle, Stellantis reporter Vince Bond Jr., and Nick Gibbs of Automotive News Europe.

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<!--*/ */ /*-->*/ Ram Revolution anchors Stellantis drive to sustainability

The stylish Ram 1500 Revolution battery-electric pickup glided onto the stage as a shining star at CES on Thursday.

But the concept vehicle is just one piece in the broader galaxy of Stellantis, which is methodically planning its moves to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2038.

The electric 1500 previews an upcoming production version of the truck. Other cogs in the company's pursuit to achieve its vision include an electric aircraft Stellantis is planning to build with Archer Aviation and the electric Peugeot Inception concept, which also grabbed the spotlight at CES.

The vision goes further with eco-friendly commercial vehicles, including the first electric Ram ProMaster arriving this year that will handle loads for Amazon. Hydrogen-powered Ram Heavy Duty pickups are coming later in the decade, building on the progress Stellantis has seen with its fuel cell v…

LAS VEGAS — As sensor technology underpins the auto industry's push to produce more self-driving vehicles in the coming years, innovation will become a key differentiator among the many players.

While the industry faces hurdles, including global economic headwinds, rising borrowing rates, mergers, bankruptcies and shutdowns, it remains one of the main features at the sprawling CES technology show, filling much of Las Vegas Convention Center's west wing.

Here are some of the more notable sensors at 2023 CES.

Lights, camera, action!

Executives from Nodar, a Boston area startup developing long-range, high-resolution, real-time 3D camera-based software, said the company's technology can speed up the adoption of Level 3 autonomous driving. The industry considers Level 3 driving as vehicles that mostly drive themselves but still require a human driver present.

Nodar is competing with lidar companies and stereo visual systems from Bosch and Contin…