Autos

You Can’t Blame Volkswagen for Trying

On Tuesday, Volkswagen announced its plan to assemble 600,000 electric vehicles utilizing the brand’s MEB platform at two plants in China. The facilities, said to be located in the cities of Anting and Foshan, will help bolster EV volume after the completion of VW’s Zwickau plant in Germany — which the company previously claimed would manufacture 330,000 […] The post You Can’t Blame Volkswagen for Trying appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Investments, China, Germany, Corporate Strategy, Industry, Vw, Electric Vehicles, Autos, Automotive Industry, Volkswagen, EVs, Industry News, Volkswagen Group, Zwickau, Herbert Diess, Foshan

Nissan’s Bad Year Greenlit for a Sequel

Nissan is bracing for a bad year. On Tuesday, the automaker held a press conference at its headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, to tell the world that it’s forecasting a 28-percent decline in operating profit this year. While that sounds bad, it comes on the heels of the company’s financial results for the 12-month period ending March […] The post Nissan’s Bad Year Greenlit for a Sequel appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Industry, Autos, Nissan, Renault, Industry News, Yokohama Japan, Carlos Ghosn, News Blog, Hiroto Saikawa, Earnings Reports, Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi Alliance, Jean-Dominique Senard

Subaru Struggles: Annual Profit Effectively Halved Due to Quality Control Issues

Subaru may be getting too big for its britches. Despite seeming like it was positioned for nearly incalculable growth at the start of last year, the automaker’s latest financial report showed the period was actually plagued with problems. Over the full fiscal year, which ends on March 31st for Subaru, the company basically showed that […] The post Subaru Struggles: Annual Profit Effectively Halved Due to Quality Control Issues appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Sales, Industry, Recalls, Autos, Automotive Industry, Profits, Auto Sales, Subaru, News Blog, Earnings Reports, Sales Stats, Financial Report, Yajima

Audi Relaunches Hydrogen Program; Industry’s Battery Woes Intensify

While electric vehicles have improved by every metric, sourcing the raw materials necessary for their production hasn’t gotten any easier. In fact, with more mobile devices and EVs on the market than ever before, automotive batteries are becoming harder to procure with any reliability. Volkswagen Group, which has been on a tear to promote electrification […] The post Audi Relaunches Hydrogen Program; Industry’s Battery Woes Intensify appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Industry, Autos, Hydrogen power, Audi, EVs, Fuel Cell Vehicle, Volkswagen Group, VW Group, Volkswagen AG, Audi H-tron, News Blog, BEVs, Audi E-tron, Bram Schot, FCEVs, FEVs

Tireside Chat: Talking Design With Nissan

Designing cars is a mix of art and science – and it’s about more than just looks. Especially when the brand you work for has a lot on its plate. In the past year, Nissan has launched all-new models that represent a departure from the past (Kicks), updated others significantly (Altima) and not so significantly […] The post Tireside Chat: Talking Design With Nissan appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Design, Industry, Autos, Nissan, New Cars, News Blog, New Car Design, Taro Ueda

QOTD: Your Least Favorite Front-drive Nineties Ride?

Last week, Steph penned a QOTD where he let commenters loose on front-drive American cars made between 1980 and 2010. The ask was to pick a favorite from the wide selection; one you’d buy today as new. This week we’re going to take the opposite tack and talk about the front-drive car you like the […] The post QOTD: Your Least Favorite Front-drive Nineties Ride? appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Sales, Industry, Editorials, Used Cars, Autos, Chrysler, Wagons, Qotd, 1990s, Nineties, Steph, Sedans, News Blog, Coupes, Question of the Day, Front-drive

