To find out, we surveyed 500 decision makers from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), captive finance companies, and retailers. Get the report to learn:
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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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…
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — The first crossover from Swedish electric vehicle startup Polestar is a coming of age for the Volvo affiliate.
Whereas the brand's first mainstream model — the Polestar 2 sedan — represents Volvo DNA, the Polestar 3 is a clean sheet for the automaker.
The midsize Polestar 3, revealed at an event here, is built on a new all-electric platform, sports dual motors and has an estimated EPA range of up to 300 miles. It will arrive at U.S. stores late next year and start at $85,300, including shipping.
Polestar's U.S. CEO, Gregor Hembrough, told Automotive News the U.S. will be the largest single market for the Polestar 3, with North America accounting for about 30 percent of global sales.
"We now enter into the largest segment in North America, with the newest offer on the market," Hembrough said on the sidelines of the launch event. "The luxury SUV segment arguably is one of the most revered, most sought after, and we're really t…
TEMPE, Ariz. and SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DriveTime, the largest privately owned used car sales and finance company in the country, is proud to announce that it can now verify income for the majority of customers in seconds. No longer the days of printing paystubs and other stipulations, DriveTime has created a process for customers to digitally upload their documents and receive a review response within seconds through the use of AI – based optical character recognition (OCR) technology.
This significant customer experience upgrade has been achieved through a partnership with Informed.IQ, a technology company used by financial institutions to instantly and accurately verify loan origination data. Informed.IQ has become the fastest-growing supplier of automation software to the auto finance industry and now counts the majority of the country's top auto lenders as customers.
For several months, the two companies have collaborated to implement…
WASHINGTON -- General Motors said on Tuesday it will invest up to $69 million and take an equity stake in Queensland Pacific Metals to secure a new source of nickel and cobalt for battery cells for use in the U.S. automaker's vehicles.
GM said the investment will help support EV eligibility for consumer incentives under new, clean energy U.S. tax credits. GM said the nickel laterite ore is expected to be processed using a new, proprietary process that helps reduce waste.
Under a law passed in August, automakers must source battery minerals from countries with free trade agreements in order to qualify for the U.S. consumer EV tax credits.
The GM investment is to assist in the development of its proposed Townsville Energy Chemicals Hub (TECH) Project in Northern Australia. High-grade nickel laterite ore will be imported from nearby New Caledonia, GM said.
GM already has binding agreements securing all battery raw material supporting its goal of 1 mi…