#DealersDoGood Friday
Each Friday, AIADA highlights dealers who are doing great things in their communities. If you know of a dealer or dealership who should be highlighted for their community outreach efforts, let us know here, or spread the word on social media by tagging @AIADA_News and using the #DealersDoGood hashtag.
Gettel Automotive Group’s Gettel Foundation recently donated $50,000.00 in support of Feeding America. The funds will allow local Food Banks to meet the needs of families with food insecurities. Bread of the Mighty Food Bank, Alachua County, All Faiths Food Bank, Sarasota County, Food Bank of Manatee, Manatee County, The Harry Chapin Food Bank, Charlotte County, and First Step Food Bank, Marion County, were all given a $10,000 check. The Gettel Automotive Group has 17 franchise located in Gainesville, Ocala, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota, Punta Gorda, and surrounding communities. Click here for a picture of Bob Bisplinghoff, Chief Operating Officer, and James Gettel, President, presenting the check.
East Tennessee Nissan near Knoxville, Tennessee, is continuing an eight-year tradition by making a donation to the Boys & Girls Club of Morristown. The 35-year old dealership made a $10,000 donation to the club in a ceremony at East Tennessee Nissan at the end of a “Trunk or Treat” celebration. The money will go towards the “Tasty Tuesdays and Thursdays” program at the club. General Manager Stavros Kaplaneris decided to do a “Trunk or Treat” celebration this year as part of giving back to the community. “Every year, we do a donation to the Boys & Girls Club,” Kaplaneris said. “This year we wanted to do something a little different. We actually did a ‘Trunk or Treat’ this year. We had more than 600 people come through here. It was absolutely incredible.” Read more here (Source: Citizen Tribune).
Kaizen for the Win: Japanese Brands Dominate Consumer Reports Rankings
Japanese auto brands nabbed five of the top 10 spots on this year's Consumer Reports Reliability Survey, with Mazda finishing on top for the first time, followed by Toyota and Lexus. Automotive News reports that the three Japanese brands traded positions with one another from last year's survey, when Lexus was first, Mazda second, and Toyota third. Buick was the highest-rated domestic brand in this year's survey, finishing fourth, with Honda and Hyundai rounding out the brands deemed "most reliable" by the magazine's subscribers. The survey, which covers the 2000-2020 model years, is based on data collected from the organization's members about their experiences with more than 300,000 vehicles. The nonprofit then assigns a predicted new-vehicle reliability score to various nameplates on a scale of 1 to 100. Read more here (Source: Automotive News).
CEO Barra Wants GM to be Dominant Global EV Maker
General Motors is putting serious financial and intellectual resources behind its electrification and efforts to reach the goal of being world leader in electric vehicles, reports The Detroit Bureau. Chairman and CEO Mary Barra said the financial commitment – up to $27 billion – is designed to accelerate the company’s “all out pursuit of global EV leadership.” This means wresting the crown from the current leader and most valuable automaker: Tesla Inc. Barra showed the company’s cards during a virtual appearance at an investor conference sponsored by Barclays. During her presentation, she highlighted the company’s product and sales plans for its electric vehicles. She noted that the company’s investment, which is up from $20 billion, is in EVs and autonomous vehicles through 2025. During that time, the company expects to launch 30 all-electric vehicles, which will account for 40% of the company’s entire line-up. More than 65% of those new launches will be available in North America. Read more here (Source: The Detroit Bureau).
U.S. Regulators Open Process to Ensure Self-Driving Car Safety
U.S. auto safety regulators on Thursday said they were opening a formal regulatory proceeding that could eventually result in the adoption of new safety standards for autonomous vehicles, reports Reuters. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it was issuing an advance notice of proposed rulemaking to get public input on how to ensure the safety of future self-driving vehicles. Companies like General Motors Co, Alphabet Inc’s Waymo, and Tesla Inc are working on vehicles that can drive themselves. “This rulemaking will help address legitimate public concerns about safety, security and privacy without hampering innovation in the development of automated driving systems,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao in a statement. NHTSA said the proceeding could result in the agency issuing new guidance documents addressing best industry practices, providing information to consumers or formal regulations including rules requiring reporting and disclosures to new legally binding safety standards on automated driving systems. Any final rules are still likely years away. Read more here (Source: Reuters).
Jaguar Seeks to Block U.S. Imports of Porsche, Audi SUVs
You wouldn’t know it was about Jags and Lambos, to judge by its rather dry name: In the Matter of Certain Vehicle Control Systems. But that’s the complaint Jaguar Land Rover Automotive Plc filed on Thursday to block U.S. imports of Porsche, Lamborghini, Audi, and Volkswagen sport utility vehicles it says are using its patented Terrain Response technology without permission. Jaguar Land Rover said in its filing with the U.S. International Trade Commission that the technology helps negotiate a “broad range of surfaces” and is a key feature in Jaguar’s F-Pace and Land Rover Discovery vehicles. “JLR seeks to protect itself and its United States operations from companies that have injected infringing products into the U.S. market that incorporate, without any license from JLR, technology developed by JLR and protected by its patent,” Jaguar’s lawyer, Matthew Moore, said in the filing. Jaguar wants to block imports of Porsche’s Cayenne; Lamborghini’s Urus; Audi’s Q8, Q7, Q5, A6 Allroad and e-tron vehicles; and VW’s Tiguan vehicles. Read more here (Source: The Detroit News).
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