Trade News

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey warned car buyers Wednesday to be aware of dealers who may not accurately advertise vehicle prices or honor those prices.

Healey's office issued an advisory in response to an uptick in consumer complaints that allege deceptive pricing practices by dealers. About 74 such complaints were filed in the past year.

The office said it received reports of some dealerships advertising specific prices online but denying them once interested car buyers got to the store. In some cases, dealers had confirmed the advertised price in an email, the complaints said. Other car buyers reported dealers not honoring buyout provisions in lease agreements.

"Purchasing a vehicle is a significant financial investment for many individuals and families," Healey said in a statement. "After a surge in complaints to my office, we're making sure consumers are aware of their rights under the law, and that auto dealerships know our office will…

LONDON -- Rolls-Royce will launch its first full-electric vehicle in 2023 on the way to shifting to selling only battery-powered cars after 2030.

The ultraluxury brand's first EV will be the Spectre coupe, the BMW-owned company said in a statement on Wednesday.

The two-door car will be built on the same aluminum architecture that currently underpins all of the company's models.

Rolls-Royce's shift to EVs is the most significant moment in the company's history since it was founded in 1904, CEO Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes said in the statement.

"Electric drive is uniquely and perfectly suited to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, more so than any other automotive brand," he said. "It is silent, refined and creates torque almost instantly, going on to generate tremendous power."

The Spectre "will be the first and finest super-luxury product of its type," Mueller-Oetvoes said in the statement.

Wraith replacement

Pictures of a disguised prototyp…

Asbury Automotive Group Inc. said it will pay $3.2 billion to buy the Larry H. Miller Dealerships group, one of the largest privately owned dealership groups and the eighth-largest dealership group in the country.

Asbury said Wednesday that the deal includes 54 new-vehicle dealerships, seven used-vehicle dealerships, 11 collision centers and Total Care Auto. The Duluth, Ga., retailer said it will help to diversify the company's Western presence by entering six new states. Asbury said the acquisition would add $5.7 billion in annual revenues to Asbury, the nation's sixth-largest new-vehicle retailer.

"Larry H. Miller Dealerships is one of the most respected automotive dealer groups in the United States with a strong culture and stewardship mentality," Asbury CEO David Hult said in a statement. "This acquisition is a unique opportunity to rapidly expand Asbury's presence into these desirable, high-growth Western markets with strong accretion from day-one, with t…

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Tuesday U.S. President Joe Biden's administration was not the friendliest and its EV policy appeared to be controlled by labor unions.

Speaking at a tech conference in California, Musk was critical of a White House summit on EVs in August to which automakers other than Tesla were invited.

"(They) didn't mention Tesla once and praised GM and Ford for leading the EV revolution. Does that sound maybe a little biased?," Musk said during a panel discussion at the Code Conference in Beverly Hills.

"Not the friendliest administration, seems to be controlled by unions," he added.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Biden in August signed an executive order aimed at making half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 electric, and was joined by executives of General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis.

The Detroit 3 automakers are the largest employers of the UAW, accounting for about…

WASHINGTON/DETROIT -- The plan for Ford Motor Co. and Korean battery partner SK Innovation to build three battery plants in the U.S., announced this week, will prompt a furious drive by labor leaders to organize the plants, potentially setting the tone for future union drives at auto industry factories in southern U.S. states.

The UAW, which represents about 150,000 hourly workers at the U.S. plants for General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler parent Stellantis, is working to represent workers at battery plants. Union leaders have said Ford has a "moral obligation" to make sure battery plant jobs are good-paying union jobs.

The fate of these workers is so important because building EVs and the batteries that power them is largely where the job growth lies in the auto sector. If the UAW strikes out in the Ford-SK plants, it could face the risk of further erosion of membership as consumers buy fewer gasoline-powered vehicles.

The UAW has strong allies …

TOKYO -- Tokyo prosecutors are seeking a two-year prison sentence for Greg Kelly, the former Nissan director indicted alongside former Chairman Carlos Ghosn for alleged financial misconduct.

