What it is: A closely watched variable among Japanese manufacturers and their North American subsidiaries that factors into everything from topline revenue and production costs to export and import plans and investment strategies. Foreign exchange rates are often a make-or-break dictate, especially for Japanese automakers, with their broad global footprint and heavy reliance on international
What it is: A key annual survey gauging the health of the working relationships between suppliers and major automakers in North America — from the perspective of suppliers. The study, released each spring, rates those relationships on a 500-point scale, with a higher score indicating more supplier satisfaction in areas such as communication and the
WASHINGTON — For the second consecutive year, Ford Motor Co. has reported the most U.S. vehicle recalls of any automaker, partial NHTSA data shows. Through Dec. 19, Ford had issued 65 recalls affecting more than 8.6 million vehicles in 2022. In 2021, the automaker issued 53 recalls covering nearly 5.4 million vehicles. The U.S. recall
DETROIT — Less than a year after Ford Motor Co. opened a gleaming assembly plant at its historic Rouge Complex to build the F-150 Lightning, it’s already tearing apart some of the walls to expand. Ford is growing the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center by 50 percent while workers inside continue building Lightnings around the clock.
Harper Motors, a Ford-Kia dealership in Eureka, Calif., made use of two electric vehicles in its inventory to reopen after an earthquake in December. The store posted on Facebook that it had lost power but was able to serve customers with the help of a Ford F-150 Lightning and a Kia Niro EV.
What it is: A pulse check of the franchised, independent and overall auto retail industry. Each quarter, Cox conveys dealers’ sense of the market today and what they expect in three months. It also inquires about other topics, including store profits, inventory and business challenges. Where it comes from: Cox surveys hundreds of franchised and
Journalists get pitches constantly from outside groups trying to move or shame automakers to do one thing or another, but few have been as ridiculous as the one we received last month from the well-established nonprofit advocacy group Public Citizen. Normally, I’m down with Public Citizen’s agenda, which is to “defend democracy, resist corporate power
TO THE EDITOR: Regarding Skip Redman’s letter, “Despite dealers’ wishes, pickup wrong for VW,” autonews.com, Dec. 11: I know Skip well, as he was our account executive when I owned a Volkswagen-Audi dealership in San Diego several years ago. Skip is a bright guy; however, he is really wrong on this issue. The Routan is
What it is: An index that tracks the stock price and market capitalization of each of the seven major public dealership groups: AutoNation Inc., Asbury Automotive Group Inc., Group 1 Automotive Inc., Lithia Motors Inc., Penske Automotive Group Inc. and Sonic Automotive Inc., plus CarMax Inc., the nation’s largest used-vehicle retailer. The Kerrigan Index is
The failure of the IRS to establish rules for electric vehicle tax credits by the end of 2022 as ordered by the Inflation Reduction Act is disappointing and raises questions about the execution of Congress’ many-layered scheme. The old EV tax credit was a bit convoluted, but the system crafted by Senate Democrats to meet
