by Joseph Szczesny | Aug 3, 2020
With the threat of “Big Tech” looming over its business, automakers of all sizes are scrambling to shore up their capability to compete in new areas that are likely to define the future of the auto industry. Toyota Research Institute – Advanced Development Inc., also...
by Joseph Szczesny | Aug 3, 2020
Detroit’s three automakers are stepping up their concentration on trucks and SUVs during the second half of 2020 even as the COVID-19 pandemic lingers and electric vehicles absorb an increasing share of their capital spending. Fiat Chrysler, which will soon go through...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jul 31, 2020
Fiat Chrysler Automobile N.V. financial results were “significantly” better than expected during the second quarter despite the losses the company suffered as its shipments to dealers dropped by two-thirds due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic The company...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jul 30, 2020
The construction of the new battery plant near Lordstown, Ohio is one of the main pillars of General Motors’ electric vehicle strategy took another step forward with the first pieces of steel being raised. GM chairman Mary Barra said steel construction at the all-new...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jul 29, 2020
July sales are expected to look weak when the numbers are posted next week as sales continue to drift sideways as the pandemic keeps a tight grip on the U.S. economy. Cox Senior Economist Charlie Chesbrough is calling for July auto sales volume to be down 19% versus...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jul 28, 2020
Off-road vehicles are invariably celebrated particularly if they genuinely are capable of traveling over rough terrain. Vehicles that spend their or 99.9% of it on pavement don’t seem to get any special notice unless the pavement is a racetrack of some kind....
by Joseph Szczesny | Jul 27, 2020
General Motors, along with several other top automakers including BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, have been accused of using forced labor at factories in China by an Australian think tank. The report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute contradicts GM’s...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jul 24, 2020
The Chinese are making new threats at the United Kingdom in a feud about the fate of Hong Kong, putting English brands such as Jaguar and Land Rover in the crosshairs of what amounts to a consumer boycott with the huge comment, according to new analysis from Fitch...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jul 24, 2020
With some help from Fiat Chrysler, Waymo is expanding its push into commercial vehicles. FCA and Waymo, which already have a well-established partnership, said this week they are taking the next significant steps “in the expansion of their successful autonomous...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jul 24, 2020
Tesla filed lawsuit against electric vehicle rival Rivian, which is preparing to launch its pair of electric vehicles in 2021, claiming the up-and-coming EV maker is violating the law to get a leg up. In court documents filed in the Superior Court of California of...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jul 23, 2020
Simon Sproule, the former head of public relations at Fiat Chrysler, Aston Martin, Tesla and other automakers, has come up with a new gig — outside the industry, mostly. Sproule, who abruptly left his FCA post as the vice president of communications, took an executive...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jul 23, 2020
Car sales appear to be losing momentum under the weight of continuing spread of COVID-19, which is sweeping through key automotive markets such as Texas and Florida. For the week ending July 19, retail sales were 9% below the pre-virus forecast, 6 percentage points...
