Consumers Have Mixed Reactions To Automotive Innovation
While about half of U.S. consumers surveyed express interest in electric vehicles and autonomous driving technology, there is also high satisfaction with more traditional technologies.
The Latest Numbers on the Microchip Shortage: North America, China Take Hit
North American and Chinese assembly plants accounted for the bulk of the industry’s latest production cuts caused by the ongoing shortage of microchips.
Auto Leasing Costs Expected To Keep Rising
Freedonia Focus Reports said U.S. consumer spending on vehicle leases is forecast to rise 1.3% per year in nominal dollars through 2025. Analysts explained that increased consumer leasing of crossover utility vehicles, sport utility vehicles and trucks — which generally lease at a higher price point — will drive growth over the forecast period.
Axios: Here Come The EVs
A pair of new analyses show how electric cars are becoming increasingly mainstream, with a lot more on the way.
Toyota: Old inventory Ways Gone
The days of Toyota having roughly 45 days of inventory on hand are over, says North American Sales Chief Bob Carter. But he’d like more vehicles on hand than Toyota has now.
Automakers’ National TV Spending Dips 27.4%
The estimated national TV spend by automakers in March declined 27.4% vs. March 2021, with TV ad impressions dipping similarly.
Chevy Relaunches Bolt EVs After Recall With 2 Ads
Chevy expects ad spending to exceed all other nameplates except the Silverado.
March U.S. Light-Vehicle Inventory Gain Signals Continued But Gradual Improvement to Sales
Inventory is forecast to rise by the end of the second quarter, meaning sales in the 3-month period will improve on Q1’s 14.0-million-unit annualized rate.
The Latest Numbers on the Microchip Shortage: Bigger Toll on North America, Europe
Auto factories in North America and Europe continue to rack up more lost production because of the lingering global microchip shortage, now well into its second year.
GM, Ford To Idle Two Michigan Assembly Plants Next Week
GM will cancel production at the Lansing Grand River Assembly plant for supply chain issues; Ford will idle the Flat Rock Assembly plant due to the global microchip shortage.
EV Buyers Are Facing Extended Wait Times
Interest in electric vehicles (EVs) is growing, but buyers often face lengthy waitlists and reservation processes, according to Strong Automotive Merchandising.
Tight Supplies, Cloudy Outlook to Dent March, Q1 Sales
LMC, Cox Automotive cut 2022 U.S. sales forecast to 15.3 million from around 16 million.
The Latest Numbers on the Microchip Shortage: 96,300 More Vehicles Knocked Out
Another 96,300 units were removed from production schedules over the past week due to the microchip shortage as the supply crisis continues to hamper production of even top-selling models.
Car Buyers Shun Leases as Deals, Vehicles Vanish
With fewer new cars available to sell than in the past, auto dealers nationwide are trying to squeeze more profit from the ones they do have on their lots — prompting a sharp slump in leasing deals.
High Gas Prices Have Shoppers Thinking Electric
With gasoline prices setting records across the U.S. and oil topping $100 a barrel, consumer interest in electric vehicles and other clean energy technologies is speeding up, The Wall Street Journal reports.
March Auto Sales Facing Headwinds
U.S. auto retail sales could decline in March as rising
inflation hinders spending by customers already limited by
slim inventories due to pandemic-led supply shortages, and
now the Ukraine crisis, consultants J.D. Power and LMC
Automotive said.
North America Production Trending Up Despite February Underbuild, Mounting Risks
If current North America production trends hold, new-vehicle availability in the U.S. will increase, including the mix of more affordable models.
EV Shift the Talk of the Town at NADA
One topic was unavoidable at the 2022 NADA Show in Las Vegas: electric vehicles.
Car Dealers Are Optimistic, but Supply Crises, War Spur Concern
Dealers, following a year of soaring profits but scant new-vehicle inventory, expect more of the same in 2022. But a pair of new worries are hindering some outlooks.
Auto TV Spending Jumps 154% Vs. a Year Ago
Automakers spent an estimated $503.9 million in February, up a whopping 154% from February 2021 ($198.1 million) thanks largely to the Winter Olympics, per iSpot.tv.