Prosecutors made the case against the American defendant on Wednesday as they delivered their closing argument in the long-running trial.

Kelly, who was arrested in Japan nearly three years ago, on Nov. 19, 2018, had faced a maximum penalty of up to 15 years for the alleged violation.

Prosecutors said they sought a two-year prison sentence, mindful of the time Kelly has already spent detained in Japan. After his arrest, Kelly was locked for more than a month in a Tokyo jail before being released on bail. Since then, he has been barred from traveling outside the country.

The trial began Sept. 15, 2020, and Kelly's lawyer says a verdict is not expected until March 2022.

Kelly's defense team gives its closing argument on Oct. 27. Then, the matter rests in…

We're firm believers that everyone should have the freedom to move and pursue their dreams, and it's people like Don Pijor who are driving this mission. As someone with Multiple Sclerosis, Don Pijor, F-150 Launch Manager at the Dearborn Truck plant and 32-year Ford veteran, knows firsthand the challenges that people who require wheelchair-accessible vehicles face, and he rose to meet them.

Inspired by his own experience, Pijor collaborated with AT Specialty Conversions to convert a 2021 F-150 into a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, using a custom-built hydraulic lift. This system helps people in wheelchairs to get in and out of the truck -- plus, it automacially closes the door. In his own words, Pijor said, "Just because you're in a wheelchair doesn't mean you should have to give up the things you like. The wheelchair uplift allows freedom and a lifestyle that people in a wheelchair aren't typically able to have." 

We're creating the future of mobility -- a…

We're firm believers that everyone should have the freedom to move and pursue their dreams, and it's people like Don Pijor who are driving this mission. As someone with Multiple Sclerosis, Don Pijor, F-150 Launch Manager at the Dearborn Truck plant and 32-year Ford veteran, knows firsthand the challenges that people who require wheelchair-accessible vehicles face, and he rose to meet them.

Inspired by his own experience, Pijor collaborated with AT Specialty Conversions to convert a 2021 F-150 into a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, using a custom-built hydraulic lift. This system helps people in wheelchairs to get in and out of the truck -- plus, it automacially closes the door. In his own words, Pijor said, "Just because you're in a wheelchair doesn't mean you should have to give up the things you like. The wheelchair uplift allows freedom and a lifestyle that people in a wheelchair aren't typically able to have." 

We're creating the future of mobility -- a…

Ineos Group, the British chemical company bringing the rugged BMW-powered Grenadier SUV to North America in spring 2023, will open its order books on Thursday.

The company says 63,000 hand-raisers have expressed an interest in the boxy off-road vehicle globally, with 12,000 of those in North America. Now the company wants to see who's serious about buying a retro-looking utility vehicle that is aimed at fans of stripped-down, classic SUVs such as the original version of Land Rover Defender.

Those hand-raisers will be given a two-week opportunity to place a $450 deposit on a vehicle. After that, reservations will open to all customers, Ineos' North American Executive Vice President Greg Clark told Automotive News.

Speaking of the $450 deposit, Clark said: "We definitely want an expression of real interest, and we feel with small amounts you can get lots and lots of speculation."

Ineos is different from most other startups. Money is not a concern fo…

TOKYO -- On the move with yet another buyout, Toyota Motor Corp.'s Woven Planet automated-driving subsidiary has acquired a U.S. software company it says will jump-start the Japanese company's ambitions to make an operating system for the "programmable cars" of tomorrow.

The purchase of Renovo Motors Inc., made public on Tuesday, delivers a set of cutting-edge software tools that will shave months, if not years, off Woven Planet's timeline for bringing the operating system to market, Woven Planet CEO James Kuffner said in announcing the deal.

"With Renovo coming on board we have this big, big boost of energy and talent to really push forward," Kuffner told reporters. "I am really optimistic that we will pull forward our plans."

Woven Planet's upcoming automotive operating system, called Arene, is pitched as an open software platform that will allow for "programmable cars." Woven hopes to offer it to other companies. Woven Planet says it will be as …