Category: Automotive News

Elon Musk has found a new Twitter CEO

By on May 17, 2023

Elon Musk said on Thursday he has found a new chief executive for Twitter without naming the person and that he will transition to the role of chief technology officer of the social media platform within the next few weeks. “Excited to announce that I’ve hired a new CEO for X/Twitter. She will be starting in ~6 weeks!,” Musk said in a tweet. The Wall StreetJournal first reported that Comcast NBCUniversal executive Linda Yaccarino was in talks for the job. Word came Thursday that Yaccarino will leave NBC following the reports. Musk has previously not named any prospective candidates, and…

France beats Germany, Netherlands to host the ProLogium battery plant

By on May 16, 2023

Macron, who personally met with ProLogium CEO Vincent Yang at the start of the vetting process, was due on Friday to officially announce in Dunkirk the 5.2-billion-euro ($5.7 billion) investment. Gilles Normand, ProLogium executive vice-president, said that after Macron, a former investment banker, pitched Yang more than a year ago Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire followed up and helped make the company’s case with the European Commission for EU financial incentives. “There was then the realization that there might be some interesting possibilities, which was maybe a little bit different from the clichés about France,” Normand told a small group…

Cost of Windshield Replacement Is Going Up

By on May 16, 2023

Today, it seems as if the prices on just above everything (food, gas, rent) are going up–and glass is no exception. Unfortunately, maybe not all that surprisingly, the cost of automobile glass materials has been rising every month. . . and continues to do so. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data pulled back in January 2022 showed that motor vehicle parts increased by 5.2 percent from the previous year. Specifically, adhesives and sealants increased in price by 14.2 percent, while prices for materials related to motor vehicle repair and maintenance increased by 2.9 percent. Here’s…

Shift Q1 earnings: Company reviewing ‘strategic alternatives’

By on May 15, 2023

Online used-vehicle retailer Shift Technologies Inc. said Thursday its board of directors is working with management and financial and legal advisers to assess a range of “strategic alternatives” for the company. in a statementShift said its board of directors was conducting a process to “explore and evaluate strategic alternatives, including exploring a potential sale of certain operating businesses, third party investment or partnership opportunities and/or funding alternatives for our marketplace business, to further enhance value for all stakeholders.” The company said its board did not set a timetable for the completion of the review process. There is “no assurance” it…

Braking defect prompts Tesla’s big recall in China

By on May 14, 2023

Tesla Inc. recalled virtually every car it’s sold in China due to a braking and acceleration defect that may increase crashes and safety risks. The automaker will deploy an over-the-air software fix to more than 1.1 million vehicles produced in Shanghai from January 2019 to April this year, plus some models imported into China, the State Administration for Market Regulation said Friday in a statement. The defect relates to Tesla’s regenerative braking system, which makes use of energy created when drivers take their foot off the accelerator by sending power to the car’s battery. The vehicles haven’t allowed drivers to…

45% of used-vehicle loan terms ‘frighteningly’ long at 84 months, up from 25% in 2021

By on May 13, 2023

With high vehicle values and high interest rates compromising affordability, buyers — particularly entry-level ones — have been forced to extend borrowing time frames, Ross said. “Consumers are looking to stay in a consistent monthly payment range to what they used to previously, so the only thing they have is to elongate that loan term,” he said. Ross, Karwel and Abraham saw little relief in sight for buyers as both new- and used-vehicle inventories remained tight. UPSIDE: MORE F&I SALES For dealers, however, the longer loan timelines are creating opportunities. Finance and insurance products, once pitched when selling new-vehicle sales,…

Cupra announced Raval as the name of small electric hatchback

By on May 12, 2023

Also on Thursday, the Seat announced record operating profit for the first quarter of 2023, at 144 million euros, compared with five million euros in the first quarter of 2022. Revenue was 3.6 billion euros, 48 percent higher than the first quarter of 2022. Cupra began as a trim line of Seat and became its own sub-brand under former CEO Luca de Meo, now CEO of Renault Group. Cupra is now Seat’s main growth driver, Seat said. Seat said Cupra sold 46,600 units during the first quarter of 2023, 83 percent more than in the same period in 2022. Seat…

What dealerships service managers are reading

By on May 10, 2023

When I was first starting at Automotive News a few years back and trying to learn the service and parts business, Lee Harkins, CEO of dealership training company M5 Management Services, let me be a fly on the wall at one of his performance group meetings. I must not have made too big of a nuisance of myself because I’ve been invited back to every meeting since, including one a couple weeks ago in Orlando. The discussions there were the same: What are you struggling with? Where are you having success? What’s one best practice you want to share with…