Dealers Do Good Friday
AIADA continues to highlight the great things dealers are doing in the communities where they operate. Read about some of the dealers who are doing good across America in today's #DealersDoGood installment. If you know of a dealer doing good, let us know here, or tag us on Facebook or Twitter with the #DealersDoGood hashtag.
Penz Automotive Group in Rochester, Minnesota, sponsored the Jeff Hanson Memorial Car Show at the local Eagles Club of Rochester, Minnesota on Wednesday, June 16. The event was a gathering of car enthusiasts who wanted to feature their classic cars, hot rods, and everything in between. Penz Automotive Group handed out prizes to those in attendance and shared a passion for all things cars. Click here for pictures.
St. Cloud Subaru in St. Cloud, Minnesota, donated $14,392.25 to the local Boys and Girls Club as part of Subaru’s Share the Love Event. The money will support the Boys and Girls Club’s Grab & Go meal program. During Monday’s event, the Boys and Girls Club staff presented the St. Cloud Subaru team with the Ampersand Award for doing whatever it takes to help build great futures. Through the Grab & Go meal program, Club staff distributed snacks and meals to kids seven days a week until the Club can serve meals in a group setting at the Club. St. Cloud Subaru has donated more than $213,000 to the Boys & Girls Club over the years. Read more here (Source: KNSI).
Camelback Subaru in Phoenix, Arizona, has so far donated 98,094 meals to St. Mary’s Food Bank through Feeding America. The dealership has also asked local residents to join them in this pursuit. But Camelback Subaru does not want the donations to stop there. For every Subaru the dealership sold through May 31, it donated 100 meals to the food bank in the car purchaser’s name. Camelback Subaru’s work also doesn’t stop there. The company recently collected non-perishable food items at the dealership. Read more here (Source: Auto Remarketing).
Biden's Goal of 500K EV Chargers Intact After Deal with Senators
President Joe Biden pledged support for a bipartisan infrastructure framework that would uphold his goal of building 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations nationwide while slashing the funding allotted to do so, reports Automotive News. The $1.2 trillion agreement was unveiled Thursday by the White House after the president and Vice President Kamala Harris met with a bipartisan group of 10 senators, including Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Republican Rob Portman of Ohio. The plan, which likely faces a challenge from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, would provide $7.5 billion to build a national EV charging network along highways and in rural and disadvantaged communities, according to a White House fact sheet on the agreement. It also would provide $7.5 billion to electrify thousands of school and transit buses and boost domestic manufacturing of zero-emission vehicles and parts. Read more here (Source: Automotive News).
Mercedes-Benz USA Accidentally Puts Out Data from Nearly 1K Customers
Mercedes-Benz USA said on Thursday sensitive personal information of nearly 1,000 customers and interested buyers was inadvertently made accessible on a cloud storage platform, according to Reuters. No Mercedes-Benz system was compromised and no files were maliciously misused, the company added. The data accidentally made accessible comprised self-reported credit scores, driver license, and social security numbers and credit card information which was entered by customers and interested buyers on dealer and company websites between January 2014 and June 2017. Mercedes said any individual who had credit card information, a driver's license number or a social security number included in the data will be offered a complimentary two-year subscription to a credit monitoring service. Read more here (Source: Reuters).
A Third of New Vehicle Buyers Want a Self-Driving Car in Next 10 Years
A new study by CarGurus.com shows 34% of new car shoppers expect to own an autonomous vehicle within the next decade. The Detroit Bureau reports that during the past two years, it’s become clear that consumers are more knowledgeable about autonomous vehicles, researchers found. However, this gained insight doesn’t mean that more people are excited about the technology, just that they are becoming more at ease with the idea. When asked how comfortable they were with the advancement of self-driving technology, 37% were neutral and 33% expressed excitement. In 2019, 31% of consumers were neutral and 32% excited. According to the study, it appears respondents still want to maintain control of their vehicle with 53% preferring to remain the driver of a self-driving car. They are least comfortable (20%) sharing the roads with self-driving delivery trucks or fleets — one of the primary benefits of the technology, according to those developing the technology. Read more here (Source: The Detroit Bureau).
Consumers Are Back Out Spending, Driving the Recovery
Consumers likely increased spending last month on services that they shunned earlier in the Covid-19 pandemic, helping fuel the broader economic recovery, reports The Wall Street Journal. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal expect Friday’s Commerce Department report to show consumer spending rose 0.4% in May. They expect incomes fell 2.7% last month from April, as the boost faded from government stimulus checks sent out earlier in the year. Consumer spending is supported by rising vaccination rates and ample household savings from rounds of government stimulus when the pandemic restricted businesses and activities. Customers are going out more as states and cities lift the restrictions. Although people spent less on autos, furniture, electronics and building materials in May, they raised their spending on restaurants, and at clothing and health-and-beauty stores, a Commerce Department report released earlier this month showed. Friday’s report offers a more comprehensive look at household finances, including how consumers spent money on goods in contrast to services. Read more here (Source: The Wall Street Journal).
Around the Web
Nissan Recalls 139K Sentra Sedans for Bent Inner Tie Rods [Car and Driver]
Heading Off-Road in a Hardcore Lexus SUV [MotorTrend]
