Through our Dealers Do Good campaign, AIADA is recognizing dealers for the positive impact they have in the communities they serve. If you’re a dealer doing good, let us know here, tag us on Facebook or Twitter, or join the conversation with the #DealersDoGood hashtag.
Sunset Hills Subaru gave Ritenour Co-Care Food Pantry a $56,000 check. They have donated over $150,000 to the food pantry over the last few years. “We don’t want anyone to ever go hungry,” writes Sunset Hills Subaru General Manager, Ryan Blankenship.” Right now it’s a particularly challenging times for families and we know the food pantry can use our help.” Click here to read an article about their donation.
Germain Automotive Partnership volunteered for the Military Veterans Resource Center and packed a total of 25,380 meals for their Veterans food bank. Click here to see photos.
IIHS Considers Higher-Speed Test to Evaluate Automatic Emergency Braking Systems
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is weighing whether to increase the test speed used to evaluate automatic emergency braking systems as it looks for ways to encourage better technology that can prevent more severe front-to-rear vehicle crashes. Automotive News reports the insurer-funded institute said it was considering increasing the speed of its vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention test to 35 to 45 mph after finding that the current test — conducted at both 12 and 25 mph — represents only a small percentage of the rear-end crashes the systems are designed to mitigate. "Thankfully, in the real world, AEB systems are preventing crashes at higher speeds than the maximum 25 mph our test program uses," said David Kidd, IIHS' senior research scientist, who led the new study. "The problem is that our current evaluation doesn't tell us how well specific systems perform at those speeds." When IIHS' test program was being developed, research showed that front-crash prevention systems that performed best at 12 and 25 mph also did well at higher speeds. However, Kidd's study found that only 3 percent of police-reported rear-end crashes happened on roads with speed limits at 25 mph or under. Click here for the full story.
California Joins Washington with Gasoline Superuser Study
A couple of weeks after the Washington state government made moves to study so-called gasoline superusers, California is doing the same. The superuser concept hit the news last summer in a report by Seattle-based EV advocacy non-profit called Coltura. Using data from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey, Coltura defined gas superusers as the 10 percent of light-duty-vehicle drivers who use 32 percent of the gasoline bought by all light-duty drivers. Autoblog reports the advocacy group believes EV incentives should be focused on these drivers, since converting one of them to electric will provide outsized benefit compared to adding a six-figure EV to a five-car garage. California Assembly member Phil Ting sponsored state bill AB 2816 that charges the California Air Resources Board with studying the state's superusers. This bill specifically turns the lens on low-income communities whose residents, especially in California, often have the longest commutes in the oldest vehicles. Ting said, "Lower income communities are not only harmed first from tailpipe emissions, but they're also the most negatively impacted." Click here for the full story.
Supply Chain Update: Not Enough Chips for Chipmaking Machines
In a strange catch-22, chipmakers are running out of the chips needed for their chipmaking machines. And it’s going to affect everyone unless priorities are changed. Audi, Kia, Toyota, Hyundai, and the entire auto industry continue to struggle with the effect that chip shortages are causing. Audi of America posted 35 percent sales drop for the first quarter of 2022. However, aren’t we supposed to be coming out of the shortage issue soon? According to Tom Caulfield, Chief Executive of contract chip manufacturer GlobalFoundries Inc. the answer is not to hold your breath. CBT News reports Caulfield says, “There’s this wishful thinking that by the end of 2022, supply will be balanced with demand. I just don’t see it.” Other chip execs say the shortage will persist through 2024 or even longer, given some of the global problems we’re experiencing. Since the automotive industry continues its hunger for chips, this is causing another more significant problem – there aren’t chips to supply the machines that make the chips. So, in what seems to be a cruel comedy routine, the chip shortage is pressuring chipmakers to build more chips. However, more chipmaking machines require more chips. Click here for the full story.
EV Chargers Emerge as Targets for Hackers
As electric vehicle sales pick up steam worldwide, EV charging stations are emerging as an enticing target for hackers. Automotive News reports chargers provide a new opportunity for "hackers looking for ways to make money," warns Yoav Levy, CEO of Upstream Security, an Israeli provider of automotive cybersecurity platforms. "On one hand, chargers are connected to the grid, and on the other hand, they're connected to your car," Levy said. High-profile incidents of hacked charging stations around the world have spotlighted the vulnerabilities. Three charging points on the Isle of Wight in England were hacked to show pornography on their screens, according to BBC News. In February, EV charging stations along a major highway between Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia were disabled by hackers protesting the country's invasion of Ukraine. The chargers' screens reportedly displayed a vulgar insult directed at Russian President Vladimir Putin, among other pro-Ukraine and anti-Russia messages. Click here to learn more about EV charger hackings.
Around the Web
10 Coolest Tech Features of the New BMW 7 Series [Carbuzz]
2023 Acura Integra Begins Production ahead of June On-Sale Date [Car and Driver]
2022 Toyota Tundra Capstone: What We Know [US News & World Report - Cars]
