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| Our 2021 All-Stars: A retailer takes top award |
As the Thanksgiving weekend winds down, it’s time for another late-year tradition: The unveiling of the 2021 Automotive News All-Stars.
Breaking from tradition, however, is this year’s selection by our staff of the Industry Leader of the Year: Lithia Motors CEO Bryan DeBoer — a retailer.
Yes, the headlines this year were dominated by the global semiconductor shortage, which rippled through virtually every corner of the industry and constricted inventory levels to record lows. The challenges presented by COVID-19 were compounded by this new crisis.
At the same time, however, the U.S. automotive landscape was being reshaped by dealership consolidation. There was a flurry of buy-sell activity as many retailers cashed in on high dealership values.
Leading the acquisition boom was DeBoer. Usually, our top award has gone to executives at automotive manufacturers. But there is no denying what Lithia’s leader and his team accomplished this year, making purchases such as the megadeal for Michigan’s Suburban Collection, putting Lithia in position to become No. 2 on our list of top U.S. dealership groups, up from No. 3.
This is DeBoer’s fourth appearance on the list; he was named an All-Star in 2014, 2016 and 2019.
Visit www.autonews.com/allstars for the full list of this year’s honorees (plus, you can see those named All-Stars eash year going back to 2010). You will find industry leaders who accomplished great things in managing the chip crisis, vehicle quality, product development, electrification, software innovation, finance and insurance, used-vehicle retail and aftermarket, fixed operations, mobility, vehicle safety, government and diversity initiatives.
Let’s hope that at this time next year, the worst of COVID-19 and the chip shortage will be history and we’ll commemorate the 2022 All-Stars in a crisis-free, healthy environment.
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In Monday’s Automotive News:
Why so much interest in a lake you probably never heard of? The Salton Sea is a shallow and, as the name would suggest, very salty lake in Southern California near the Mexico border. The region also contains a huge lithium resource in geothermal deposits that are already being exploited for power by energy companies, but the much-coveted mineral is returned to the ground. That’s all about to change as lithium startup Controlled Thermal Resources partners with General Motors and others on a project that will combine a geothermal power plant with a lithium extraction facility. Automotive News looks at the plan as part of Elements of Electrification series.
Innovations abound: Automotive News this week takes a look at innovations coming soon to a vehicle or auto plant near you: a fingerprint reader that activates Mercedes-Benz driver profiles; Toyota’s efforts to breathe new life into the tried-and-true nickel-metal hydride battery; a CO2-fighting development from Cooper Standard; and an eye-scan system that can detect when arriving auto workers are under the influence.
Weekend headlines
Subaru braces for first back-to-back U.S. sales declines since 1990s: CEO Tomomi Nakamura predicts a rebound to 650,000 sales in 2022, but expects 2021 volume in Japanese automaker’s most important market to fall short of 600,000.
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Rivian R1S SUV deliveries delayed? Rivian Automotive Inc., the EV producer backed by Amazon, Ford and others, has started notifying customers who have reserved the R1S SUV of delivery delays, media outlets reported on Wednesday. The company had earlier said R1S deliveries were expected in January, but is now sending emails to customers to inform them that the delivery window has been changed to between May and July.
Bob Brockman competency hearing drags into second week: Lawyers for former Reynolds and Reynolds CEO Bob Brockman presented their side of the case for their client’s claim that he lacks the competency to defend himself in U.S. District Court against massive federal tax evasion charges. One of Brockman’s doctors said he first detected his patient’s emerging impairment three years earlier. Another medical expert testified that Brockman’s dementia “negatively affects his ability to assist his lawyers in his own defense.” The prosecution earlier presented its case before U.S. District Judge George Hanks Jr. in Houston, claiming Brockman is faking his mental condition to avoid prosecution. It’s unclear when Hanks will rule. Lawyers are expected to file additional briefs in December.
More CEO drama at Volkswagen: German media reported another round of friction between Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess and the executive committee of the automaker’s supervisory board. Tensions have risen yet again between Diess and union representatives over his management style and electrification strategy. The executive committee was scheduled to take up the matter Tuesday, Nov. 23, but Reuters later reported no action would be taken at the meeting. The full supervisory board is set to meet Dec. 9 to discuss VW’s five-year spending plan.
Kia unwraps second-gen Niro: The new Niro, an upgraded version of the model first released in 2016, will be available as a hybrid in the first quarter of 2022 and as a full-electric model later in the first half next year.
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A selection from Daily Drive:
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Dec. 1, 1927: This issue of Automotive Daily News, the predecessor of Automotive News, was devoted to the Ford Model A. Every facet of the new car was examined in detail. It was the most important story for an industry that was reshaping American life.