News

Car buyers are waiting too long to reach dealerships' managers, and that wait time is hurting customer satisfaction, according to a study.

Sixty-five percent of car shoppers who participated in the 2023 Friction Points study by dealership software provider CDK and the National Automobile Dealers Association Academy said they spent 15 to 45 minutes in a dealership waiting for an F&I manager. Of that group, 59 percent said they waited more than 30 minutes.

"The No. 1 wait time is around price negotiations, but the second biggest wait time is waiting for F&I," Anu Roberts, senior director of product marketing at CDK, told Automotive News.

The study, conducted in November and reflecting 2022 data, was based on responses from 335 NADA member dealers and 1,150 U.S. consumers who bought vehicles in the six months prior. First-time car buyers represented 18 percent of respondents, with most participants from California, Texas, New…

<!--*/ */ /*-->*/ Sony-Honda Afeela EV will rely on Qualcomm's super chips

Afeela, the new electric vehicle joint venture between Honda Motor Co. and Sony Corp., still has some details to reveal — such as how the high-tech cars will be sold, who will sell them and where they'll go for service. But for now, the development project is taking shape as an aspirational brainchild of the two Japanese manufacturers.

Honda and Sony, both giants in their respective industries, are essentially creating a computer on wheels that can be personalized like a smartphone, socialize like a social media platform and make driving decisions like a human.

The joint venture, aptly named Sony Honda Mobility, is operating independently of the two marquee brands, dividing project responsibilities based on individual strengths.

But to bring their vision to life, Honda and Sony are also relying heavily on a more silent third partner: semiconductor and AI producer Q…

Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Farley said Thursday the company will unveil an "all-new" F-150 pickup, as well as a new hybrid variant, this September at the Detroit auto show.

Automotive News has previously reported the F-150 is due for a mid-cycle freshen this year before a next-generation model launches in 2026. The F-150 is the crown jewel of Ford's F-Series line of pickups, which is the nation's best-selling vehicle line.

Ford last redesigned the F-150 for the 2021 model year.

Farley disclosed Ford's plans for the Detroit auto show during a briefing with analysts and journalists about the company's second-quarter earnings.

The Ford vehicle debuts will be among six product introductions expected from the Detroit 3 automakers at this year's Detroit auto show, organizers said this week.

The indoor-outdoor event will run from Sept. 13-24 in downtown Detroit.

"We are thrilled by the tremendous support of our hometown Detroit Three in bring…

Ford Motor Co. posted second-quarter net income of $1.9 billion and increased its forecast for the year but said it expects to lose $1.5 billion more on electric vehicles than previously projected.

Citing consumer concerns with pricing, the company also scaled back EV output plans but vowed to continue on a path to earning 8 percent margins on EVs in three years.

Still, overall revenue in the quarter jumped 12 percent to $45 billion, and net income nearly tripled from a year earlier.

“It was a really strong quarter,” CFO John Lawler said in a call with media, noting it was “more evidence of what’s possible,” with the company’s Ford + growth plan.

Ford's adjusted earnings before interest and taxes rose slightly to $3.8 billion. About $2.3 billion came from Ford Blue, the company's gasoline-powered vehicle business. Ford made $2.4 billion on its commercial business, Ford Pro, and lost $1.1 billion on its electric vehicle business, Model e.

F…

A Delaware bankruptcy judge said she’s worried Lordstown Motors Corp. was attempting to sell itself in Chapter 11 before a rival EV maker can take it to trial over allegations Lordstown stole designs and technology to develop its flagship vehicle, the Endurance electric truck.

Judge Mary Walrath on Thursday permitted rival vehicle maker Karma Automotive to move forward with an upcoming trial in California against Lordstown. The outcome of the trial will determine which company owns assets related to the Endurance which are being marketed in to potential buyers, she said.

Judge Walrath also said she worried that the investment bank Lordstown retained to help sell its assets, Jefferies LLC, wasn’t informing potential bidders about the ownership dispute with Karma. Lordstown did mention the Karma litigation in papers it submitted to court when it filed Chapter 11 in June and lawyers said during Thursday’s hearing that the dispute has been mentioned in Securities …

Auto retail giant AutoNation this week rolled out AutoNation Mobility, a new-vehicle micro lease service.Tim Martin, AutoNation's head of mobility operations, announced the new program in a LinkedIn post.