Faraday Future Getting Back Into the Game With New Chinese Partner

With Faraday Future and Evergrande Health having officially settled their bitter legal dispute late last year, the once-again independent automaker could finally get back to hunting for new investors. Despite Faraday’s entire existence being overshadowed by financial missteps and bizarre business dealings (resulting in an inability to deliver product), it’s extremely good at scrounging up funds. Breaking […] The post Faraday Future Getting Back Into the Game With New Chinese Partner appeared fir...
Tags: Startups, China, FF, Industry, Electric Vehicles, Autos, Automotive Industry, EVs, Faraday, Faraday Future, Industry News, Evergrande, News Blog, Automotive startups, Joint Partnerships, FF91

While Utility Vehicles Are Nowhere Close to Peaking, a Study Reveals Signs of Saturation and Struggle

Let’s get one thing clear right off the bat: unless otherwise stated, the “SUVs” mentioned in automotive studies refer to all utility vehicles, regardless of unibody or body-on-frame construction. Utility sales surpassed passenger car sales in the U.S. in 2016 and never looked back. There’s an ever-growing number of them out there, and, with automakers […] The post While Utility Vehicles Are Nowhere Close to Peaking, a Study Reveals Signs of Saturation and Struggle appeared first on The Truth Ab...
Tags: Sales, Industry, Car Buying, Autos, Crossovers, SUVs, News Blog

QOTD: The Least Sporty Muscle Car Ever?

TTAC’s Slack channel honed in on muscle cars the other day. As the discussion progressed, a question came to light which your author hadn’t previously considered. It’s a simple enough inquiry, yet there are many variables to consider. Today we talk about the least sporty muscle cars. The image of the muscle car has evolved […] The post QOTD: The Least Sporty Muscle Car Ever? appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: General Motors, Industry, Muscle cars, Classic Cars, Ford, Editorials, Gm, Used Cars, Autos, Chrysler, Mercury, Qotd, 1990s, 1960s, 1980s, 1970s

Where I Live, Nobody Buys Electric Cars

What does the electric car market look like? And what does the electric car market look like where you live? Those two closely worded questions may well produce dramatically different answers. Read enough hot takes on Twitter, unempirical features in tech media, and opinion pieces in the mainstream media and you could be left believing there’s […] The post Where I Live, Nobody Buys Electric Cars appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Industry, Electric Vehicles, Autos, EVs, Electric Cars, News Blog, Buying Preferences

Unifor Head Says Labor Board Ruling Won’t Stop a Future Strike

Ontario Labor Relations Board Chairman Bernard Fishbein recently ruled that Unifor’s actions over the winter were illegal under the province’s Labor Relations Act, stipulating that the union must “cease and desist from engaging in, authorizing or counseling unlawful strikes or engaging in any act that is likely to cause employees at the Inteva, Lear or […] The post Unifor Head Says Labor Board Ruling Won’t Stop a Future Strike appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: General Motors, Industry, Canada, Autos, Unifor, Oshawa, Labor Unions, News Blog, Union News, Jerry Dias, Ontario Labour Relations Board, Auto Workers, Oshawa Assembly, Bernard Fishbein, Unifor Head Says Labor Board Ruling, Ontario Labor Relations Board

Sex, Drugs, and Electric Cars: Report Claims Elon Musk Tried to ‘Destroy’ Whistleblower, Spied on Union Meetings

A recent report from Bloomberg frames Tesla CEO Elon Musk as quite the jerk in relation to his actions toward a former employee. This worker is the whistleblower who, last year, shared internal documents that suggested the company’s Nevada Gigafactory was blowing through raw materials at an alarming rate. Martin Tripp offered up information showing Tesla […] The post Sex, Drugs, and Electric Cars: Report Claims Elon Musk Tried to ‘Destroy’ Whistleblower, Spied on Union Meetings appeared first on...
Tags: Elon Musk, Drugs, Sex, Tesla, Bloomberg, Conspiracy, Industry, Autos, Electric Cars, Scandals, Tesla Motors, Industry News, Gigafactory, News Blog, Nevada Gigafactory, Martin Tripp

