Honda brand dinged by dealers in NADA survey for scant product availability

Honda dropped out of the top five brands ranked in the latest National Automobile Dealers Association Dealer Attitude Survey after struggling with low vehicle supplies. This marks the first time Honda is out of the top five since 2015.

Honda had moved around between the No. 5 and No. 3 slots over the six previous years before slipping to the No. 6 slot in NADA's 2022 winter survey. It ranked No. 3 in the 2021 summer survey.

NADA surveys its dealer members twice a year on how they're feeling about the brands they represent to produce a scorecard of sorts on the relationship between brands and their respective dealer bodies. It typically asks dealers to rate their satisfaction with overall automaker performance, as well as with a brand's willingness to consider and incorporate their feedback into business decisions.

In the 2022 winter survey, traditionally conducted in January and February, Lexus and Toyota came in at No. 1 and No. 2, continuing the sibli…

Read more
  • 0

Nissan North America recalls 203,000 trucks for transmission problems

Nissan North America is recalling 203,223 trucks after the discovery of a pair of potentially faulty parts in the transmission that could lead to vehicles slipping out of "park."

NHTSA said the recalls affect the following models:

2020-23 Nissan Titan full-size pickups produced Dec. 13, 2019, to Aug. 25, 2022. 2020-21 Nissan Frontier midsize pickups produced June 10, 2020, to June 25, 2021. 2022-23 Frontiers produced July 13, 2021, to Aug. 25, 2022.

*The resistance between the parking rod and wedge inside the transmission could allow for the shifter to move, in turn allowing the vehicle to slip out of "park" and potentially roll away.

A remedy plan has not been released, with Nissan saying one is under development.

Nissan also is recalling vehicles in Canada and Mexico in relation to the defect.

No accidents have been reported to Nissan, a spokesperson told Automotive News. There have been four allegations of minor injuries, the company sai…

Read more
  • 0

Achieving first-pass success

In the automotive industry, ECAD-MCAD co-design has long been recognized as a potential enabler to increasing productivity and ensuring a robust design. With modern CAD tools, designers can directly synchronize their data. This ensures data integrity and more efficient, effective collaboration on critical designs between domains. The Challenge: first pass success ECAD MCAD co design XML limitations Change management Looking ahead: all electric vehicles and autonomous drive
Read more
  • 0

GM to invest nearly $500M to upgrade Indiana metal center to support EV production

General Motors said on Thursday it would invest $491 million at its Marion, Ind., metal stamping operations to prepare the facility to produce steel and aluminum stamped parts for future products, including electric vehicles, built at multiple GM assembly plants.

The investment will be used to purchase and install two new press lines, complete press and die upgrades, renovations and construct a 6,000-square-foot addition, GM said in a statement.

The automaker said that work on the facility will begin later this year.

GM's Marion Metal Center, which started in 1956, produces sheet metal parts for multiple GM assembly plants to support production of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles. The center currently employs more than 750 workers.

Read more
  • 0

DAILY DRIVE PODCAST: September 14, 2022

From the floor of the North American International Detroit Auto Show, Jamie Butters and Kellen Walker talk about the event's return, President Joe Biden's EV charging announcement, and more news from around the automotive industry. Plus, Jessica Caldwell of Edmunds and Automotive News reporter Michael Martinez discuss the auto show and Ford's new dealership EV certification requirements.

How do I subscribe?

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. 

iPhone / iPad

“Daily Drive” is available on the iTunes Store and through the ‘Podcast’ app pre-installed on all iOS devices. Click here to subscribe to "Daily Drive"

Android

“Daily Drive” is available on the Google Play store. Click here to subscribe to "Daily Drive"

Spotify

"Daily Drive" is availab…

Read more
  • 0

Tavares says Stellantis open to unionization of coming battery plants

DETROIT — Carlos Tavares on Wednesday said Stellantis has "zero problems with unions" as the company prepares to build several electric vehicle battery plants in North America.

Even if disagreements may arise at times, the CEO said, discussions with unions are necessary.

"Good dialogue with unions is part of the competitiveness of any company," Tavares said during a virtual media roundtable at the 2022 Detroit auto show.

Mark Stewart, Stellantis' North America COO, said having unionized battery plants would just be business as usual for the automaker.

"It's up to the people in the plant," Stewart told Automotive News. "All of our other facilities that we wholly own are unionized. We've got a great relationship with the union, and if those wind up being union, then that's great and wonderful, just like it is today. If it's not, then that's those folks' decision as well."

