Although auto manufacturers saw new car sales fall in the third quarter compared to last year, the losses were not as bad as they were in the previous quarter in 2020. According to Edmunds, third-quarter new vehicle sales were 11% lower than the same time last year. However, that is better than the second quarter, when there was a 30.6% decline. Continue reading “Despite Losses, New Car Sales in Q3 Show Improvement”
Is Your Car Safe? Check Your Phone
The Verge recently reported that Ring, the maker of video doorbells, is entering the automotive market with three products that can connect to the driver’s cell phone. Ring’s founder, Jamie Siminoff, said these products were developed in response to customers asking if the company could make an advanced security system for their cars like they did for their homes. Continue reading “Is Your Car Safe? Check Your Phone”
Ford Recalls Vehicles over Glitches in Rearview Cameras
Ford recently announced that it is recalling more than 700,000 vehicles worldwide after it was found that the rearview cameras were not working properly. The company said that, at times, the cameras would either transmit images that would become distorted or go blank.
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Congressman Reintroduces SELF DRIVE Act
Axios reported that U.S. Representative Rob Latta of Ohio, a ranking member on the House Energy and Commerce’s technology and communications subcommittee, is bringing back to the House floor a bill that he said would help make the United States the leader in the manufacture of autonomous vehicles.
Defects in Camaros Spur Class-Action Lawsuit
A group of Camaro owners has filed a class-action lawsuit against General Motors, claiming the auto manufacturer knew about defects in the starters and heat shields for 10 years, but did nothing about it. The lawsuit says the defect affects approximately 750,000 Camaros between the model years 2010 and 2020. The plaintiffs are demanding that GM announce a recall, fix the starters and reimburse the owners for repairs.
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Automakers Agree to California’s Emission Standards
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) recently finalized an agreement with a group of automakers to reduce emissions within the Golden State. Ford Motor Co., Volkswagen AG, Honda Motor Co. and BMW AG initially entered into an agreement with CARB in July 2019. Volvo Cars later joined in, also finalizing its agreement on August 17.
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Wards Foresees 14.1 Million Light Vehicles in Sales and Inventory for July
Wards recently released its forecast which predicted a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 14.1 million light vehicles in sales and inventory for last month. (SAAR is the number of light vehicles, both sold and unsold, over the past 12 months.) That number would mean an 8% increase over June’s numbers and a major improvement over April, when there were fewer than 9 million vehicles that were both sold and on the market because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
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Higher Scrappage Rate Means More Junk Cars Off the Road
A recent study from IHS Markit showed that, despite a growing number of older vehicles on the road, the scrappage rate went up last year. In 2019, the scrappage rate was 5.1%, compared to 4.6% in 2016 and 4.2% in 2009.
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Will Fully Autonomous Cars Hit the Road This Year?
In his video message that was broadcast during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, China, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he foresees Level 5 cars, also known as self-driving vehicles, hitting the road before the end of 2020. “I remain confident that we will have the basic functionality for Level 5 autonomy complete this year,” he said.
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How Some Mechanics Scam Vehicle Owners
Some mechanics will trick unsuspecting car owners into getting unnecessary and expensive repairs done to their car. These mechanics will “discover” a “problem” somewhere and convince the customer that it needs to be fixed now. Continue reading “How Some Mechanics Scam Vehicle Owners”
