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FRANKFURT -- The appointment of Oliver Blume as the next boss of Volkswagen Group heralds a change in management style that is expected to replace the erratic and unpredictable attitude of his predecessor with a more team-based culture.

A long-time Volkswagen executive who joined the carmaker in 1994, the 54-year-old Blume has hammered home the importance of teamwork and bringing workers into decision-making in nearly every interview he has given -- a contrast to current CEO Herbert Diess' confrontational attitude.

He will become the company’s fourth CEO since 2015, a churn rate that concerns some investors.

“The timing is unfortunate and another illustration of dysfunction at VW,” Jefferies analyst Philippe Houchois wrote in a report. “We have been here before, with new management or a crisis bringing hopes of change.”

Blume, who has been CEO of Porsche since 2015, will replace Diess as VW Group CEO on Sept. 1 while remaining in charge of Porsch…

In a time when labor shortages are leaving many job openings unfilled, dealerships have had to compete for employees at every position. What Dave Wright Nissan-Subaru in Hiawatha, Iowa, is doing to recruit workers is simple: creating talent from within.

The Tech 120 Program is an all-expenses-paid technician recruitment and development program designed to help interested applicants with limited experience eventually become a master technician within the dealership's main shop.

Sydney Wright, director of hiring and training, told Automotive News that the program began two years ago after the dealership identified a need to train local techs.

"We have people in the area that didn't think they could be a technician or be successful because they figured they had to go to school or have experience, and they didn't have any of that," Wright said.

The total program can be completed in less than four years and consists of seven levels.

"When it …

Cardboard boxes are delivering more than parts to Yanfeng Automotive Interiors' North American plants — they're also delivering millions in production savings.

Humble cardboard cartons, among the lowliest commodities in the long auto manufacturing supply chain, have gotten an innovative new design from a third-party supplier that allows Yanfeng to reuse them repeatedly back and forth between plants.

By reducing the volume of packaging material it consumes, the company has saved $10 million over the past 24 months, according to David Colclough, Yanfeng's senior buyer for North American packaging. The new cartons have stronger construction with greater stacking strength, but can be easily flattened and returned for use when Yanfeng ships components from Mexico and among its 21 North American plants.

"Corrugated boxes have been used for a hundred years and people have always perceived them as a disposable material," Colclough told Automotive News. "But we …

FREMONT, Calif. — Amazon-owned self-driving tech developer Zoox is getting ready to join a field of companies carrying passengers in autonomous vehicles.

While the company isn't saying when it will begin commercial operations — "soon," says a co-founder — it may be the first to design and deploy a bespoke robotaxi for operations on U.S. public roads.

As the company readies for operations, it previewed its VH6 vehicle on the streets of Silicon Valley last week.

The Foster City, Calif.-based company is driving into an increasingly crowded field.

Waymo introduced limited service in the Phoenix area in 2017 and Motional partnered with Lyft to offer rides in its AV in Las Vegas the following year. Cruise launched a ride-sharing service in San Francisco this year, while Argo has started testing its AVs in Miami in preparation for a partnership with Lyft this year. Almost all except Zoox have partnerships for package delivery.

While most robotaxi…

Honda is touting the newest Civic Type R as the most powerful vehicle ever produced under the Honda brand.

No details on horsepower or other engine specifications accompanied Thursday's unveiling — with Honda set to release final specs closer to the vehicle's fall launch. For now, it's also described as the most "powerful" vehicle in Type R history.

The 2023 Honda Civic Type R continues a 30-year tradition for the front-wheel-drive racing Type R series, which debuted in 1992 with the NSX Type R.

From the outside, the new hatchback mostly maintains the latest Civic's restrained styling but does sport some new features. A redesigned front bumper, larger front fender grilles and a new side sill aim to give a more aggressive stance and provide more airflow efficiency.

The Type R's prominent spoiler remains, and the wider rear doors support the new stance shown in the front. Under the spoiler are the Type R's signature three…

Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess is leaving the company. J.D. Power says EVs are still less appealing to consumers than gasoline-powered cars. The curtain comes up on the Cadillac Celestiq. Plus, a conversation with TransUnion's Satyan Merchant about how the credit risk profile of EV buyers differs dramatically from those purchasing gasoline-powered vehicles.

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Automotive mirror supplier Gentex Corp. said Friday that ongoing component shortages and reduced light-vehicle production led to lower second-quarter profits, but also touted a sales increase compared with 2021.

