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Robby Findlay is director of operations at Findlay Automotive Group in the Southwest, which has 22 brands and crossed $2 billion in revenue in 2019. In this video Q&A with Automotive News publisher Jason Stein, Findlay discusses where Venza and Sienna fit into the lineup already on his lot, Toyota's leadership in hybrid powertrain innovation and how his dealership uses SmartPath as a tool to sustain sales activity amid the pandemic.

Read the transcript of the interview

Jason: Hi there, I'm Jason Stein, publisher of Automotive News. It's a pleasure to be here with you today, and I am joined by Robby Findlay. Robby Findlay is the chairman of the Toyota National Dealer Advisory Council, and he is in Flagstaff, Arizona today...also Director of Operations for Findlay Automotive. Robby nice to be with you. 

Robby: Hey, thanks for having me. 

On how Findlay Automotive Group is navigating the challenges of the…

Running in fourth place in one of the auto industry's least sexy segments is not traditional real estate for Toyota.

But the Japanese automaker hopes to change that with the introduction this year of a redesigned Sienna minivan that will boast much improved creature comforts and a standard hybrid powertrain with estimated fuel economy of 33 mpg combined — a 57 percent gain over the current, nonhybridized model.

The 2021 Toyota Sienna, due in dealer showrooms late this year, was scheduled to be revealed at the New York auto show last month before the event was postponed because of the COVID-19 crisis. Instead, the fourth-generation Toyota minivan, along with the all-new Toyota Venza hybrid crossover, debuted Monday in an online live event.

Redesigned onto Toyota's flexible TNGA-K platform — which underpins vehicles as diverse as the Camry, RAV4 and Highlander — the newest Sienna receives much-needed styling and interior updates, as well as extra safety e…

Toyota is filling some remaining white space in its crossover lineup with a new Japanese import that resurrects an old U.S. nameplate on a vehicle designed to plug the gap between the compact RAV4 and the three-row Highlander.

The 2021 Toyota Venza is a two-row, hybrid-only midsize crossover built on the same TNGA-K platform as the Highlander and RAV4 and known as the Harrier in Japan. Larger than the RAV4, but shorter and with a lower roofline than the Highlander, the Venza will come standard with both an electronic all-wheel-drive system and a hybrid powertrain capable of an estimated 40 mpg in combined fuel economy, Toyota says.

It is expected to arrive in Toyota dealerships in the U.S. this summer, giving the brand a seventh crossover or SUV when Americans are increasingly shifting out of cars to light trucks.

Toyota is following other automakers — think the Ford Edge, Chevrolet Blazer, Hyundai Santa Fe and Nissan Murano — in fielding a premium, mid…

Hertz Global Holdings Inc. promoted the head of its North American car-rental operations to lead the company as its CEO leaves in the midst of efforts to ward off bankruptcy.

Paul Stone, a Hertz executive vice president and chief retail operations officer, becomes CEO immediately after the resignation of Kathryn Marinello, according to a statement. The company has until May 22 to restructure lease payments with bondholders and has cast doubt on its ability to pay debt obligations and continue as a going concern.

Marinello, 63, was in the top job for just under three-and-a-half years, and Stone, 50, will be Hertz’s fifth CEO since 2014. He spent almost three decades at Walmart Inc. and was chief retail officer at outdoor-gear retailer Cabela’s Inc. before joining Hertz in March 2018.

Hertz shares surged as much as 17 percent and were up 15 percent to $3.04 in Monday morning trading. The stock has plunged more than 80 percent this year.

…

Join Automotive News Publisher Jason Stein for a daily podcast series about the coronavirus crisis. He’ll speak with industry experts, insiders and Automotive News reporters about how the virus is impacting and reshaping the automotive industry.

Automotive News reporter Melissa Burden on the social media storm and backlash against a Louisiana dealership and its handling of an employee concerned about being exposed to COVID-19. What retailers can learn from the ordeal and the questions being raised about the legal rights of dealership employees.

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LONDON -- British inventor and entrepreneur James Dyson said he killed off his electric car project after it became clear he would have to charge over 150,000 pounds ($181,885) for the vehicle to make a profit on it

The billionaire businessman said in 2017 that he planned to develop and sell an EV by 2021, creating anticipation that he might shake up the car industry the same way as he had disrupted the household appliance market with his bagless vacuum cleaner.

