Trade News

DETROIT — General Motors this week will give motorsports and off-road enthusiasts a glimpse of its electric vehicle future while showcasing the internal-combustion performance prowess it's demonstrated for decades.

The automaker plans to show the GMC Hummer EV SUV and its proprietary Ultium battery platform chassis at Motor Bella, along with a slew of race cars and its Infantry Squad Vehicle. The ISV is based on the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 and is made of 90 percent commercial, off-the-shelf parts, including Chevy Performance race components.

"You always want to lure [consumers] with something exciting … so they're going to bring out the Hummer, which they've introduced, and race cars, which always draw a crowd," said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions.

"Race car fans are among the most rabid automotive people on the planet. It's always a good lure to highlight your brand by showing off the race cars."

Honda Motor Co. said its production lines in Japan are operating at about 40 percent of its initial plan for the August-September period because of chip shortages and delays in parts shipments due to coronavirus outbreaks overseas.

The Japanese automaker expects the impact to extend beyond this month and said the level of operations in early October will be about 70 percent of its initial plan, according to a statement on its website that notes the estimates are as of Sept. 14. 

The announcement comes as its bigger rival Toyota Motor Corp. on Friday outlined plans to shutter factories in October. It said 27 out of 28 lines in all of its 14 plants in Japan would face suspensions of as many as 11 days. 

Honda said it’s working to minimize the reduction, but the outlook remains uncertain and it will continue to examine the impact. Models affected include the N-Box, Fit and Odyssey, according to the statement.

WASHINGTON -- The National Transportation Safety Board said Friday it will send a team to investigate a Tesla vehicle crash this week that killed two people in Coral Gables, Fla.

Coral Gables police have said it is unclear whether the Tesla Model 3 involved in the crash in a residential area on Monday evening was using the electric vehicle company's driver-assistance system, called Autopilot. The two people killed were badly burned and have not yet been positively identified.

The NTSB, which makes safety recommendations but does not regulate automakers, said its investigation will focus on the operation of the vehicle and the post-crash fire that consumed it after it struck a tree. The agency said three NTSB investigators will arrive in the area on Monday.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The NTSB has previously investigated three fatal Tesla crashes in which Autopilot was involved. Autopilot handles some driving tasks…

DETROIT — The 87-acre M1 Concourse, built on General Motors' former Pontiac West factory site, just may be the perfect venue for tinkering with the future of the Detroit auto show.

Next week, about 15 miles north of the Detroit city limits, Motor Bella will be the first major auto show in the region since 2019. It is taking the place of the North American International Auto Show this year and is being produced by the Detroit Auto Dealers Association.

The world, of course, has changed dramatically since the curtain closed on the final winter Detroit show. But even before the pandemic, organizers were moving away from the traditional static displays and toward a more hands-on, experiential event. Test drives were available in the basement of the former Cobo Center; on Belle Isle, an island park east of downtown Detroit; and elsewhere near the show. But those were mostly slow-moving affairs that didn't allow participants to get a great feel for the vehicles.

Tim Bartz, Internet manager at Long McArthur Ford in Salina, Kan., is something of a Ford whisperer.

When it comes to the nuances of ordering hot new vehicles such as the Maverick, Bronco and F-150 Lightning in the middle of the crushing semiconductor shortage, Bartz is in high demand by customers vying to get their vehicle orders built first.

Bartz, who also goes by the social media moniker #FordVideoGuy, has become a notable influencer on YouTube, Facebook and Reddit forums, providing critical information to buyers of the Maverick in particular as Ford ramps up production that began in early September.

"I noticed on the Maverick that I'm one of the few dealers putting out videos," Bartz said of his YouTube fame. His top Maverick video — a deep dive on the features of the Lariat trim back in June — had generated more than 125,000 views for the Long McArthur YouTube channel as of mid-September. "On the Bronco, there were so many d…

Rather than usher in an era of low-pollution travel, future fleets of all-electric robotaxis could instead deliver unintended environmental consequences.

Despite the emissions problems they might solve, new research suggests electrified self-driving fleets could, at least in some cases, exacerbate pollution problems.

The counterintuitive findings were published in Environmental Research Letters this month, and come from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard researchers who say low-cost robotaxis could deter riders from pooling rides and entice travelers into taking trips they otherwise would not have.

Both factors contribute to their conclusions that emissions could actually rise in an electric-robotaxi era, even as they acknowledge electric powertrains provide cleaner transportation than vehicles powered by internal combustion engines.

"It's quite significant in terms of overall energy consumption and emissions," Ashley Nunes, the st…

LOS ANGELES — Hyundai Motor North America has promoted longtime legal counsel Jason Erb to the position of chief legal officer and vice president.

Effective Monday, Erb will oversee all matters across the region, including dealer franchise issues, product liability, warranty, cybersecurity and others, Hyundai said Friday. Erb, 50, will report to Hyundai Motor North America CEO Jose Muñoz.

"Jason is a consummate professional and has vast expertise in our business and legal affairs," Muñoz said in a statement. "This expertise will be critical as we navigate the introduction of new mobility products and services and ensure the protection of our business, partners and customers."

Erb joined Hyundai in 2002 as senior counsel and most recently held the post of assistant general counsel and executive director for litigation. Erb is an alumnus of the University of California, Berkeley, and Duke University School of Law, Hyundai said.

Data forecasting firm IHS Markit said global light-vehicle production could be cut by 6.2 percent — about 5 million vehicles — in 2021.

That is the largest single adjustment to its outlook in the last nine months, the firm said Thursday. It follows losses of millions of units of production in the first three quarters of 2021.

The outlook for the fourth quarter continues to worsen among executives and analysts. The pessimism stems from a heightened risk of challenges to the supply chain, such as the global semiconductor chip shortage.

And for 2022, the light-vehicle production forecast was cut by 9.3 percent, or about 8.4 million vehicles. IHS Markit also reduced its 2023 forecast, by 1.1 percent, just over 1 million vehicles.

IHS Markit now estimates output at 75.8 million vehicles this year and 82.6 million in 2022.

The revisions reflect the challenge the auto industry has faced as it grapples with one supply chain issue after another. Read more about IHS Markit lowers global vehicle output forecasts amid supply chain crisis

A number of automakers, including a couple of EV startups, announced important updates to new and refreshed products. Here's what they said this week:

Mazda freshens CX-5, adds standard awd to crossovers

Rivian's R1T will launch without tank turn feature

Rivian R1T gets a 314 EPA rating for range; R1S comes in at 316

VW's ID4 electric crossovers with awd rated at 240, 249 miles per charge

2022 Toyota Tundra to make auto show debut at Detroit's Motor Bella

Lucid's launch edition of Air EV hits 520 miles of EPA range