Greener, but Leaner: It’s Volkswagen’s Turn to Cut Jobs

Volkswagen Group just announced a restructuring plan aimed at raising the company’s operating margin to 6 percent. Unfortunately, the strategy involves a staffing reduction of up to 7,000 individuals by 2023 — with the automaker saving an estimated 5.9 billion euros in the process. While legitimate layoffs aren’t expected to take place for at least a few […] The post Greener, but Leaner: It’s Volkswagen’s Turn to Cut Jobs appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Layoffs, Jobs, Industry, Vw, Autos, Volkswagen, Profits, Industry News, Volkswagen Group, VW Group, Volkswagen AG, News Blog, Restructuring, Auto Jobs

Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance Seeks ‘New Start’

A meeting rumored to be targeted at developing a new board to oversee the Renault-Mitsubishi-Nissan Alliance took place earlier this week at Nissan’s global headquarters, sans Carlos Ghosn, with the automakers agreeing to a consensus-based governing strategy. At the heart of this pact is the need to diffuse tensions between France and Japan. If you’ll recall, […] The post Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance Seeks ‘New Start’ appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Japan, France, Industry, Auto Industry, Autos, Automotive Industry, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Renault, Carlos Ghosn, Thierry Bollore, News Blog, Osamu Masuko, Hiroto Saikawa, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, Jean-Dominique Senard

FCA Fine Flying Solo, Equally Happy With Help

With Sergio Marchionne gone, most assumed Fiat Chrysler Automobiles would swiftly enact the late CEO’s plan to convince another automaker to partner with the company. Until recently, FCA was viewed as a dinosaur within the industry — limping along since its Fiat acquisition with a lineup of unpopular European imports and oversized American vehicles that couldn’t possibly endure […] The post FCA Fine Flying Solo, Equally Happy With Help appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Investments, Industry, Fca, Autos, Chrysler, Fiat, Automotive Industry, Mobility, Dodge, Auto Sales, Car Sales, Jeep, Fiat Chrysler, Sergio Marchionne, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Mike Manley

The Cost of Future-proofing: German Auto Industry to Invest $68 Billion Into EVs, Mobility, Data Over Next Three Years

The German Association of the Automotive Industry, known in its native tongue as Verband der Automobilindustrie (VDA), says its members have formally committed themselves to investing 60 billion euros (roughly $68 billion USD) into electrification and vehicular autonomy over the next three years. The claim was made as part of a larger announcement serving as a […] The post The Cost of Future-proofing: German Auto Industry to Invest $68 Billion Into EVs, Mobility, Data Over Next Three Years appea...
Tags: Investments, Germany, Industry, Infrastructure, Electric Vehicles, Autos, Automotive Industry, EVs, Electrification, VDA, Verband der Automobilindustrie, German Association of the Automotive Industry

Hyundai Raided in South Korea Over Theta II Engine Recall

In 2017, United States safety regulators opened a formal investigation into the recall of roughly 1.7 million vehicles built by Hyundai Motor Co and its affiliate, Kia Motor Corp, after being tipped off by a former employee. The informant claimed the automaker wasn’t handling the issue properly. That same year, South Korean civic group YMCA filed […] The post Hyundai Raided in South Korea Over Theta II Engine Recall appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: South Korea, Safety, Industry, United States, Recalls, Investigations, Autos, Automotive Industry, Hyundai, Kia, Nhtsa, YMCA, Hyundai Motor Co, News Blog, Probes, Kia Motor Corp

Rocked by GM’s Plant Cull, Ontario Seeks to Shore Up Its Auto Sector

General Motors’ decision to stop the flow of product to Ontario’s Oshawa Assembly plant by the end of 2019 has the province’s government promising cash and a slew of measures to keep the auto industry alive north of the border. Ontario holds the bulk of Canada’s auto-related manufacturing jobs, with the sector adding up to […] The post Rocked by GM’s Plant Cull, Ontario Seeks to Shore Up Its Auto Sector appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Jobs, Government, General Motors, Industry, Canada, Gm, Autos, Ontario, Oshawa, News Blog, Oshawa Assembly, Auto Sector, Plant Cull Ontario Seeks, GM s Plant Cull Ontario Seeks

