Trade News

Automotive technology supplier Aptiv on Monday lowered its sales forecast for the financial year due to a semiconductor shortage that has forced automakers to curtail production.

The company now expects 2021 net sales in the range of $15.1 to $15.5 billion, down from its previous target of $16.1 to $16.4 billion.

A surge in COVID-19 cases in Asian countries that are home to auto factories and semiconductor plants has led to an acute chip shortage, impacting automotive players small and large. 

The Dublin-based company also said it expects adjusted operating income margins between 7.6 and 8.4 percent, down from previous guidance of 9.9 to 10.2 percent.

Aptiv added that it updated its outlook to reflect a 7 percent decrease in global vehicle production, from 85 million units to 79 million units.

The Feldman Automotive Group has acquired the Jorgensen Ford Sales Inc. dealership in Detroit in a partnership that Feldman says makes it the only minority-owned dealership in the city.

Feldman, based in New Hudson, Mich., partnered with Eddie Hall III and Cliff Cicotte on Thursday to buy the store from Merlton Brandenburg, who took over ownership of the dealership in 2004. The dealership will now be known as Feldman Ford of Detroit.

The trio declined to disclose the breakdown of the partnership ownership structure, a Feldman spokeswoman said. Terms of the deal also were not disclosed.

The dealership was renamed Feldman Ford of Detroit.

It is the first Ford for  Feldman, which has grown to 17 locations in Michigan and Ohio.

Hall is CFO and general manager of Hall Automotive Group, including Briarwood Ford in Saline, Mich., Royal Oak Ford, Vicksburg Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram and Northland Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram in Oak Park. Hall also w…

David Regn, co-founder of advertising firm Stream Cos., explains how the elimination of small text files will change the way auto manufacturers and retailers engage online shoppers.

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BEIJING -- Honda Motor Co., Nissan Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. saw their sales in China tumble in September as a chip shortage hit vehicle production in the world's biggest car market.

Honda said it sold 121,448 vehicles in China last month, down 28 percent from a year earlier due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a shortage of components.

Nissan said it sold 104,443 cars and light trucks, down 26 percent, due to "external headwind including the ongoing pandemic, cross-industry material shortages, slowdowns, and increased competition."

Toyota said deliveries tallied 115,000, down 36 percent.

Separately, General Motors, which only reports quarterly China sales, said it sold over 623,000 vehicles in July through September, down 19 percent from the same period last year, "impacted by the ongoing global semiconductor supply chain disruption."

https://www.autonews.com/munich-auto-show/bmw-concept-shows-sustainable-car-future-ceo-saysBMW rarely has to answer this question in Western showrooms, but it’s becoming increasingly important for selling cars in China: Can I sing karaoke in this automobile?

Customers in the world’s biggest auto market are demanding that sing-along apps such as Changba work in new vehicles. Local manufacturers XPeng Inc., Nio Inc. and BYD Co. are at the forefront of this trend, besting Western rivals by offering models with karaoke microphones. The push extends beyond music, with Chinese buyers expecting seamless access to features like in-car payment and social-media connectivity.

“We’ve identified this as a challenge,” said Christoph Grote, BMW’s digital car chief. “Chinese consumers are the most demanding when it comes to digital technology in the car.”

Tapping into local tastes is crucial to win over customers in China, where EV adoption is accelerating and homegrown…

BEIJING -- China, the world's biggest auto market, said on Monday it will roll out assessment measures to regulate data sent abroad by vehicles, as the country steps up efforts to protect data and privacy.

As cars become 'smarter' with more in-car entertainment, information and autonomous driving functions, automakers and tech companies are gathering more data from vehicles, raising privacy and security concerns.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology did not offer details about how the assessment would be done. According to current rules, auto companies cannot export key vehicle data abroad unless they obtain approval from regulators.

The ministry said regulators will improve monitoring of vehicle data security and encourage telecommunication companies to invest more in cyber security technologies.

The move comes amid China's push to ensure the security of data as the proliferation of smart cars, such as Tesla electric vehicles, …

BEIJING -- Mercedes-Benz is pouring more resources into its research and design capabilities in China as the center of gravity of the new auto world shifts eastwards.

In a drive to create a "home away from home," Mercedes is doubling down on bases in Beijing and Shanghai to stay ahead of regulations and consumer trends in a car market that outstrips the United States and Germany combined.

Three years after initially announcing plans to strengthen its R&D presence in the country, the brand will unveil its new Tech Center China in Beijing this month.

Reuters has spoken to four people close to the tech center and the brand's Chinese design studio who are familiar with the company's new China strategy. All declined to be named because they are not allowed to speak with the media.

With 1,000 engineers, the new tech center is more than three times the size of the one Mercedes opened in 2014 and the first outside Germany that can test "everything," p…

Penske Automotive Group Inc. and Hendrick Automotive Group outranked their dealership group peers in an online reputation study released Monday.

Reputation, which helps automotive brands and dealership groups manage online reviews and customer feedback, said Penske ranked first on the list of U.S. public dealership groups, while Hendrick topped the list of U.S. privately held groups.

Nissan had the highest score among U.S. nonluxury brands, while Infiniti ranked first among luxury brands, according to Reputation's study.

The annual report analyzed 20,000 auto dealerships and brands in the U.S. and Canada, drawing on customer feedback data from Google, Facebook, Twitter and other online sources, the company said. It also worked with the YouGov research firm on a survey of 1,000 consumers about their vehicle research and purchase habits.

Reputation draws its rankings from what it calls its Reputation Score, which measures a company's customer senti…

DETROIT — As General Motors begins transitioning to an all-electric light-vehicle portfolio, its manufacturing philosophy is clear: Use the assets it already has.

GM will retool assembly plants to produce electric vehicles, convert engine plants into battery facilities and build electric drive units at transmission plants to streamline and reduce the cost of EV manufacturing, said Gerald Johnson, executive vice president of global manufacturing and sustainability.

By 2025, EV production will account for 20 percent of GM's manufacturing footprint in North America, Johnson said as part of the automaker's presentation to investors last week. By 2030, it's projected to be half.

Renovating existing plants, rather than building new ones, will save GM $1.5 billion per plant, Johnson said. That will total $15 billion in capital spending saved by 2030 and up to $30 billion by the time GM has converted its full lineup to battery power.

The strategy contrast…

NASHVILLE — Ford Motor Co. offers more than 150 accessories on the 2022 Maverick pickup, but the automaker is helping customers avoid buying some of them.

Ford, for example, demonstrates on YouTube how to build a bicycle rack with $45 worth of lumber and screws, in lieu of its dealerships' $489 hitch-mounted, two-bike carrier from Thule. Another video provides instructions for an amateur light rack made from about $60 worth of supplies, even though Ford stores offer a $199 bed light kit from Lumen.

The company even directs owners to the videos via a QR code printed in the Maverick's bed that they can scan with a smartphone.

The three videos that make up Ford's "Hack Your Maverick" series — with more to come — might seem counterintuitive in a business that otherwise jumps at chances to boost revenue through aftermarket part sales. But Ford sees the do-it-yourself explainers as an opportunity to win over younger, budget-conscious buyers and build loyalty …