October 6, 2016
International Trade and International Automobile Dealers
Inside the beltway and back home, a spirited debate is underway about the United States’ role in an expanding and increasingly connected global economy, writes AIADA President Cody Lusk in an opinion piece at The Hill. From his perspective, representing America’s international nameplate automobile dealers of brands like Honda, Toyota, BMW and others, Lusk says he knows that many who are characterized as “them” are often among the most recognizable members of their communities. As leaders in the automotive industry, we seek to correct the misconception that when a consumer chooses to purchase an international nameplate vehicle from their local dealership they are in any way harming the U.S. economy or job market. It’s quite the opposite. It is critical that we get past the uninformed rhetoric and snappy soundbites on global trade and focus on policies that will create opportunities for Americans and deliver on our ability to create solid middle-class jobs for our citizens. Read the rest of Lusk’s piece, published this week at The Hill, by clicking here.
Average Fuel Economy Slips Again in Sept., Mich. Researchers Say
Automotive News reports that the average fuel economy for new cars and light trucks sold in September dropped 0.1 mpg from August to 25.2 mpg, the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute says. The lower fuel economy, following the trend, is most likely the result of increased sales of light trucks over cars, researchers Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle said in a statement. In September, pickup sales increased 7.4 percent from the previous year, while SUV demand rose 11 percent for the same period, according to the Automotive News Data Center. Total light-truck sales increased 4.2 percent, compared with the 7.6 percent dip in total car sales in September. The average window-sticker fuel economy rating for new vehicles is down 0.6 mpg from its peak in August 2014. But it is still 5.1 mpg higher than in October 2007, when the study began. For more on September’s fuel economy, click here.
Feds Seek to Eliminate Traffic Deaths in 30 Years
The U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Safety Council announced plans on Wednesday to eliminate traffic fatalities within the next 30 years, reports The Detroit News. The ambitious goal was announced at the start of a daylong conference in northern Virginia that featured representatives of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and the safety council as the groups were launching their “Road to Zero” campaign. NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said the new campaign is necessary because 35,092 people died in traffic crashes in 2015, which he said is a 7.2 percent increase in the number of roads deaths from 2014. The increase was the largest jump in traffic fatalities that was recorded since 8.1 percent hike in 1996, according to NHTSA. Read more about the government’s plan to eliminate traffic deaths here.
Aston Martin to Challenge Tesla in Luxury Market
The great race for electric vehicle dominance takes center stage at the Paris Motor Show this week, but not everyone is buying the hype, says CNBC. Andy Palmer, chief executive of Aston Martin, which opted out of the Paris spectacle this year along with super-luxury rivals Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Lamborghini, says the road to fully-fledged electrification will be a long one. "It's going to take a while, for sure. You've got a difficult circle to break, you need volume," he told CNBC. The UK-based manufacturer has teamed up with Chinese technology company LeEco to bring an electric sedan, the Aston Martin RapidE to market in 2018. Palmer points out that rivals Ferrari, Bentley, and Rolls-Royce have failed to bring a fully-fledged EV model to the market, paving the way for Aston Martin "to be a trailblazer in luxury electrics." Read more about Aston-Martin’s plans to challenge Tesla here.
Audi of America Names Its First American CFO
Audi of America has named its first American finance chief, reports Automotive News. The luxury brand tapped Matt Carpenter, 36, as its CFO, reporting to Audi of America President Scott Keogh, according to an Audi statement. The move is effective immediately. Carpenter is the first U.S. national to oversee Audi’s financial operations in the U.S., part of a move to shift more responsibility to Audi’s regional offices, the company says. He replaces Christian Schroth, the CFO at Audi’s U.S. unit for the last four years. Schroth was reassigned to Audi AG in Germany, where he will “lead the digital transformation” of Audi’s finance operation. Carpenter’s appointment follows another American executive appointment at VW last month. Christine Gaspar was named senior director of human resources at Audi of America. For more on Audi of America’s new CFO, click here.
Around the Web
Join AIADA in NOLA [Register]
Volvo Cars Will Start Talking to Each Other by the End of 2016 [Tech Crunch]
Americans Bought More EVs Last Month Than Ever Before [Autoblog]
Bubba Watson Takes a Swing at Selling Cars [WEARTV]