Carmakers to Trump: 'This Car is Not a National Security Threat'
Carmakers to Trump: 'This Car is Not a National Security Threat' “This car is not a national security threat." So proclaims a red-white-and-blue sign on the door of a Volkswagen Beetle, directed at members of Congress attending the annual Washington Auto Show, according to The Detroit News. As the Trump administration weighs the idea of placing tariffs as high as 25 percent on imported cars under the guise of national security, lobby groups and carmakers are fighting back. "Built in Ohio," proclaim signs on backdrops of stars-and-stripes on the doors of Hondas. "Built in South Carolina" read signs on Volvos, "Built in Alabama" on Hyundais, "Built in Mississippi" on Nissans. The messages are trying to bring attention to the fact that foreign-owned brands are building more of their cars at domestic plants, bringing jobs in many cases to states carried by wide margins by President Donald Trump in the 2016 election. And they are part of a move by both foreign and domestic carmakers to block punitive tariffs on imported cars and parts. Read more here.
Japan Braces for Trade Talks with Trump
Japan is finally stepping into the ring for a fight it had managed to dodge for more than two years: Bilateral trade talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, reports Automotive News. The world’s third-biggest economy has a lot at stake in the talks, which are expected to start next week in Washington just as the U.S.’s negotiations with China appear to be winding down. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is desperate to avoid tariffs or quotas on lucrative auto exports, while Trump wants to crack open Japan’s agricultural market and reduce a $60 billion trade deficit. Abe has poured energy into courting Trump to maintain a strategic relationship that secures his country against potential threats from North Korea and China. But that doesn’t mean Japan will roll over on trade: Abe’s government is determined to avoid giving the U.S. a better two-way deal than the multilateral pacts he’s negotiated with Europe and Pacific Rim nations. Read more here.
New York Auto Show 2019: These 6 New Technologies Will Transform Vehicles
Self-driving cars are coming – someday. But for now, reports USA Today, carmakers and suppliers are focused on technologies that improve vehicle safety, security and convenience. With the 2019 New York Auto Show set to begin next week with media previews, car companies are looking for ways to stand out from the competition in an era when quality and reliability are similar across brands. “These things that a few years ago were expensive options on luxury cars are now safety features” across most line-ups, said Tom Mayor, a consultant at KPMG who advises car companies on their strategies. Completely driverless cars are more than 10 to 15 years out, he said. But here are six new technologies you can expect long before you can buy a self-driving car. Read more here.
Alphabet's Investment in Uber Has Multiplied by 20-Fold Since 2013
Six years after making what at the time was its largest venture investment ever, Google’s $258 million bet on Uber has multiplied by about 20-fold to be worth more than $5 billion, reports CNBC. According to Uber’s IPO prospectus filed on Thursday, Google parent Alphabet owns a 5.2 percent stake in the ride-sharing company. With Uber reportedly looking to go public at a $100 billion valuation, Alphabet’s shares are worth about $5.2 billion, though that number could fluctuate wildly between now and the lock-up expiration six months after the IPO. Alphabet is emerging as one of the big winners in the ride-hailing boom, even though the company is viewed as a potential competitor in the space once self-driving cars hit the market. Alphabet also invested $500 million in Uber arch-rival Lyft through its late-stage investment arm, CapitalG, in October 2017. Its 5.3 percent stake in Lyft is worth $783 million as of Thursday’s close. Alphabet is also locked into those shares until 180 days after last month’s IPO. Read more here.
Carlos Ghosn Will Stay in Jail Until at Least April 22
A Tokyo court extended Carlos Ghosn’s detention until at least April 22, giving prosecutors extra time to grill him for up to six hours a day in a bid to extract a confession, reports The Wall Street Journal. The former chairman of Nissan Motor Co. and Renault was arrested at dawn on April 4 by Tokyo prosecutors. The arrest, the fourth for Mr. Ghosn, was on fresh suspicions of financial misconduct and came less than a month after he was released on bail. Mr. Ghosn is suspected of committing a breach of trust, meaning abusing his position at Nissan for personal gain. Mr. Ghosn has said he is innocent of all the allegations he faces. Mr. Ghosn’s attorneys have appealed his detention to Japan’s Supreme Court. They have also protested that Mr. Ghosn has a kidney condition made worse by his prolonged detention. Read more here.
Smart Technology Sets the Pace for Accelerating Sales
Your service drive is rife with profitable opportunities to sell customers cars, as long as you know how to find them and communicate them in the right way. AIADA’s April AutoTalk features Kendall Billman, AutoAlert Senior VP. Listen on Tuesday, April 16th at 2:00 p.m. EDT as Kendall discusses:
-
Service drive sales and Smart Technology helps you predict, and even drive customer behavior
-
Use the service drive to re-engage customers and convert new prospects
-
Leverage geo-framing technology to deliver targeted ads at the right time
Around the Web
Jay Leno Has the Rarest of Rare American Cars [Road and Track]
Volkswagen Atlas Basecamp Concept Overlands to 2019 NY Auto Show [MotorAuthority]
The 10 Fastest Production Cars in the World Right Now [Robb Report]