FCA Paid $77 Million in Civil Penalties to Sell Cars People Actually Want to Buy

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles paid $77 million in U.S. civil penalties late last year due to its failure to adhere to 2016 model year fuel economy requirements. In December, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a report claiming the industry faced millions in fines from 2016 and that one manufacturer was expected to pay […] The post FCA Paid $77 Million in Civil Penalties to Sell Cars People Actually Want to Buy appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Government, Industry, Fca, Autos, Chrysler, Fiat, Dodge, Cafe, Fuel Economy, Jeep, Fiat Chrysler, Nhtsa, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, News Blog, Corporate Average Fuel Economy, Fuel Mandates

NADA 2019: Toyota Promises Dealers More Utility Vehicles, Plans to Ignore EVs

While the closing day of the 2019 National Automobile Dealers Association meetup revolved around charitable opportunities, engineering equality in the workplace, and a talk from author, pro golfer, and USAF veteran Major Dan Rooney on the merits of personal accountability, the rest of the event focused more directly on the auto industry. One of the larger […] The post NADA 2019: Toyota Promises Dealers More Utility Vehicles, Plans to Ignore EVs appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Industry, Autos, Automotive Industry, Toyota, Usaf, Industry News, Toyota Motor Corporation, NADA, Dan Rooney, National Automobile Dealers Association, News Blog, Product Planning, Dealer News, NADA 2019

Wall Street Concerned Over Ford CEO’s Cautious Strategy

Remember Mark Fields, the former Ford CEO who was forced to retire due to an inability to manifest his vision of the company’s future in a timely manner? Well, it’s starting to look like Wall Street needs another sacrificial lamb. Ford’s current chief executive, Jim Hackett, appears rather appetizing. Despite promises from company chairman Bill […] The post Wall Street Concerned Over Ford CEO’s Cautious Strategy appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: General Motors, Industry, Ford, Fca, Share Price, Autos, Mark Fields, Stocks, Automotive Industry, Bill, Ford Motor Co, Jim Hackett, News Blog

America’s Subcompact Car Market Is Now Just Half the Size It Was Three Years Ago, and It’s Falling Fast

America’s demand for subcompact cars tumbled 26 percent in 2018, yet another result that points to the eventual demise of all but a few B-segment cars. 2018’s sharp drop – equal to roughly 94,000 fewer sales in the core eight-car subcompact category – follows an equally harsh decline in 2017, when the segment lost more […] The post America’s Subcompact Car Market Is Now Just Half the Size It Was Three Years Ago, and It’s Falling Fast appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Sales, America, Industry, Autos, Ford Fiesta, Kia Rio, Chevrolet Sonic, News Blog, Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Accent, Nissan Versa, Subcopact Cars

Toyota’s North American CEO Isn’t Exactly Brimming With Enthusiasm for EVs

When it comes to electric vehicles, Toyota’s North American CEO seems to be on a different page than the company’s big boss, Akio Toyoda. A different page than Ford and General Motors, too. Maybe it’s because Toyoda has the entire globe in his sights, including many EV-hungry markets, while Jim Lentz can only look around, see […] The post Toyota’s North American CEO Isn’t Exactly Brimming With Enthusiasm for EVs appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: General Motors, Green, Industry, Ford, Electric Vehicles, Autos, Toyota, EVs, Akio Toyoda, Jim Lentz, Toyoda, Toyota Prius, News Blog, Product Planning

Ford and Volkswagen Might Make NAIAS Their Big Coming-out Party

Ford and Volkswagen, two auto giants who spent much of 2018 making eyes at each other and playfully batting away rumors (and sparking a few of their own), might lay their relationship bare in Detroit next week. The two automakers have already signed a Memorandum of Understanding, partnering initially with the aim of developing joint […] The post Ford and Volkswagen Might Make NAIAS Their Big Coming-out Party appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Industry, Ford, Autos, Volkswagen, Detroit, Partnerships, Alliance, Alliances, News Blog, Joint Development

