Archive for the ‘Automobiles’ Category
Taxis and other for-hire vehicles just as bad.
by Michael Strong on May.22, 2019
A new study shows that Lyft and Uber vehicle owners have terrible records when its to getting recall repairs completed.
Less than a week ago, the world discovered that Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing service vehicles are the dirtiest ways to get someone to drive you somewhere. Now it may also be that they are the least safe, according to a new study.
Consumer Reports claims that one out of six Uber and Lyft drivers in the New York City and Seattle areas are driving vehicles with outstanding recalls. However, unlike the search for a more sanitary ride, taxis may not be a better option.
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The magazine says that nearly a quarter of all for-hire vehicles in the Big Apple also need to have their vehicles brought in to address a recall of some sort. Recalls can range from something as simple as a faulty light or sensor to – as we’ve seen recently – more dangerous problems such faulty airbags, engine fires and seat-belt problems. (more…)
Tags: Consumer Reports Uber Lyft recall repair rates, Lyft news, TheDetroitBureau.com., Uber Lyft drivers poor recall repair rate, Uber Lyft possibly unsafe, Uber Lyft recall repair problems, Uber Lyft vehicles may not be safe, Uber news, auto news, michael strong, recall news, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Advocates, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Coupes, Crossovers/CUVs, Lyft, Markets, Minivans, Personalities, Pickups, Recalls, Ride-Sharing, SUVs, Safety, Sedans, Technology, U.S./North America, Uber | No Comments »
BMW expands its SAV range,
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.22, 2019
The all-new BMW X7 gets a high-performance boost with the debut of the M50i edition.
With more and more motorists switching from passenger cars to SUVs and CUVs, it’s no surprise that we’re beginning to see manufacturers not only expand their utility vehicle line-up but also add more performance variants.
BMW has been a leader in this trend and it’s muscling up its performance family with today’s debut of two new M Performance variants based on the latest X5 and all-new X7 “Sport Activity Vehicles.” Both new models will go into production in August at the BMW plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and reach showrooms soon after.
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Both the M Performance X5 and X7 will share the same powertrain, the latest version of BMW’s 4.4-liter Twinpower Turbo V-8. Paired with an 8-speed automatic gearbox, the engine pours out 523 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque.
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Tags: 2020 bmw x5 m50i, 2020 bmw x7 m50i, BMW M, auto news, bmw m performance, bmw news, bmw review, car news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, performance suv, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automakers, Automobiles, BMW, Business, Crossovers/CUVs, Luxury Vehicles, Motorsports, Muscle Cars, SUVs, Sales, Sports Cars, Trends | No Comments »
Latest update called “far less competent than a human driver.”
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.22, 2019
Consumer Reports criticized the performance of Tesla's latest version of Autopilot.
It has been a tough few weeks for Tesla, the California electric carmaker watching its stock plummet in the wake of a sales slowdown, mounting losses and a report from the National Transportation Safety Board blaming the company’s Autopilot system for a fatal crash last March. Now, Consumer Reports is adding to Tesla’s grief.
CEO Elon Musk has spotlighted Autopilot as one of Tesla’s crown jewels, boasting about its increasingly hands-free capabilities, the latest being the ability to change lanes automatically. But the non-profit publication isn’t convinced, warning in a news release that “the latest version … is far less competent than a human driver.”
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“The system’s role should be to help the driver, but the way this technology is deployed it’s the other way around,” said Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports’ senior director of auto testing. “It’s incredibly nearsighted. It doesn’t appear to react to brake lights or turn signals, it can’t anticipate what other drivers will do, and as a result, you constantly have to be one step ahead of it.” (more…)
Tags: Autopilot "less competent than human driver", Consumer Reports criticizes Tesla's Autopilot, Consumer Reports reviews new Autopilot, Tesla Autopilot criticism, Tesla Autopilot system, Tesla slammed by Consumer Reports, TheDetroitBureau.com., autopilot news, paul a. eisenstein, tesla news, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Asia Pacific, Automakers, Automobiles, Autonomous Driving, Business, China, Driverless Vehicles, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Europe, Executives, Markets, NAFTA, Personalities, South America, Technology, Tesla, U.S./North America | No Comments »
Zetsche's departure offers perfect time for structure change.
by Joseph Szczesny on May.22, 2019
Daimler Chairman Dieter Zetsche speaks to attendees at his last shareholder meeting as chairman.
With the auto industry facing a turbulent transformation, Daimler AG is putting in place a new corporate structure and a new leadership team, while vowing to remain committed to what its outgoing chief executive described as a sustainable future.
Dieter Zetsche, who has led Daimler AG for the past 13 years and who a German business magazine recently described as the only “world class business leader in the auto industry,” relinquishes his dual role as chief executive officer as a chairman of the board of management and head of Mercedes-Benz cars.
