Automobile Industry

Industry Roundup

Electric & Hybrid Vehicles

Ten Audi models named Top Safety Picks by IIHS; 2022 A6, A6 allroad, A7, Q5, Q5 Sportback, e-tron, e-tron Sportback get Top Safety Pick+ ratings, while A4, A5 Sportback, Q8 with LED or Matrix-design LED headlights named top safety picks
Audi AG (03/07)

Honda partners with Sony to create new company to develop, sell EVs, with first vehicles slated in 2025; Honda to manufacture vehicles, Sony to develop mobility services platform, as Honda plans to phase-out gasoline-powered vehicles by 2040
Baystreet US News Alerts (03/07)

Light Vehicles

Nine Honda, Acura models earn IIHS safety ratings; vehicles earning TSP+ ratings are 2022 Acura MDX, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Insight, Odyssey, two Civic models, CR-V with specific headlights, with all vehicles getting high marks for crashworthiness
Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (03/07)

VW invests US$872M in Wolfsburg, Germany, tech center to transition into technology company; VW creating interdisciplinary development process to cut vehicle development times by 25%, with projects completed in 40 months, down from 54 months
Automotive Interiors World (03/07)

Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs)

GM loses petition with NHTSA, must recall 727,000 2010-2017 GMC Terrain SUVs for headlights that are too bright; GM petitioned NHTSA in 2019 to avoid recall, but agency states headlights are brighter than allowed
Canadian Press DataFile (03/07)

Volvo C40 Recharge EV SUV named 2022 Top Safety Pick by Insurance Institute of Highway Safety; automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning and pedestrian, cyclist detection standard in all Volvo vehicles
Volvo Car Group (03/04)

Heavy Trucks/Commercial Vehicles

Executive Perspective: ATA CEO says Biden administration should set one, single national NOx emissions standard and it should be achieved with workable, reliable tech; association to closely review and work with EPA on proposed rules for heavy-duty trucks
PR Newswire (03/07)

EPA proposes stronger pollution regulations that require cutting NOx emissions by up to 90%/truck over current standards by 2031; agency is also working on stronger limits for GHG emissions, with current standards being updated starting in 2027
Associated Press (03/07)

Pickup Trucks

Stellantis earns four Automotive Loyalty Awards from IHS Markit for leadership in customer retention; winning vehicles include Ram 1500 pickup truck, Ram 2500/3500 pickups, Dodge Challenger, Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV
Stellantis NV (03/03)

Rivian increases prices of R1T EV pickup, R1S EV SUV by more than US$10,000 because of rising component prices; company to roll out more affordable models in 2024 with lower-range batteries, dual motors replacing current quad-motor setup
Cars.com LLC (03/03)

Vans

Lightning eMotors invests US$5M to double production capacity in Loveland, Colorado, manufacturing plant; 226,000 square-foot plant includes robots for fabrication, welding, with goal to build 1,500 zero-emission commercial vehicles, powertrains this year
Business Wire (03/01)

Auto Interior

Hyundai partners with Uniphy to develop in-car smart human-machine interfaces at Hyundai Motor European Technical Center; Uniphy’s solution develops freeform 3D smart interfaces using standard materials, mainstream manufacturing processes
Automotive Interiors World (03/04)

Automotive Care

Survey finds potholes caused US$26.5B in vehicle damage in 2021, with one in 10 vehicles damaged, average repair costing US$600; drivers average two pothole-related repairs yearly for tire, wheel, suspension damage: AAA
American Automobile Association (AAA) (03/02)

Automotive Use

IP to install new equipment at its Tangier, Morocco, box plant with a 65M Moroccan dirham investment; site will have increased capacity for printed fresh fruit and vegetable trays, and capability to produce large American boxes for the automotive sector
International Paper Co. (03/07)

Covestro starts two new PC compounding lines at Greater Noida plant near New Delhi in India; plants are intended to meet growing demand, particularly from automotive, electrical and electronics industries
Covestro LLC (03/03)

Auto Parts & Accessories

AASA names three finalists for Channel Excellence Award presented by Epicor for collaborative, innovative aftermarket initiatives between suppliers, channel partners; finalists are Bosch/NAPA, Dorman/multiple channel partners, NGK/AutoZone
Contify Automotive News (03/07)

Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance hires Nikki Paschall as director of Communications and Engagement; Paschall will lead marketing for Commercial Vehicle and Heavy-Duty program, have vital role in shareholder’s meetings, events, sweepstakes, promotions
Vehicle Services Pros (03/04)

Tires

Bridgestone temporarily disconnects Latin America, North America plants from internet due to ‘information security incident’; incident forces switch from automated to manual production, will require additional shifts to meet full production levels
CE Noticias Financieras (03/07)

Cooper Tire procurement manager Missy Irons, Goodyear senior engineer Arwen Kathke, win 2022 STEP Ahead Awards from Manufacturing Institute for their impact on manufacturing; award criteria include innovation, leadership, mentorship, community engagement
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (03/03)

Batteries

Singapore-based ACE Green Recycling, India-based Pondy Oxides & Chemicals to set up world's largest GHG emission-free battery recycling facility in Chittoor, India, with Q4 startup; facility to recycle 40,000 tons/year, translating to US$60M/year
PR Newswire (03/04)

BASF acquires site for battery materials, recycling expansion in Becancour, Quebec, with commissioning in 2025; site to help establish regional supply chain ensuring reliable, resilient battery materials as part of North America's transition to e-mobility
PR Newswire (03/04)

Car Dealers

Thor Motor Coach recalls 148 2022 ACE, Freedom Traveler, Hurricane, Windsport motorhomes because rear ladder may have been installed on wrong side of vehicle; dealers to inspect, reinforce, or relocate ladder, with customers notified April 10
Contify Automotive News (03/01)

Autonomous Transportation Technology

Valeo wins 2021 Honda supplier award for autonomous driving system for Honda Legend; Level 3 system uses five 3D LiDARs, two front cameras, sophisticated software to detect objects, is first in world to be approved for commercial use
Contify Automotive News (03/04)

NHTSA investigating 2018-2019 Honda Accord sedan, 2017-2019 CR-V SUV for possible AEB problem that causes vehicles to brake unexpectedly while in motion when nothing is blocking road; more than 1.7 million vehicles involved in investigation
Consumer Reports (03/04)

Electric Vehicle Charging

Germany allocated US$220B to fund industrial transformation between now and 2026; includes climate protection, hydrogen technology, expansion of electric vehicle charging network
Reuters (03/07)

Volvo tests wireless technology that charges EVs from charging pads imbedded in street that send energy to receiver in car; pads offer charging power up to 40 kW, four times faster than wired 11 kW charger, almost as fast as wired 50 kW DC fast charge
Volvo Car Group (03/04)

Ride-Sharing/Mobility Services

Toyota commits US$110M to fund STEM education, career readiness, with focus in PreK-12 education; program includes funds for community engagement in areas including food insecurity, job training, mobility services
Toyota Motor Corp. (03/07)

Automotive & Driving

Mazda Foundation creates US$495,000 grant to address food insecurity, education, workforce development; grant includes funds for high school, community college factory automation competition, vehicle technician training for formerly incarcerated people
Mazda Motor Corp. (03/07)

Honda issues US$2.75B in US dollar-denominated green bonds to accelerate environmental initiatives, including development of zero-emission vehicles; Honda seeks net-zero CO2 emissions for all corporate activities by 2050
Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (03/07)

Chicago Automobile Trade Assn. reports vehicle recalls lowest in decade at 111 recalls in 2022; Volvo, Mazda, GM, Mercedes-Benz have best records, with Tesla having worst record with four recalls this year affecting 2.2 million vehicles
Contify Automotive News (03/07)

Auto Parts & Accessories

Bridgestone makes minority investment in tire sensor maker Tyrata to complement existing fleet tire management solutions; Tyrata uses drive-over sensing to monitor, track, predict tire tread wear and irregular wear patterns to lower costs, improve safety
Bridgestone Americas Inc. (03/04)

Keystone Automotive opens 200,000 square-foot distribution center in Ocoee, Florida, with 50 employees to serve automotive, RV, marine retail customers in state; center optimizes firm’s cross-dock structure, with expanded service to Miami, Florida Keys
Keystone Automotive Operations (03/03)

Linear Labs launches production in Fort Worth, Texas, of two new high-torque, ultra-high-efficiency electric motors for LEVs such as golf carts, e-bikes; LEV market expected to reach 125 million units globally by 2025
Business Wire (03/03)

