News

DETROIT — General Motors has begun requiring all Buick and GMC buyers to pay $1,500 for a subscription service that previously had been optional.

The mandatory upcharge provides a three-year subscription to OnStar, GM's long-standing in-vehicle safety, security and connectivity service. It's included in the manufacturer's suggested retail price of all Buicks and GMCs ordered starting June 2 and all Cadillac Escalades ordered starting July 18.

The $1,500 plan is listed on the window sticker as a separate line item along with other additions to the vehicle's standard equipment, but there is no option to remove it or order the vehicle without it. Customers who decline to activate their OnStar service will not be given a price reduction, GM said.

The Detroit Free Press reported the compulsory OnStar charge earlier Tuesday.

"By including this plan as standard equipment on the vehicle, it helps to provide a more seamless onboarding experience and more c…

Kia Motors America is recalling 257,998 Optima midsize sedans manufactured at its Georgia plant after the discovery of insufficient adhesive on headliner plates.

The recall affects 2012-13 Optima sedans built from Aug. 12, 2011, to Sept. 27, 2013. A potentially insufficient amount of adhesive was applied to the headliner plates, which could lead to the plate detaching during side airbag deployment and injuring occupants.

Headliner plates are used for structural support in the roof of vehicles. The problem was identified in a review of vehicle production and supplier records, a NHTSA report said.

Kia America said in a statement that one injury has been reported, but no fatalities, crashes or fires.

All affected vehicles are within the U.S. or U.S. territories.

The remedy is an application of industrial-grade adhesive tape over the headliner plates. The same tape was applied to Optima models during assembly from…

LMP Automotive Holdings' board has unanimously backed a plan to liquidate and dissolve the company. Ford increases the price of the F-150 Lightning. Mazda also plans to raise prices to make up for lost production. Plus, a look at why industry forecasting is getting tougher.

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 available on Spotify. Click here to subscribe to "Daily Drive"

Giving word-of-mouth referrals a run for their money, online reviews have become the trusted source for customers to turn to in making automotive purchase decisions.

Does your online presence reflect the heart and soul of your business? If not, it’s time to change that. Keep reading to discover the top tips for improving your online reputation today.

Every interaction. One platform.

Make connecting with leads, customers, and your team as simple as sending a quick message. No matter the channel, you can receive and respond to messages from one easy-to-use inbox.

In the automotive industry, ECAD-MCAD co-design has long been recognized as a potential enabler to increasing productivity and ensuring a robust design. Until now, the electrical and mechanical domains mostly exchanged design data through email, spreadsheets, and XML files. With modern CAD tools, designers can directly synchronize their data. This ensures data integrity and more efficient, effective collaboration on critical designs between domains.

Electronic device manufacturer Foxconn has signed a contract to build autonomous electric tractors for a California startup.

Foxconn, which assembles iPhones, iPads and Kindles, will build the vehicle for Monarch Tractor of Livermore, Calif., the companies said Tuesday.

Monarch has raised $81 million in funding. Its investors include VST Tillers, CNH Industrial, Musashi Seimitsu Industry, Astanor Ventures, At One Ventures, Trimble Ventures and MUUS.

Foxconn will build the tractor at the former General Motors plant in Lordstown, Ohio. It acquired the plant in May for $230 million from the struggling Lordstown Motors electric pickup startup. Monarch expects production to begin in the first quarter of 2023.

"Creating the industry's most advanced tractor demands a manufacturing partner with the experience to quickly scale and execute with precision," Praveen Penmetsa, CEO of Monarch Tractor, said in a news release.

The partnership continues a t…

Lucid Motors will offer a new Stealth Look package for its Air sedan with changes to 35 components for a sportier, assertive exterior compared with the elegant, luxurious design of other models.

"From its inception, Lucid Air was designed for two distinct looks that reflect the duality of its personality: standard Platinum Look, which highlights its luxurious nature; and now Stealth Look, which is simultaneously assertive, yet under the radar," said Derek Jenkins, Lucid Group senior vice president of design and brand.

The company said the Stealth Look Air will make its public debut Aug. 17 during Monterey Car Week.

The exterior package costs $6,000 and can be configured online in three of the Air's trims: the top Grand Touring Performance trim, the high-level Grand Touring and the mid-level Touring. The base Air Pure trim won't immediately get the option.

The black-on-black version of the Air with the Stealth Look is the most aggressive of the ne…

The U.S. Senate approves expanded EV tax credits as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. U.S. House lawmakers try to jump-start legislation for self-driving cars. Embattled ex-Reynolds and Reynolds CEO Robert Brockman dies at age 81. Plus, Ample's Levi Tillemann talks with Automotive News' Pete Bigelow about what the Inflation Reduction Act might mean for the push to get more EVs on the road.

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 a…

WASHINGTON - The heads of chipmakers GlobalFoundries and Applied Materials and carmakers Ford Motor and General Motors were to meet at a closed-door summit with U.S. government officials on Monday to discuss administration plans to invest in semiconductors.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden will sign legislation to subsidize the U.S. semiconductor industry and boost efforts to make the United States more competitive with China. The bill provides $52 billion in subsidies for chip manufacturing and research. It also includes an investment tax credit for chip plants estimated to be worth $24 billion.

GlobalFoundries CEO Thomas Caulfield said in a statement the chips legislation "protects U.S. economic, supply chain and national security by accelerating semiconductor manufacturing on American soil."

The legislation aims to alleviate a persistent shortage that has affected supplies of goods from cars and weapons to washing machines and vide…