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Ola Kallenius will replace Zetsche and take on the dual role as CEO and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. In addition, Harold Wilhelm will replace Daimler’s long-serving chief financial officer, Bodo Ubber. In addition, Markus Schaefer will take over Kallenius’ previous role as head of research and development and a broader role for Brita Seeger, chief of sales for Mercedes-Benz Cars. (more…)
Tags: Daimler AG reorganization, Daimler consolidates groups, Daimler reorganizes businesses, Kallenius takes top spot at Daimler, TheDetroitBureau.com., Zetsche cedes job to Kallenius, Zetsche retires, auto news, daimler news, joseph szczesny, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Asia Pacific, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, China, Daimler, Europe, Executives, Investors, Luxury Vehicles, Markets, Mercedes, NAFTA, Personalities, Regulatory, Sales, South America, Technology, U.S./North America | No Comments »
Automaker planning to focus on “markets in which we have strongest…potential.”
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.22, 2019
GM's mobility service, Maven, cut services in eight cities around the country.
General Motors plans to pull its Maven car-sharing service out of eight cities in North America, including Boston and Chicago, while continuing to focus on markets with stronger demand, including Toronto, Los Angeles and GM’s home in Detroit.
The move comes just months after Ford Motor Co., which has tried to reposition itself as a “mobility” company, rather than an automaker, pulled the plug on Chariot, a service struggling to find a niche between ride-sharing and van shuttles.
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GM declined to explain why it decided to trim back Maven but said in a statement that, “We’re shifting Maven’s offerings to concentrate on markets in which we have the strongest current demand and growth potential.” (more…)
Tags: GM Maven news, GM cuts Maven, GM cuts Maven cities, GM mobility plans, General Motors cuts Maven in eight cities, Maven news, TheDetroitBureau.com., auto news, paul a. eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Classic Cars, Coupes, Executives, GM, Markets, Maven, Personalities, Ride-Sharing, Sedans, U.S./North America | 1 Comment »
The special version of the Aston Superleggara DBS celebrates the 50th anniversary of one of the stranger of the Bond flicks.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.22, 2019
James Bond fans can get a special edition of the Aston Martin DBS OHMSS Superleggara to satisfy their super spy fancy.
There are legions of 007 fans. But only a select few will be able to afford to share the special bond, James Bond, between the superspy and his ever-changing collection of cars.
Real aficionados know that in the original Ian Fleming novels, 007 drove a 1930 Bentley. But from the beginning, and in all but a handful of the Bond films to date, his car of choice has been an Aston Martin. The British brand is marking the 50th anniversary of one of the oddest films in the series, “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” by rolling out a unique version of the new Superleggara DBS.
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If you’re planning to play trivial pursuit, the question might go this way: “Who was the only actor to do a single, and almost universally panned take on 007?” The answer is George Lazenby, who had his brief opportunity to drink a martini stirred, not shaken, in this 1969 adventure. (more…)
Tags: Aston Martin DBS OHMSS Superleggara, Aston debuts Bond car, James Bond Aston Martin DB5, James Bond fans get new super car, James Bond news, TheDetroitBureau.com., aston martin news, auto news, new James Bond collectors edition, new Superleggara, paul a. eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Asia Pacific, Aston Martin, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, China, Coupes, Europe, Executives, Investors, Markets, NAFTA, Personalities, Sales, South America, Sports Cars, U.S./North America | No Comments »
Trucks continue growing bottom line for automakers.
by Michael Strong on May.21, 2019
The Sierra HD 3500 makes an audacious debut pulling 225,000 pounds of yacht and trailer. It also gets an audacious price tag.
Truck sales are booming, which is good news for automakers since they result in big profits. Only adding to their bottom-line delight is that the fastest growing area are the highly profitable “luxury” trucks with price tags zipping past $60,000.
New full-size trucks in 2018 were 16% more expensive than those in 2015, and midsize trucks were 3% more expensive, according to CarGurus.com. In fact, the top end of the market has trucks passed the $80,000 mark, and the good news is that there is probably room for even more expensive pickups, according to one truck executive.
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“I think there’s still an opportunity (in vehicles) for traditional luxury items, like more materials, audio systems, things like that,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president, Global Buick and GMC, recently during a meeting with journalists. (more…)
Tags: Duncan Aldred GMC, Ford F-Series sales, Ram truck sales, TheDetroitBureau.com., Truck sales drive profits, auto news, full-size pickup prices, gm truck sales, luxury truck prices, michael strong, thedetroitbureau, top price for trucks, truck news, truck sales
Posted in Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Chevrolet, Executives, FCA, Ford, GM, GMC, Luxury Vehicles, Markets, Nissan, Personalities, Pickups, Sales, Sales, Toyota, Trends, U.S./North America | No Comments »
Shares head towards $200 for first time since 2016, as key analyst warns $10 is possible.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.21, 2019
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has plenty to worry about as investors turn bearish on its stock.
