Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wasn’t happy. Ford Motor Co., a company whose very name is synonymous with Detroit, had just announced it had chosen two southern states, Tennessee and Kentucky, as sites for an $11 billion electric-vehicle project.
They had won Ford over by dangling huge incentives, and Whitmer knew Michigan needed to do more to compete. S…
Amazon Web Services Inc. will collaborate with the BMW Group to create cloud software to deliver and manage data generated by connected vehicles.
The software is designed to aggregate vehicle data from multiple sources to expedite development of features and enhance software life cycle management. The software will also provide after-sale vehicle and driver-personalization features via over-the-air updates, Amazon said.
Most automakers have for years understood the value of data to their business, said Alex Oyler, director automotive technology research and consulting firm at SBD Automotive.
"But practical challenges in the collection and distribution of this data in a safe, secure and compliant manner presented economic and logistical challenges that have been difficult to overcome," Oyler said.
The availability of automotive-specific cloud services and the advent of in-vehicle data processing technologies make it possible for automakers like BMW…
Honda and Sony’s electric vehicle will be built and sold in North America first. Stellantis cuts a shift at the plant that makes the Jeep Wagoneer. BMW and AirConsole team up to put on-the-go gaming in vehicles. Plus, a conversation with Gentex Corp. Corporate Controller Rosa Estrada, one of Automotive News’ 2022 Notable Champions of Diversity.
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The progress companies are making to provide digital customer experiences Why first-party data is more important than ever The impact of electric vehicle investments on profitsToyota Motor Corp. and General Motors already walk divergent paths in their assessments of the future of electric vehicles.
Now there's another space where the two top-selling automakers in the U.S. and relatively friendly rivals will operate in opposition: connected cars.
Toyota announced last month that it would begin offering 10-year free trial periods on its core Safety Connect and Service Connect systems, beginning with 2023 Toyota and Lexus models — as well as some 2022 Toyota Tundras — equipped with the automaker's new built-in-house infotainment systems.
The trial periods mean that human-assisted services including automatic collision notification, stolen vehicle location, vehicle service and health alerts, and emergency roadside assistance will be delivered free of charge for at least a decade, even if the vehicle changes owners. And it comes just a few months after GM began charging a mandatory one-time $1,500 subscription fee for its similar …
BMW designers plan major changes to the next-generation X2 compact crossover, embracing a sloped roof and more raked rear hatch.
The coupe version of the X1, BMW's entry-level crossover that grows for 2023, is code-named U10 and will launch next year as a 2024 model. BMW has already stopped producing the current X2.
With a higher beltline, the latest X2 adopts styling similar to that of the larger X4 and X6. The front features a wider, deeper grille and smaller headlights, based on photos of the camouflaged crossover undergoing road tests.
Several variants have been spotted in Germany, including this range-topping M35i model on the Nürburgring with wide tires and big brakes visible behind the large wheels and quad exhaust pipes in the lower rear fascia. BMW's turbocharged 2.0-liter engine is likely under the hood, producing just over 300 hp.
DETROIT — Stellantis is eliminating the third production shift at a Michigan plant that builds the Jeep Wagoneer and previous-generation Ram pickup.
The automaker said no permanent employees would be laid off as a result of the cutback, which it called an effort to "improve production efficiency" amid the ongoing industrywide microchip shortage.
Warren Truck Assembly has more than 5,500 employees and began running a three-shift schedule in January. It builds the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, nameplates that rejoined the Jeep lineup in 2021, as well as the Ram Classic, which is scheduled to remain in production through next year.
Supplemental workers will see their hours cut, but "there are no layoffs associated with this action," a company spokesperson said.
"All full-time third-shift seniority employees will be redeployed to the other shifts," the company said in a statement. Stellantis said it notified the Michigan Department of Labor and the U…
Hyundai Motor Group says it will spend $12.6 billion to develop software. Tesla crushes its luxury competition. U.S. worker classification plans cause Uber and Lyft shares to fall. Plus, a conversation with Zipcar co-founder Robin Chase about the future of mobility.
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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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Android
“Daily Drive” is available on the Google Play store. Click here to subscribe to "Daily Drive"
Spotify
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West Coast charging network operator EVCS is looking to simplify powering electric vehicles by offering a choice of monthly subscription plans.
The move marks a departure from the way such networks typically operate. Most require a low monthly fee and charge an additional amount per kWh used.
"It really is a minefield across the various networks, be it time of day rates, location-based variances and hidden fees," Kirk Johnson, chief growth officer at EVCS, said Monday. "We're trying to cut through all that with a very simplified, predictable monthly fee."
The Los Angeles company now offers three subscription tiers for its West Coast network of close to 700 Level 2 or Level 3 public chargers. A Level 2 charger can top off an EV battery from empty in 4-10 hours. A Level 3 charger can fill a battery to 80 percent in 20 minutes to an hour depending on the charger and the network.
While clear-cut pricing is important, chargi…
With hopes of achieving better contract terms, more automotive suppliers are resorting to bankruptcy — or at least threatening it — in what has become in some cases a high-stakes game of chicken with customers.
Suppliers have so far been largely successful in obtaining pricing relief from automakers, according to attorneys and consultants involved in the discussions.
But as suppliers intensify their efforts for price increases, and automakers face a bleaker economic outlook and major supplier-related financial losses, it's less of a guarantee who blinks first at the negotiation table.
The situation is not nearly as dire as the Great Recession of 2007-09, but suppliers across the tiers continue bearing the brunt of supply chain pain, and they are not afraid of pulling the bankruptcy card, according to Max Newman, attorney at Detroit-based Butzel Long who specializes in Chapter 11 proceedings.
"There have been threats of bankruptcy in connection w…
The subcompact crossover segment has been one of the hottest in recent years — nearly doubling in size to more than 1 million sales since 2016 — and General Motors' biggest division is ready to double down in it, again.
Chevrolet was one of the first major brands to market a subcompact crossover, in 2016 with the Trax. Now, it is resurrecting the nameplate after a brief hiatus, with the Trax sitting out the 2023 model year.
The redesigned 2024 Trax — bigger, wider and lower; part hatchback and part sporty crossover — is being positioned as a clean break from its predecessors.
"This car shares nothing with the current one," said Scott Bell, global vice president at Chevrolet. "This is only a Trax by name."
The re-imagined baby ute will be slotted as the gateway to Chevrolet just below the Trailblazer in the smallest crossover segment, allowing shoppers multiple entry points to the brand.
The Trailblazer, introduced in 2020 with traditional …
A Volkswagen dealership employee was taken to a hospital in Seattle after an explosion in the store's designated smoking area, firefighters said.
The Volkswagen of Kirkland employee was burned, but conscious when taken to a local hospital around 6 p.m. local time Monday, according to Kirkland Fire Battalion Chief Seth Buchanan.
The Kirkland, Wash., fire department said the dealership's smoking area is next to 55-gallon containers that were empty at the time but were previously filled with flammable liquid. The employee was vaping in that area when the explosion occurred, according to a news release from Kirkland Fire.
"We believe that it flashed, so the fire in the container was immediately out. It was just a flammable gas, but it kind of exploded and blew up a 55-gallon drum and, unfortunately, it was the patient that caught on fire," Buchanan said.
The resulting explosion caught the employee's clothes, hair, hands and face on fire, Buchanan told…