Your Used Car May Soon Come With Subscription Fees

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Drivers of used cars whom automakers have a direct line to—whether by email or app—are often offered free trial periods aimed at hooking a consumer to the subscription model of car ownership. But many drivers of used cars aren’t so easily targeted, especially those who don’t buy their cars through automakers’ dealer-controlled networks. A 2021 survey of more than 2,000 US car owners led data and analytics company LexisNexis Risk Solutions to estimate that 83 percent of owners of used cars with built-in connectivity “remain untapped”—meaning automakers had left money on the table. Since 2021, LexisNexis has offered a service…
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Polestar will take over part of the old Saab plant to expand R&D

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Polestar will take over part of Saab’s former car plant in Sweden to extend its R&D operations in Europe. The EV maker will conduct powertrain development for the Polestar 5, a Tesla Model S rival, and the Polestar 6 roadster at a 15,000-square-meter building in Trollhattan, Automotive News Europe sister publication Automobilwoche reported. Polestar will also test powertrains, electric motors and batteries for the upcoming models at the new R&D center. Polestar will rent the building from the city of Trollhattan, Automobilwoche said. The site was previously used for powertrain development by Saab and then by National Electric Vehicle Sweden…
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Lloyd Reuss obituary: Former GM president championed engineering

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DETROIT — Lloyd Reuss, a mechanical engineer who rose to become General Motors president in the early 1990s, died on Friday. He was 86. Reuss, a classic company man with sharp political instincts and a passion for performance, was the father of Mark Reuss, GM’s current president and head of the automaker’s regional and international operations, global product development programs, quality and design. Mark Reuss posted the news of his father’s death on Facebook. Lloyd Reuss became GM president on Aug. 1, 1990, as part of incoming Chairman Robert Stempel’s executive team. As president, he was an early supporter of…
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Transport technology startup funding plunged 43 percent in March

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Globally, deal activity in the mobility technology sector for the fourth quarter of 2022 was going flat into 2023, Jonathan Geurkink, a senior analyst at PitchBook, told Automotive News. “We are seeing investment shift away from the activity in and around autonomous driving and the ride-hailing and last mile stuff seems to be tailing off as well,” Geurkink said. “I think there are areas certainly in battery technology that look interesting. We’re probably going to put out an analyst note in the next month or so on sodium battery technology and some of the investments there.” Of the 47 investments…
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The Most Discounted New Cars Right Now

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Most months there are a few models that are given an extra push with incentives tied to supply and/or a coming redesign. Automakers and dealerships need to make room for new vehicles. These days there’s plenty of room, but some models are still more popular than others. Transaction prices remain elevated for most vehicles, though, and the amount you can save varies greatly by model and even trim. It might seem surprising, but there are many vehicles that are selling for close to the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. Supply and demand still rule the day. For this list, we focused…
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Used car buying guide: Audi RS2

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In fact, when Autocar timed the RS2 from 0-30mph back in 1994, it turned out to be quicker than the McLaren F1. And although 0-60mph is officially rated at 5.4sec, it’s capable of completing the sprint in just 4.8sec. So yes, it still feels pretty fast even today. On a twisty road, it doesn’t mind some enthusiasm, with strong grip and that powerful turbo helping you to make good progress. You also have a direct six-speed manual gearshift to play with. The RS2 doesn’t really encourage you to push it and find its limits, mind you. Its handling remains capable…
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Best Ways To Increase the Range of Your EV

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If you’re new to EVs, you might not know all the best ways to increase its overall range. In this guide, we’ve put together some of the best ways to do so. Generally, people who own gas cars don’t put much thought into how much gas they waste while driving. The reason for this is due to the fact that gas cars take mere minutes to get back on the road once they’re out of fuel. On the other hand, once an EV runs out of power, it can sometimes take as long as an hour to have a full…
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Report: Auto repair costs increased by 40% in 5 years

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The cost to repair a vehicle increased 40% from 2018 to 2022, according to a UK-based warranty and insurance provider. Intelligent Mooring said it analyzed more than 12,000 warranty claims filed throughout the past five years and discovered “higher prices for repairs are here to stay for the foreseeable future.” The study, released this week, revealed that repair costs began spiking following the UK’s Brexit referendum in 2016, with warranty claims costs rising 19% from 2018 to 2019, and another 10% from 2020-2021. Repair fees continued to skyrocket as the pandemic and other geopolitical events triggered supply chain issues and…
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