Each week TheDetroitBureau.com reports on the biggest news and events about new vehicles, mobility, technology, trends as well as offering our years of experience and insights in our car reviews. Then we put it all into our weekly the Headlight News podcast.
New vehicle sales once again in June, reports Editor-in-Chief Paul A. Eisenstein. Most automakers experienced double-digit declines as parts shortages, particularly semiconductors, continue to plague the industry.
Some of the other stories you need to know about include:
- Hyundai continued its shift toward an all-electric line-up, revealing a full look at the soon-to-come Ioniq 6 sedan. The new model’s unveiling comes as rumors swirl that the brand is cutting more gas-powered sedans from its line-up, and the Ioniq 6 is considered, by some, a replacement for the midsize Sonata;
- U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Michigan) said the death of federal tax credits for EVs is greatly exaggerated. She said talks are ongoing about the incentives, but observers note it’s unlikely the union-favorable deal is unlikely to get passed;
- Tesla was once ordered to pay a $137 million award to a former contract employee for racial discrimination. A judge lowered it to $15 million, and once the victim declined that, Tesla lawyers quickly asked for a new trial to determine the award again and the same judge that lowered the total also agreed to a new hearing;
- Rumors about Nissan cutting its Titan full-size pickup got louder last week with some noting there is no plan for the truck after the 2024 model year; and,
- Bank of America analyst John Murphy offered up his industry insights and the annual Car Wars report about what expect in the next three years. Murphy believes if the U.S. experiences a recession it will unlikely hit the auto industry to a massive backlog of demand for new vehicles courtesy of the semiconductor shortage. Additionally, it was predicted that Tesla’s EV market share will drop from 75% to just 11% in a few short years.
Executive Editor Joseph Szczesny notes Consumers are reporting 11 percent more problems with their 2022 vehicles than the prior year’s new models, according to the latest J.D. Power U.S. Initial Quality Study. The number is a 36-year high, and of 33 ranked brands, only nine saw improvement compared with last year. Complex electronics and inconsistent manufacturing schedules are the primary causes for the decrease, although Buick jumped from 12th overall to first.
Ford took a handful of journalists to Drummond Island on the eastern-most edge of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to put the new Bronco Everglades model — the company’s most off-road capable version — through its paces — and Managing Editor Michael Strong was one of them. After climbing steep rock inclines, fording water more than 3-feet deep and tromping through dense woods and mud-caked trails, Strong agrees. Find out more at TheDetroitBureau.com.
Strong also notes the week ahead will be a quiet one, but Ford will be the final automaker to report sales. It’ll look to continue last month’s momentum where it outperformed other automakers, gaining market share, despite it too posting lower sales.
Executive Editor Larry Printz walks us through this week in automotive history, starting this week in 1932 when Audi, Porsche and two other companies join forces to create the Audi we know today, including the four linked circles that are the brand’s logo today.
Find out more the industry’s history and more by listening to TheDetroitBureau’s latest edition of the Headlight News podcast by clicking here. And look for a new episode every Monday!