Rebirth, or Looming Fizzle? The Station Wagon Had a Pretty Good Year in 2018

In the absolutely superb 1949 war film Twelve O’Clock High, a doctor stationed at a U.S. Army Air Force base in WW2 England uses an interesting comparison when describing a character’s mental breakdown. “Have you ever seen a light bulb burn out? How bright the filament gets right before it breaks?” A similar phenomenon could be […] The post Rebirth, or Looming Fizzle? The Station Wagon Had a Pretty Good Year in 2018 appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: England, Sales, Industry, Autos, Wagons, U S Army Air Force, News Blog, Product Planning, Station Wagons

Losers and a Few Winners: Here’s the Cars That Bucked the Trend in 2018

Don’t worry, it isn’t a long list. You won’t be here all day. While the industry coasted to a surprising, yet slight, year-over-year volume increase in 2018, automakers can’t thank America’s desire for traditional passenger cars for eking out a win. Light trucks carried the day, with car sales plunging to new lows. Industry-wide, U.S. car […] The post Losers and a Few Winners: Here’s the Cars That Bucked the Trend in 2018 appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Cars, Sales, America, Industry, Autos, Don, News Blog, Passenger Cars, 2018 Auto Sales

A Decade After the Recession (and the Car’s Last Hurrah), Light Trucks Continue Gaining Ground

Ten years of lost time has a way of diminishing past events, even one so extreme as the global financial meltdown of 2008-09. It also pushes aside memories of a lot of vehicles that still lingered on the market a decade ago. At the time, the U.S. economy found itself in freefall. Unemployment rose like […] The post A Decade After the Recession (and the Car’s Last Hurrah), Light Trucks Continue Gaining Ground appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Sales, History, Industry, Autos, Trucks, SUVs, News Blog, U.S. auto sales, Light Trucks

Could Norway’s EV Adoption Signal Our Own Electric Future?

Perhaps — but Norway treats EV owners like royalty. Battery electric vehicles are not subject to most of that country’s automotive taxes, are subsidized via credits, and are frequently offered free parking and charging points as a way to further encourage drivers to get away from gasoline and diesel. Norway is also working aggressively toward banning […] The post Could Norway’s EV Adoption Signal Our Own Electric Future? appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Industry, Electric Vehicles, Autos, Automotive Industry, Norway, EVs, PHEVs, Electric Cars, News Blog, ZEVs, Automotive Trends, Plug-in Vehicles, Electric Adoption

China Readies Rigid Auto Investment Rules for 2019

Despite spending a fortune supporting burgeoning automotive manufacturers and opening its door to foreign enterprises, China’s state planner has approved strict new regulations on investments within the industry. Following a handful of draft proposals earlier this year, China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced it will ban new independent businesses that make only traditional combustion engines […] The post China Readies Rigid Auto Investment Rules for 2019 appeared fir...
Tags: China, Regulations, Industry, Autos, Automotive Industry, National Development and Reform Commission NDRC, NDRC, National Development and Reform Commission, China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, News Blog, CAAM

Tesla Leasing Partner Embroiled in Financial Trouble

Tesla’s Dallas-based leasing partner, MUSA Auto Finance, finds itself in a tough spot. Apparently, the business is having trouble keeping up with all the business the automaker is doing. Founded in 2016, MUSA joined up with Tesla in June of this year. However, it has reportedly been unable to finance new leases since October. According to […] The post Tesla Leasing Partner Embroiled in Financial Trouble appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Tesla, Industry, Autos, Dallas, Tesla Motors, Industry News, Musa, Leasing, News Blog, Automotive Lease, MUSA Auto Finance, Tesla Leasing Partner Embroiled