It offers new-vehicle leases in six- or 12-month terms, allowing for 800, 1,000, or 1,200 miles of driving each month. The service is available in Southern California and South Florida, according to the AutoNation Mobility website, which features the tagline: "The future of driving is Flexible."

The micro leases include routine maintenance, vehicle registration, a limited maintenance plan and roadside assistance through the vehicle manufacturer. Consumers are required to provide vehicle insurance. AutoNation Mobility is offering a variety of vehicle styles, makes and models.

The website features a tool allowing consumers to compare the cost of a micro lease to that of a traditional lease or loan. An example estimates that a 12-month micro lease for a 2…

The joint electric vehicle charging network seven major automakers announced this week shows an industry commitment to improve the charging experience — a serious pain point for their customers. But analysts say it is unlikely to dent Tesla's charging network dominance.

BMW Group, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz Group and Stellantis said they will launch their own network of 30,000 fast chargers along highways and in urban areas. The first stations are slated to open next summer and will be available to any EV brand.

Expanding a reliable charging infrastructure is an industry and Biden administration priority. Tesla's extensive charging network and system reliability give it a leg up over other charging providers. Several automakers in the last few months have announced partnerships with Tesla that allow their EV customers to use Tesla Superchargers without an adapter. The joint venture is another step toward broadening the charging network,…

Automotive supplier Forvia is planning to close its seating plant in Highland Park, Mich., and lay off 511 employees in the latest round of job cuts.

The company expects the permanent layoffs to be complete around Sept. 23, according to a WARN notice filed with the state, dated July 17.

The layoffs will be in the just-in-time department and constitute a plant closure, the notice said.

The company, which changed its name from Faurecia last year after a merger with Hella, notified the state last December that it would be eliminating 268 jobs at the plant. Waymon Halty, vice president at UAW Local 155 representing the employees, said at the time those cuts were the result of the company moving the metals division to Mexico to reduce costs.

An explanation for the plant closure was not provided by the company, though it looks to coincide with a loss of business. The plant supplies seats for the Jeep Wagoneer program at Stellantis' Warren Truck Assemb…

A new report says Tesla created a secret team to suppress thousands of range complaints. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares says $25k is the sweet spot for affordable EVs. Plus, we’ll hear from Toyota Motor North America’s Nick Sitarski about the company’s new ADAS suite and its different approach to safety features.

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In many industries, including automotive, it is an increasingly common practice for companies to contract with a business process outsourcing organization to help manage the more mundane, but necessary, functions that keep their operations running. Customer service tasks are most typically relegated tobusiness process outsourcing in addition to other tedious duties such as data entry, collections and certain accounting functions. The prevailing wisdom has been that for front-of-the-house activities, like inside sales and targeted marketing activities, a business is better off assigning these responsibilities to their own employees, since they are trained on the products and services they sell, are familiar with the corporate culture and have a suitable understanding of customer needs.

But is this the optimal strategy? Sophisticated business process outsourcing can now deliver "smart sourcing," an enhanced iteration of outsourcing that can help companies im…

The automotive industry is transitioning from internal combustion engines (ICE) to electric and autonomous vehicles. A wide variety of factors are driving this change, including recent technological advancements that have made the transition more feasible to shifts in government policies and consumer demand for sustainable transportation that accelerated electric vehicle adoption. This report aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the key factors driving this transition and how component suppliers must react to market needs.

Ryan Mutalib is fixed operations director at Jeff Wyler Honda of Colerain, a Cincinnati suburb, and a recent 40 Under 40 honoree.

First car: 1987 Toyota Supra.

First concert you attended: Kriss Kross.

Name a pet peeve: Being on hold for customer service.

Most thrilling/adventurous thing you've done: Had a baby at 39 years old.

First job: Golf course caddy.

Something on your bucket list: Visit all 50 states.

One thing you learned on the job you never forgot: Always think differently from your competition.

If you could pick up a new skill, what would it be? Rock climbing.

3 people you'd invite to dinner, living or dead: Comedians Chris Farley, Dave Chappelle and Adam Sandler.

What did you want to be when you were a kid? Auto technician.

What's your Netflix binge show? "Succession" on HBO Max.

You're king for a day. What's your fi…