Trade News

Years before the pandemic caused a boom in online car-shopping, Genesis of Cherry Hill in Marlton, N.J., was already offering a dealership-free experience for selling and servicing vehicles.

A sales valet has long been available to conduct test drives at a shopper's home or office. Paperwork has been done remotely on request, followed by at-home delivery. A service valet has provided pickup and drop-off during customers' three years of complimentary maintenance.

Even after owners have to begin paying for maintenance themselves, Genesis of Cherry Hill still covers the price of pickup and drop-off. More than 90 percent of buyers use the service valet.

Part of the reason for creating a virtual dealership when the franchise began operating in 2015 was to distinguish the upstart luxury brand from its more established rivals. But it was also because Genesis of Cherry Hill did not have a physical dealership. The business operates out of a Hyundai store.

Over two successive springs and with two successive CEOs, Volkswagen a few years ago showed its dealers and loyalists concept unibody pickups that teased a possible reentry into a segment where it has long been absent.

But as competitors begin to roll out their own small lifestyle pickups, such as the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz, it appears a glaring white space in VW's U.S. lineup — and perhaps its best hope of hitting its long-term market share aspirations — will remain unfilled, at least for now.

Duncan Movassaghi, executive vice president for sales and marketing for the VW brand in North America, says following others into the gasoline-powered small pickup space is no longer an option. But he did leave the door open a crack for a potential future electric vehicle with a bed.

"Our priority within the Volkswagen brand is to keep our existing [internal combustion engine-based] vehicles competitive" and to expand the batter…

The idea of the self-contained EV skateboard chassis has become so alluring that startups, suppliers and even automakers are marketing them as plug-and-play solutions on which customers can simply add a body, also called a top hat.

But like many catchy ideas on the path to electromobility, this one also is stumbling as it meets the hard reality of going from vision to vehicle development and manufacturing.

The growth of the skateboard concept in the past two to three years is partly a result of its disruptive potential. Proponents talk about the freedoms that come from replacing the internal combustion engine with a solution that neatly positions the batteries and electric drivetrain components into a comparatively thin rolling chassis.

With no engine in the way, theoretically any top hat or body can be attached.

The benefits to automakers seem obvious.

"They don't have to start from scratch, which means they can reduce costs and time to m…

Toyota Motor North America released the first full picture of the redesigned 2022 Tundra late Friday after a leaked image of the full-size pickup was reported by several media outlets.

The automaker had shown two teaser photos of portions of the truck: The front obscured by fog/smoke and the new iForce Max engine. However, photos from a dealer meeting were circulating Friday morning on social media and Internet forums, including enthusiast site Tundras.com.

Later in the day, Toyota's official Twitter account posted a photo of the TRD Pro Tundra, saying: "Some people don't know how to keep a secret. #Tundra #LetsGoPlaces"

Toyota had been keeping the project under tight wraps. During a media event at the automaker's North American headquarters this month in Plano, Texas, attendees were shown the exterior of the truck with strict instructions to not take photos.

Toyota dealers are eagerly awaiting the 2022 Tundra — the truck's first redesign i…

Four dealers expanded in the second quarter with single-store acquisitions in California, Virginia, Kansas and Indiana.

Here's a quick look at the transactions involving domestic and import brand stores. One transaction involved one of Automotive News' top 150 dealership groups.

Martin Management Group, based in Bowling Green, Ky., on June 9 bought its first Nissan dealership when it acquired Ross Nissan of El Monte in California from Ross Automotive Group.

"We were interested in working with Nissan as a manufacturer given their robust product cadence coming in over the next about 18 months," Chad Martin, the group's president, told Automotive News.

The dealership has been renamed El Monte Nissan. The Nissan store is the group's second California dealership.

Martin Management has dealerships spread across Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina and California with a brand portfolio of Subaru, Hyundai, Genesis, Kia, Honda, …

General Motors is recalling 135,400 vehicles from the 2020-22 model years because the emergency jack can break while a vehicle owner is using it.

If not positioned as recommended by the vehicle owner's manual, the jack could fracture. If the jack fractures while in use, the vehicle could collapse, injuring people near or under the vehicle, according to a safety bulletin filed with NHTSA.

The recall covers the Buick Encore GX from model years 2020-22 and the Chevrolet Trailblazer from model years 2021-22.

GM estimates it will start notifying vehicle owners July 26. The automaker says dealers will swap in a replacement jack made of metal. In the meantime, GM plans to remove the recalled plastic jack from undelivered vehicles.

The issue was discovered when a GM test driver reported a broken jack during a durability test on a 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer, according to a safety recall report filed with NHTSA. GM opened an in…

Lidar sensors are not just for autonomous vehicles. So says Velodyne's Jon Barad, who explains how the supplier is using them to help communities monitor traffic, pedestrians and more.

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Porsche cars might be quick getting from 0 to 60 mph. But the luxury brand has been slow to embrace connectivity in its lineup.

Porsche is picking up the pace with its sixth-generation infotainment system. The makeover delivers eye candy and capability.

The Porsche Communication Management 6.0 system will debut in the 2022 Porsche 911, which is scheduled to arrive in U.S. stores this fall. The Taycan, Panamera and Cayenne will receive the updated system next year.

Infotainment has become a new battleground for consumers' minds and wallets. Automakers see the high-tech systems as a way to differentiate and develop recurring revenue sources from subscription services.

Luxury automakers Mercedes-Benz and BMW Group are investing significant capital in developing bespoke infotainment systems that run on sweeping dashboard displays.

Others, such as Volvo, are turning to Big Tech. The Swedish luxury automaker debuted Google's Android Automot…

Workers at the General Motors plant at the center of a U.S.-Mexico trade controversy say they’re fighting to replace their union because of safety issues, including what they characterize as lax enforcement of COVID-19 protocols.

The facility, located near the central Mexican city of Silao, has emerged as an important test case for new labor provisions under a revamped North America trade agreement. And as one of three GM plants that produce highly profitable pickup trucks, it’s critical to the company’s balance sheet. Five employees at the plant spoke to Bloomberg News. They asked that their names not be published due to fear of reprisal.

One said her work area isn’t socially distanced -- even after two employees on her team died from COVID-19. Another said her husband, a co-worker, caught the virus, but was told to return immediately to work without getting a test. A third said she hasn’t been given a proper uniform that prevents her from getting burns on he…

WASHINGTON --  A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Thursday proposed a new 25 percent investment tax credit for investments in semiconductor manufacturing as Congress works to speed U.S. chip production amid a global shortage.

The proposal sponsored by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden and the top Republican Sen. Mike Crapo along with Mark Warner, John Cornyn, Debbie Stabenow and Steve Daines would provide "reasonable, targeted incentives for domestic semiconductor manufacturing," they said in a statement.

Last week, the Senate voted 68-32 to approve spending $52 billion to increase U.S. production and research into semiconductors and telecommunications equipment, including $2 billion dedicated to chips used by automakers.