This positive view of organizers could be welcome news to the UAW as …

Read more
  • 0

Biden declares ‘Detroit is back’ as he touts EVs, clean energy future

President Joe Biden, a self-titled "car guy," pushed his vision for an electric vehicle future that positions the U.S. as a leader, creates American jobs and transitions the country to a clean energy economy in remarks delivered Wednesday at the Detroit auto show.

"I believe we can own the future of the automobile market. I believe we can own the future of manufacturing," Biden said. "American manufacturing is back. Detroit is back."

Biden's presence at the event marks his first visit to the Detroit auto show since he was vice president during the Obama administration.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, UAW President Ray Curry, EPA chief Michael Regan, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Michigan Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell and Sen. Debbie Stabenow also delivered remarks.

Biden touted his administration's efforts to boost domestic EV manufacturing, investment and jobs to position the U.S. as a leader and reduc…

Read more
  • 0

Tesla is sued by drivers over alleged false Autopilot, Full Self-Driving claims

Tesla Inc. was sued on Wednesday in a proposed class action accusing Elon Musk's electric car company of misleading the public by falsely advertising its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features.

The complaint accused Tesla and Musk of having since 2016 deceptively advertised the technology as fully functioning or "just around the corner" despite knowing that the technology did not work or was nonexistent, and made vehicles unsafe.

Briggs Matsko, the named plaintiff, said Tesla did this to "generate excitement" about its vehicles, attract investments, boost sales, avoid bankruptcy, drive up its stock price and become a "dominant player" in electric vehicles.

"Tesla has yet to produce anything even remotely approaching a fully self-driving car," Matsko said.

The lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco seeks unspecified damages for people who since 2016 bought or leased Tesla vehicles with Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self-Driving…

Read more
  • 0

Magna testing self-driving delivery bot on Michigan roads

DETROIT — Magna International Inc. said Wednesday it is testing a last-mile autonomous delivery robot for use on public roads as the supplier giant looks to develop new businesses in the mobility space.

"The plan is to prove the technology — prove it has significantly lower costs than other use cases and other applications being offered — then scale it up into production," said Matteo Del Sorbo, global lead for Magna's new mobility unit, in an interview with Automotive News at the Detroit auto show.

The all-electric delivery robot was developed and built in Michigan and launched on a pilot basis in March 2022, according to Magna, the largest North American auto supplier. Since then, the robot has delivered hundreds of pizzas from a Detroit-area restaurant to residents and businesses.

It drives on public roads at speeds of up to 20 mph, according to the supplier. The robot utilizes an autonomous driving system developed by Magna that employs sensors, incl…

Read more
  • 0

U.S. approves 35 EV charging infrastructure plans ahead of schedule

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Wednesday said it has approved more than two-thirds of electric vehicle charging infrastructure plans submitted by states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico ahead of schedule.

Thirty-five of the 52 EV infrastructure deployment plans submitted by states are now approved as part of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program. NEVI was created and funded by the $1 trillion infrastructure law signed by President Joe Biden in November.

The program makes $5 billion available over the next five years to help states achieve Biden's goal of 500,000 EV charging stations across the U.S. by 2030.

States with plans now approved can gain access to more than $900 million in funding in 2022-23 to build EV chargers across roughly 53,000 miles of U.S. highway, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

"With the first set of approvals we are announcing today, 35 states across the country — wit…

Read more
  • 0

The evolution of the Detroit auto show

Floor space at the Detroit auto show used to be at a premium. Declining participation by automakers in this show and others around the globe, exacerbated by the lingering pandemic that canceled the Detroit event in 2020 and 2021, has left organizers searching for creative ways to fill vast swaths of space. The new reality is evident in changes that the show floor has undergone since 2014.

» Move the slider to see the auto show change over time.

Read more
  • 0

Chrysler 300C to bid farewell with 6.4-liter, 485 hp Hemi engine

DETROIT — Chrysler is bringing a power rush to the 300 before the aging sedan says farewell.

The brand is closing out the 300's run by throwing in a 6.4-liter Hemi engine with 485 hp. Chrysler said the 300C variant it showed Tuesday ahead of the Detroit auto show will have a limited production run of only 2,000 units offered in the U.S. and another 200 in Canada. Consumers can reserve the car now.

The 300C will be offered in Gloss Black, Velvet Red and Bright White. It features a new 300C logo.

The 300 goes out of production after the 2023 model year along with the current generation of the Dodge Challenger and Charger, its line mates at the Brampton Assembly Plant in Ontario.

The current generation of the 300, introduced in 2005, marked a return to rear-wheel drive for the nameplate that debuted in 1955. The 300C at that time offered a 5.7-liter Hemi engine with 345 hp.

The sedan was named the 2005 North American Car of the Year. Chrysle…

Read more
  • 0