Automobiles & Components group

Honda reports US February sales of 84,394 vehicles, down 20.6% from a year ago, as supply issues, winter storm disrupt vehicle inventory; strong customer demand with 60% of vehicles pre-sold, as HR-V hits sales record, Acura sales near 10,000 units
Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (03/07)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk invites UAW to hold vote at its Fremont, California, plant; in 2021 National Labor Relations Board found Tesla violated labor laws for firing a union activist, which Tesla has appealed, although appeal may prevent UAW from holding vote
Forbes (03/04)

Six Mazda vehicles named Top Safety Picks by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for crashworthiness, front crash prevention, headlight ratings; vehicles include Mazda3 sedan, Mazda3 hatchback and CX-30, CX-5, CX-9 SUVs
Mazda Motor Corp. (03/04)

Autonomous Transportation Technology

Kia accelerates EV transition, with plans to have 14 BEV models by 2027, sell 1.2 million BEVs in 2030; Kia to launch autonomous driving technology in 2023, will offer connected car features, autonomous driving in all vehicles by 2025
Kia Motors Corp. (03/04)

Batteries

Hyundai accelerates electrification strategy, plans to introduce 17 new BEV models, sell 1.87 million BEVs annually by 2030; company invests 19.4T Korean won for electrification, 12T won to develop software capabilities to capture 7% of global EV market
Hyundai Motor Co. (03/03)

EV charging, energy storage firm Beam Global announces acquisition of AllCell Technologies; deal secures Beam Global battery supply chain, cuts material costs about 7% in near term, with company considering manufacturing expansion in California, Midwest
GlobeNewswire (03/03)

Electric & Hybrid Vehicles

GM appoints Jeffrey Morrison as VP of Global Purchasing and Supply Chain, replacing Shilpan Amin who was recently named GM Senior VP, President of GM International; Morrison is responsible for building a strong, scalable, sustainable EV supply chain
General Motors Co. (03/04)

US Dept. of Energy reports 2021 sales of new light-duty plug-in EVs of 608,000 units, nearly twice 2020 sales, with all-electric EVs making up 73% of sales last year; EV sales grew 85% from 2020-2021, while PHEV sales increased 138% over previous year
US Official News (03/04)

Ford announces plans to split EV and internal-combustion engine vehicles into two separate units to operate as distinct businesses but share technology, best practices; split effective in 2023, with EV unit named Ford Model e, legacy unit named Ford Blue
Baystreet US News Alerts (03/03)

Light Vehicles

Subaru recalls 29 2019 BRZ, WRX models in Mexico for possible impeller issue that can cause the pump to stop working; dealers to inspect pump assembly, replace if necessary, with customer notifications last December
CE Noticias Financieras (03/04)

Subaru reports vehicle sales of 44,866 units in February, down 7.1% from a year ago, as semiconductor shortages, supply chain issues impact manufacturing; Crosstrek top performer with 14,476 vehicles sold, BRZ sales up 95% from last year
Subaru of America Inc. (03/04)

Volvo Car USA reports sales of 6,219 cars in February, with Recharge EV, PHEV vehicle sales up 62% from last year despite supply constraints; Recharge models account for 27% of national sales, 66.5% of sales in California
Volvo Car Group (03/03)

Pickup Trucks

Cars.com reports pickup trucks most searched vehicles with lifestyle fit, towing capacity top concerns for buyers; 16% of buyers consider pickup for next vehicle, with 62% unwilling to spend over US$40,000 for truck, 34% consider EV pickup
Cars.com LLC (03/02)

Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs)

Ford recalls more than 18,000 2022 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator SUVs because of fuel filler cap issue that could lead to fire following crash; owners to be notified April 4, with dealers installing free redundant fuel vapor line locking clip
CBS - 17 WNCN (03/03)

Toyota announces 2022 Corolla Cross SUV with FWD, AWD, options in three trim levels; vehicle is Toyota’s first entry level AWD SUV and will meet needs of 50% of entry level SUV consumers who choose AWD vehicles
Toyota Motor Corp. (03/01)

Hyundai Motor America reports total February sales of 52,424 units, up 8% from February 2021; company posts best February retail sales ever, up 19% year-over-year, with eco-friendly vehicle sales up 278%, SUV sales up 32%
Hyundai Motor Co. (03/01)

 Logistics

 Stock