Leading Performance Engagement Platform, Arcade, Named an AIADA Affinity Partner
Arcade, a Performance Engagement software solution designed to strategically motivate, engage, and incentivize employees through gamification, has been announced as an Affinity Partner with the American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA). This partnership will offer automotive dealerships a new tool to help increase revenue in both sales and service, streamline communication, increase engagement and employee retention, improve customer service, and boost sales among its dealerships. Through the partnership, AIADA members will receive exclusive pricing, discounts on services, engaging content, and thought leadership tools based around maximizing employee motivation, interaction, and retention. “With a rapidly changing automotive retail marketplace, Arcade can assist dealers by effectively incentivizing employees with a gamification platform that keeps the team engaged and focused on goals,” says AIADA President and CEO Cody Lusk. “Having access to this new platform gives our members the ability to recognize good employee behavior and celebrate accomplished goals and achievements.” Learn more about Arcade here. Read the full press release here.
Stoler Automotive Adds 2 Lexus Stores in N.Y.
Stoler Automotive Group has added two Lexus dealerships in New York, purchasing them from John Staluppi Sr.'s Atlantic Automotive Group, reports Automotive News. Stoler Automotive of New York on Thursday bought Atlantic Lexus of 110 in Farmingdale and Lexus of Rockville Centre, both on Long Island, President Barry Stoler said. "We have Lexus stores in Baltimore and were looking to expand," he said. Stoler's father, Len Stoler, launched Len Stoler Automotive Group in the late 1960s. With the acquisitions, Stoler Automotive and Len Stoler Automotive now have 11 franchised dealerships, including four Lexus outlets, said Barry Stoler, president of both groups. Staluppi Auto Group, which includes Atlantic Automotive, ranks No. 12 on Automotive News' list of the top 150 dealership groups based in the U.S., retailing 41,669 new vehicles in 2020. Atlantic Automotive's dealerships, including the two Lexus stores, were to be sold last year to LMP Automotive Holdings Inc. Read more here (Source: Automotive News).
Biden's EPA Chief Vows Tougher Tailpipe Rules by July, Unwinding Trump Regs
The Biden administration is on track to propose by the end of July new limits on the emission of greenhouse gases from automobiles that are strong enough to meet “the urgency of the climate crisis,” according to EPA Administrator Michael Regan. “We need to go as far as we can to meet the demands of the day,” Regan said in an exclusive interview Tuesday with Bloomberg News. “The science indicates we have a short window in time to reverse the path that we’re on and mitigate against certain climate impacts.” Automotive News reports that the EPA is now rewriting a Trump-era regulation that relaxed limits on greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles through the 2026 model year. The issue is shaping up to be an early test of President Joe Biden’s commitment to fighting climate change through ambitious greenhouse-gas controls, even when opposed by industry. Read more here (Source: Automotive News).
GM to Make Electric Version of Chevy Silverado Pickup
General Motors Co. plans to roll out an electric version of its Chevy Silverado pickup truck, the latest in its efforts to convert its global lineup to electric vehicles, reports The Wall Street Journal. The nation’s largest auto maker by sales has set a target date of 2035 for phasing out gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles from its showrooms globally. GM plans to deliver more than one million electric vehicles across the world by 2025, the company has said. The full-size Chevy Silverado pickup will be designed “from the ground up” as an electric vehicle, the company said Tuesday. GM said it would be built at its Detroit-Hamtramck plant, where the company also intends to make the GMC Hummer EV sport-utility vehicle and an autonomous vehicle for its Cruise driverless-car division. Read more here (Source: The Wall Street Journal).
Warren Buffett-Backed Automaker Sells More Electric Cars in March Than Nio and Xpeng Delivered
Chinese automaker BYD sold more than twice as many battery-powered electric cars as start-up Nio delivered in March. BYD, which is backed by U.S. billionaire Warren Buffett, disclosed Tuesday that sales of its battery-powered passenger cars totaled 16,301 units last month. According to CNBC, that’s more than double Nio’s deliveries in March of 7,257 cars. Rival start-up Xpeng delivered even fewer vehicles, at 5,102 units last month. Both companies still beat analysts’ expectations with those figures. In the new energy vehicle category, which includes hybrid as well as pure-electric cars, BYD sold more than 23,000 units in March — that brings the total in the first quarter to 53,380 cars. BYD also sold nearly as many oil-fueled vehicles in the first quarter, at 49,394 units. Read more here (Source: CNBC).
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