After sliding to its lowest level since December 2016 on five days of losses, Tesla stock fell to its lowest level in nearly 30 months, at just above $200 — and one key analyst, Morgan Stanley’s Adam Jonas, warns Tesla could see the stock plunge to just $10 a share.
Not much has gone right for the California automotive upstart in recent months, starting with word that first-quarter sales had fallen well short of expectations. Its unexpectedly deep, $702 million loss for the quarter didn’t help. And the situation only grew worse when CEO Elon Musk last week ordered a “hardcore” belt-tightening covering “literally every payment that leaves our bank account.” Then, the National Transportation Safety Board weighed in, blaming a fatal March 2018 crash on Tesla’s much-ballyhooed Autopilot system.
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Even where the automaker appeared to pull off a coup, topping substantially what it had expected to raise with last month’s combination of stock and debt offerings, Musk told employees in an e-mail, that the $2.7 billion Tesla brought in “actually only gives us about 10 months at the Q1 burn rate to achieve breakeven!”
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Tags: Tesla $10, Tesla 200, auto news, car news, elon musk, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, tesla loss, tesla news, tesla sales, tesla share, tesla stock, tesla trouble, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automakers, Automobiles, Business, China, EVs, Earnings, Electrified Vehicles, Environment, Executives, Financials, Ford, GM, Investors, Luxury Vehicles, Markets, Monthly Results, Personalities, Regulatory, Sales, Sales, Technology, Tesla, Trends, U.S./North America | No Comments »
New architecture allows for future connected car tech.
by Michael Strong on May.21, 2019
GM's new digital vehicle platform can process 4.5 terabytes per hour and will debut on the 2020 Cadillac CT5 sedan.
General Motors is pushing to remain a leader in autonomous technology with new vehicles and mobility services; however, it’s latest development may be the most critical to ensure it remains at the front of the pack.
The company unveiled its new all-new digital platform architecture, designed with the needs of future, such as connected cars, autonomous electric vehicles and other technologies, in mind. Until now, GM has been loading up its previous gen architecture with new tech, despite the fact it is more than 20 years old and comes with limitations.
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The new architecture, which will underpin the 2020 Cadillac CT5 sedan and its Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving feature, should be available across nearly all GM product lines by 2023, the company says. (more…)
Tags: GM debuts new electronic architecture, GM new digital brain, GM unveils new vehicle architecture, GM's new digital brain, General Motors digital architecture, TheDetroitBureau.com., auto news, autonomous vehicle news, gm news, gm super cruise, michael strong, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Asia Pacific, Automakers, Automobiles, Autonomous Driving, Buick, Business, Cadillac, Chevrolet, China, Driverless Vehicles, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Europe, Executives, GM, GMC, Infotainment, Markets, NAFTA, Personalities, Safety, Safety, Sales, Semi-autonomous Driving, South America, Technology, Technology, Trends, U.S./North America, V2V | No Comments »
“It was the most courageous thing I ever witnessed in sport.”
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.21, 2019
Few expected Niki Lauda to survive his crash at the Nurburgring on Aug. 1, 1976.
He was born to be a banker, like the rest of his patrician, Austrian family. So, when Niki Lauda asked his grandfather for the financial help he needed to land a ride on the Formula One circuit, he was cut off. Lauda eventually found a way to raise the money on his own, lining up a loan against his life insurance policy.
It was a risky bet, but Niki Lauda’s life was an ongoing gamble, whether on the track or in business, something that became all too apparent during a crucial race at Germany’s Nurburgring on August 1, 1976. Ironically, he had called for a boycott just a week before because of the lack of safety features on the winding course. But when the green flag dropped, Andreas Nikolaus Lauda was positioned at the front of the pack, despite a blinding downpour, determined to grab the lead against his F1 arch-rival James Hunt.
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On the second lap, Lauda’s Ferrari spun out, hit an embankment and burst into flames. Trapped in the car, his borrowed helmet having slipped off, Lauda suffered massive burns that few thought he’d be able to survive. After slipping into a coma, a priest delivered last rites. Yet, somehow, Lauda pulled through, though the injuries were severe, the fire burning off most of his right ear and hair, as well as his eyelids, while searing his lungs.
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Tags: Ferrari, Niki lauda, auto news, car news, ferrari racing, james hunt, lauda crash, lauda fire, lauda hunt, lauda rush, motor sports, motorsports, niki lauda dies, niki lauda obituary, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Celebrities, Executives, Ferrari, Mercedes, Motorsports, Personalities, Racers | No Comments »
