How to Sell the Latest In-Vehicle Technology to Car Buyers
Modern vehicles are loaded with advanced technology designed to provide enhanced safety, performance, and entertainment options for new car buyers. According to Kelley Blue Book, new car buyers are looking for advanced features, such as active safety technology, along with more creature comforts, such as heated seats and larger infotainment or driver information system displays. These advanced technologies come with a steep learning curve that can push some drivers from confusion to indignation, especially when advanced technology and day-to-day functionality conflict. So, what’s the best way to sell buyers on the latest technology? CBT News shares some opportunities for convincing buyers to want the latest and not fear this new generation of automobiles. The test drive is not the best time to train a potential buyer on how the active safety system, infotainment, or driver information displays function in full. Instead, show the features and explain their functionality in brief terms. Shoot for no longer than five minutes. Not only can these systems be distracting for buyers, but their operation (especially active safety systems) can be alarming to drivers who are unfamiliar with the technology. Click here for the full story.
Honda Pours $40 Billion Into Electrification, Targets 2 Million EV Production By 2030
Honda Motor Co., in the midst of a radical corporate makeover, said it will invest $40 billion over the next 10 years in electrification as it rolls out 30 full electric vehicles globally and builds production capacity for 2 million EVs annually by 2030. Automotive News reports Honda said it will also shift its business away from non-recurring hardware sales toward recurring sales of services that combine hardware and software. It is part of new software-defined EV platform, dubbed e:Architecture, that the company will launch in 2026 to underpin the next generation of large-sized battery electric cars from Honda. CEO Toshihiro Mibe detailed the plans at Honda’s global headquarters, saying Japan’s No. 2 automaker would pursue a multi-pronged approach toward its goal of having a gasoline-free lineup by 2040. On one hand, it will work with partners in the near term to achieve scale and cut cost. On the other, it will develop its own in-house technologies to sustain it in the long run. Click here to learn more about Honda’s plans.
Surge in Car-Crash Deaths Could Be Magnified by New Breed of EVs
All things being equal, choosing an electric vehicle over one with an internal combustion engine is likely to be a better move for the planet. But all things aren’t always equal: Battery-powered cars and trucks tend to be far heavier than their gas-burning counterparts. Bloomberg reports that extra bulk translates into a mixed bag of benefits and concerns, especially when it comes to safety. The occupants of heavy vehicles tend to fare better in an accident, explained Michael Anderson, the University of California professor who co-wrote the study “Pounds That Kill: The External Costs of Vehicle Weight.” “Really what it’s doing is essentially pushing the other vehicle that you crash into out of the way and subjecting you to gentler deceleration forces,” he said. “Really what it’s doing is essentially pushing the other vehicle that you crash into out of the way and subjecting you to gentler deceleration forces,” he said. Despite the extra pounds, most of the current crop of electric vehicles decelerate at distances in line with — and sometimes better than — similarly sized gas vehicles, according to data compiled by Consumer Reports. Click here for the full story.
Genesis Tries a Dealership Model Approaching Customers as 'Invited Guests,' Not Buyers
The next stage in the future of Genesis begins in Lafayette, Louisiana. That’s where the luxury automaker opened its first stand-alone dealership in the heart of French Louisiana. At Genesis of Lafayette, South Korean principles and luxuriance meet Cajun, zydeco, and pork skin fried pickles reports Car and Driver. Ted Mengiste, the executive director of sales operations at Genesis Motor America, called the 12,000-square-foot, dealership "a physical representation of the brand." The architectural style doesn’t have a name but embodies two principles: "the luxury of white space" and the Korean principle of son-nim, translated to us as "invited guest.” The store is part of the Sterling Auto Group, owned by Art LeBlanc Jr. When it came time to choose a location, Mengiste told us, “Art embodies the Genesis dealer we would love to replicate across the country. He believed in the vision of Genesis, he believed in the brand promise, and he committed to it, not only from a facility standpoint, but in the experiences that we want our customers to have when they come to our brand." Click here for the full story.
Mercedes-Benz to Halve CO2 Emissions by 2030
Mercedes-Benz aims to halve its CO2 emissions by 2030, the carmaker said, providing a half-way goal to its existing target of becoming CO2 neutral by 2039.The company will also work towards covering 70 percent of the energy it needs for production with renewable energy by 2030, up from 45-50 percent at present, Reuters reports. Around 15 percent of this energy should come from solar and wind plants on or linked to Mercedes-Benz' own sites, production chief Joerg Burzer said in a presentation. The rest will be sourced through so-called Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), where power producers are paid to generate a certain amount of energy over a number of years at a set price. The carmaker is in advanced discussions to purchase additional wind energy through PPAs worth a billion dollars by 2025, Burzer added. For now, Mercedes-Benz still relies on gas as a back-up supply source. "We obviously still need the gas," Burzer said. "We are working on minimizing that." Click here for the full story.
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