Dyson canceled the car  last year, saying the project was being scrapped because it was not commercially viable, not because of any failures in research and development.

In his first public comments since the cancelation, Dyson told the Sunday Times that the project cost him 500 million pounds ($607 million) of his own money. "There's huge sadness and disappointment. Ours is a life of risk and of failure. We try things and they fail," he said in an interview published on Sunday.

Dyso…

FLINT, Mich. -- When seating supplier Lear Corp. penned and then published its "Safe Work Playbook" on April 6, the idea of returning to work in Michigan seemed a distant reality. The state's daily COVID-19 numbers remained on the rise, recording more than 1,500 new cases and 110 deaths. The curve was not going to flatten for another three weeks.

The company has suffered casualties. At least 13 people died from an outbreak at its plant in Juarez, Mexico. Others have fallen ill across plants in the U.S. prior to Lear shutting down operations last month.

DAILY DRIVE PODCAST: April 23, 2020: Lear's road to reopening

But Lear had reopened plants in China, including four locations in the epicenter of Wuhan, two weeks earlier in late March and would reopen plants in South Korea, Italy, Spain and Germany throughout April. Lear released an updated version of its playbook on April 27. The 80-page document is the culmination of what it learned and how it implement…

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Tesla Inc. told employees it received approval to resume operations at its factory after Elon Musk threatened to move the company’s headquarters and future programs following a move by a California county to block the reopening.

The company said Alameda County’s interim health officer had approved its Fremont work plan and safe measures, according to an email sent to employees that was seen by Bloomberg News.

In the message, Tesla’s vice president for environmental, health, and safety, Laurie Shelby, told employees that, following a visit by local authorities, “we have local support to get back to full production at the factory starting this upcoming week.”

Officials at Tesla and the county didn’t immediately respond to queries after regular business hours.

Tesla sued the county this month after it said the company didn’t meet criteria to reopen, a move Musk called “the final straw” as he threatened to move Tesla’s base to Nev…

General Motors has postponed plans to freshen at least a handful of vehicles — including the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave and Cadillac XT4 — during the coronavirus pandemic, according to LMC Automotive.

"Most face-lifts appear to have some delay associated with them, especially those that hadn't really been fully completed. Where they were essentially getting ready for production, we aren't seeing any delays there," said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting with LMC Automotive. "Nothing that I'm aware of at this point has been outright canceled."

So far, GM has postponed a face-lift for the 2021 Buick Enclave to the 2022 model year. A freshening of the Cadillac XT4 for the 2022 model year also was delayed, to the 2023 model year, LMC said.

A GM spokesman in March said updates to the Chevy Bolt, Traverse and Equinox for the 2021 model year would be pushed to 2022.

GM is prioritizing new and redesign…

Auto industry bosses these days are in an unenviable position, but none more so than Gregor Hembrough.

In the maw of a global pandemic, the CEO of Polestar USA isn't just orchestrating the launch of a new vehicle in the U.S., but an entire brand.

Polestar, the Swedish electrified performance brand affiliated with Volvo Cars, is gearing up to introduce its first mass-market model here — the Polestar 2.

The market success of the electric fastback, which starts at $61,200 including shipping, is crucial for the prospects of the new brand. In addition to the Polestar 2 and Polestar 1, a limited-run, $155,000 hybrid sedan, the automaker plans a sporty crossover followed by two more models.

The odds are stacked against the electric upstart. Demand for big-ticket vehicles has evaporated as consumers hunker down for a deep and protracted recession. The National Automobile Dealers Association slashed its forecast for U.S. new…

Ford Motor Co. on Saturday said it will offer COVID-19 tests to hourly and salaried employees with suspected symptoms in four key states as thousands of workers prepare to return to the job on Monday.

The automaker said it's partnering with local health systems in southeast Michigan and metro areas around Louisville, Ky., Chicago, and Kansas City, Mo. It said test results should be available within a day.

"Fast and accurate testing is a key tool in the effort to help stop the spread of COVID-19," Dr. Walter Talamonti, Ford's medical director, said in a statement. "These contracts will allow us to test employees with suspected symptoms and have results back within 24 hours. If they test positive, we can quickly identify close contact employees who may have been exposed and ask them to self-quarantine for 14 days."

Ford said it's utilizing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, which identifies if someone is actively infected. The…