The Zeeland, Mich., company, which primarily produces automatic-dimming rearview mirror and camera-based driver-assistance systems, said net income decreased 16.3 percent to $72.4 million. Gentex's earnings are generally watched closely as a quarterly predictor for other suppliers' results.

Operating expenses continue to increase, with a 21 percent rise to $62.6 million. Gentex cited staffing and professional fees, freight expenses and travel-related expenses as causes for the growth.

Net sales climbed 8 percent to $463.4 million, with automotive sales mimicking at an 8 percent increase. This contrasts with a 1 percent drop in light-vehicle production in the company's primary markets of North America, Europe, Japan and Korea.…

Automakers are forming contingency plans for potential work stoppages at West Coast ports even as talks continue between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union to replace an expired labor contract.

The ports, especially those in Long Beach and Los Angeles, are crucial shipping hubs for the U.S. auto industry.

The giant combined port complex at San Pedro Bay accounted for $19.1 billion in automotive imports— including passenger cars, trucks, buses, parts and accessories last year, according to an analysis by KPMG, the international accounting and consulting firm.

Import volumes are running another 11 percent higher through May when compared with the same period a year earlier, KPMG said.

Most imports are from Asian brands. But parts and accessories, including what's needed for North American assembly plants, made up almost $9 billion in imports. That represents a potential vulnerability to domestic lig…

LUVERNE, Alabama, July 22 - A supplier majority owned by Hyundai Motor Co is being accused of using child labor at an Alabama plant that supplies stamped metal parts for the Korean carmaker's assembly line in nearby Montgomery.

According to area police, the family of three underage workers, and eight former and current employees of the factory.

Underage workers as young as 12, have recently worked at the plant operated by SMART Alabama LLC.

SMART, listed by Hyundai in corporate filings as a majority-owned unit, supplies stamped metal parts and welded subassemblies for cars and SUVs built by the automaker in Montgomery.

Hyundai didn't respond to phone calls or emails from Reuters seeking comment.

SMART, in a statement, said it follows federal, state and local laws and "denies any allegation that it knowingly employed anyone who is ineligible for employment." The company said it relies on temporary work agenci…

FRANKFURT -- Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess is stepping down and Porsche boss Oliver Blume will take over Diess's role, VW said on Friday in a surprise shake-up at the world's second-biggest automaker.

Diess is resigning "by mutual agreement," VW said.

Blume, who will continue his role as the head of the Porsche brand, will be flanked by VW’s current Chief Financial Officer Arno Antlitz, who will assume the position of chief operating officer. 

The changes are effective Sept. 1, VW said.

Diess' future at Volkswagen has been in doubt on multiple occasions during his four-year stint as CEO, most recently late last year over clashes with the company's powerful works council about his electrification strategy and management style.

His departure comes as the company is pushing to beat Tesla to become the world's top electric vehicle maker, catch up on software and execute an IPO for Porsche.

Diess, in a LinkedIn post before the a…

DETROIT — Members of the industry, family and friends from across the country and overseas gathered here Thursday evening for the 2022 Automotive Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony. The Dearborn, Mich., museum and exhibition center, opened in 1939 and honors accomplishments of pioneers in the industry each year. In addition to the inductions, these industry leaders were given the following awards:

Industry Leader of the Year Award: Jim Farley, Ford CEOMobility Innovator Award: Amnon Shashua, Mobileye founderIndustry Influencer: Randy Parker, Hyundai Motor America senior vice president, national salesIndustry Influencer: Shilpan Amin, General Motors International presidentIndustry Influencer: Sherry House, Lucid Motors CFOIndustry Influencer: Ann Wilson, Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association senior vice president of government affairsIndustry Influencer: Linda Zhang, Ford F-150 Lightning chief engineer

Here are the 2022 Hall of Fame inducte…

Auto retail giant AutoNation Inc., in a step toward developing its own captive finance unit, plans to acquire auto lender CIG Financial to support its growing standalone used-vehicle AutoNation USA business and further develop customer relationships throughout vehicle ownership.

AutoNation said this week in reporting lower second-quarter net income that it plans within the next 90 days to buy CIG Financial of Irvine, Calif., for $85 million.

The planned purchase marks a strategy move under AutoNation CEO Mike Manley's leadership. Manley, who took over as chief executive in November, said in February that he was "aggressively looking" to restart a captive finance company at the auto retailer and in April said he would prefer to create a captive finance company from an acquisition.

"This acquisition provides capabilities, footprint, technology and most importantly a proven, motivated team with great leadership," Manley told investors and analysts in a call…