Category: Automotive News

ABB Robotics to invest $20M, add 72 jobs in suburban Detroit

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Zurich-based robotics giant ABB is planning to invest $20 million and create 72 jobs at its Auburn Hills, Michigan, plant in response to the growth of automation in the automotive industry and others. The company will increase robot production at its 538,000-square-foot building, adding new equipment to its manufacturing space and renovating its offices and demonstration center, said John Bubnikovich, ABB’s US Robotics division president. The renovations at the plant, where the company has operated since 1993, are expected to be complete by November. The project is being supported with a $450,000 performance-based grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corp.…
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Guide to Windshield Replacement in Arizona

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Many drivers think they will be perfectly safe driving around with a crack or chip in their windshield, this often isn’t the case. Any obstruction in the windshield can result in unsafe driving conditions and could ultimately cause an accident. Because chips and cracks are prone to spreading over time, especially when exposed to the extreme weather conditions typically found in Arizona, it’s essential to consider windshield replacement, especially if the situation cannot be resolved with an auto glass repair. While this is a simple process, many people wonder if they really need to replace their windshield at all. The…
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Lithia Motors buys UK dealership group Jardine Motors

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Jardine Motors has more than 40 new-vehicle franchise points in the UK, with a portfolio of luxury brands including Aston Martin, Porsche and BMW, DeBoer said. Part of the conglomerate Jardine Matheson Holdings, Jardine is Europe’s 23rd-largest dealership group by annual revenue, according to Automotive News Europe’s 2022 Guide to Europe’s Biggest Dealers. The deal will add $2 billion to Lithia’s annual revenue, DeBoer said. In 2022, the company’s revenue surged 24% to $28.23 billion. “And more importantly, it gives us a foundation to grow more in the United Kingdom, which is helping us drive towards our $50 billion target…
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29 Ford dealers leave EV program after changes

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A Ford spokesperson said the company was still pleased with the figures. “It is important that dealers have the option to do what they believe is best for their business and their customers for the 2024-2026 period,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “As we continue to scale our EV volumes, our second enrollment period will open up for 2027-2029.” Among the changes: Ford said dealers no longer had to operate public electric vehicle chargers around the clock, and those in the Certified tier would not be capped at selling 25 EVs per year. Some retailers remain concerned about the…
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Randy Marion Automotive buys 4 North Carolina dealerships

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Growing Randy Marion Automotive Group bought four North Carolina dealerships in two separate first-quarter transactions to expand its portfolio in the state. Randy Marion Automotive in Mooresville, NC, on March 6 bought Gerry Wood Dodge of Salisbury, which also sells Chrysler, Jeep and Ram vehicles; Gerry Wood Honda; and Gerry Wood Kia from Gerry Wood, according to Randy Marion Automotive COO DJ Heller. The dealerships, all in Salisbury, NC, were renamed Randy Marion Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram of Salisbury, Randy Marion Honda and Randy Marion Kia. Salisbury is northeast of Charlotte. Honda and Kia are both new brands for the group, Heller said.…
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Rivian executive returns to McLaren

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Rivian Automotive’s chief engineer, Charles Sanderson, has left the US EV startup for McLaren, his previous employer, McLaren said in a news release. Sanderson, who joined Rivian nearly five years ago to develop its R1 vehicle platform, returns to supercar maker McLaren in the role of chief technical officer, McLaren said earlier this week. “Mr. Sanderson will now spearhead McLaren Automotive’s new technology roadmap and product innovation strategy,” McLaren said. Sanderson’s previous role at McLaren was head of software development. Rivian said Sanderson had chosen to return to McLaren. A Rivian spokesperson said Sanderson was part of the product development…
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Toyota’s hydrogen-powered Corolla race car catches fire

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But Toyota executives said the fire, which occurred during a private test run at Fuji International Speedway, was unrelated to the car’s adoption of hydrogen fuel instead of gasoline. The cause, the company said, was a pipe joint loosened by vehicle vibration. “What I want everyone to understand today is that hydrogen was not the cause of this problem,” Tomoya Takahashi, president of Toyota’s Gazoo Racing Company, said at a briefing. “Rather, it is as the insufficient consideration of our design work,” he said. “Whatever fuel we used could have leaked and caught fire.” Despite the setback, Toyoda himself ordered…
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EV startups are burning through cash. Can they attract more investment?

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In September 2020, Hindenburg Research released its report on Nikola, saying it was “an intricate fraud.” The company acknowledged a truck appearing to cruise down a desert road under its own power in a video was not. The SEC launched an inquiry. Ultimately, Trevor Milton, Nikola’s founder, was convicted of fraud. Nikola settled with the SEC for $125 million. In 2021, J Capital Research published a report calling Faraday Future “nothing but a bucket to collect money from US investors and pour it into the black hole of debt created by its founder.” A company spokesperson said “the substantive allegations…
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