Beltway Talk: Get to Know JAMA's Manny Manriquez
On the latest Beltway Talk Podcast, Manny Manriquez, General Director of the Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association Washington, D.C., office, gets into the fundamentals of what it means to run an association focused on Japanese nameplate brands in today’s political climate, why you should never be on time for a meeting with your Japanese coworkers, and what challenges and exciting opportunities he sees for Japanese manufacturers moving forward. In his conversation with AIADA’s Hannah Oliver, he covers trade, a driverless future, and what it means when your boss tells you to “go to the gemba.” Click here to listen to the current episode and subscribe.
Toyota Adds Two Safety Features to 2020 Lineup
Toyota Motor Corp. will begin phasing in two safety features to its upcoming vehicles for the 2020 model year, one of which will help prevent them from rolling away when the driver has exited the vehicle. According to Automotive News, the automaker said it will upgrade a 17-year-old system that issues a two-step alert to request the driver to turn off a long-idling engine to one that provides for automatic engine shutoff at a pre-determined interval of time with an enhanced audible and visual warning on its Smart Key System, depending on equipment. The company promised that an additional warning delivered via its smartphone app was forthcoming. The second upgrade, which Toyota calls Automatic Park, will automatically shift the vehicle into park or apply the electronic emergency brake in vehicles so equipped in the event the driver exits without shifting the automatic transmission into park. Read more here.
Carmakers Turn to Capitol Hill Vets in Tariff Message Fight
At a time when automakers are fighting to push back against tariffs implemented and proposed by President Donald Trump, the group that lobbies for foreign-owned automakers tapped a former top aide to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to lead its Washington communications office, reports The Detroit News. Now nearly three months into his job as executive vice president of public affairs for the Association of Global Automakers, Don Stewart, a 20-year veteran of Capitol Hill, traded one pressure-packed environment for another with carmakers engaged in a full-court press against Trump's tariffs. Listen to his recent interview on AIADA’s Beltway Talk podcast. "One of the biggest fears I had leaving the Hill, which was such a high-pressure environment, was that I would be bored," said Stewart, who moved to the auto-lobbying sector after 13 years in McConnell's office and stops in the D.C. offices of three other lawmakers. "But since I got to Global, I've been anything but bored." Stewart is not the only new face on the auto scene in Washington who has been baptized by fire in the pressured political environment that is engulfing carmakers in Washington. Read more here.
First-Ever Lexus Space Jet Idea Has Specs You've Never Heard Of, Until Now
Automakers show photos and renderings of ambitious (i.e. impractical) vehicles all the time. And Lexus is taking the practice to new heights, reports USA Today. On Wednesday, the Japanese luxury vehicle maker gave the universe a preview of the brand's design intentions for the distant future, releasing renderings of its first-ever space jet idea which makes an appearance in Sony's new "Men in Black: International" movie. Dubbed the QZ 618 Galactic Enforcer, the spacecraft's designers were not bound by the notions of reality, legality, practicality or factory warranties. So what you get is an out-of-this-world alien-fighter with specs you've never heard of. “The Lexus jet reflects the future of the Lexus brand – the far, far distant future,” said Lisa Materazzo, vice president of Lexus marketing. “With the most advanced alien-fighting technology, performance and sophisticated styling, it’s in a class of its own.” Read more here.
Study Predicts Crossovers Will Suffer Same Fate as Passenger Cars
Auto companies are following the money, padding their portfolios with crossover vehicles as consumers turn away from traditional passenger cars. But, reports Forbes, the closely-watched annual “Car Wars” study by Bank of America Merrill Lynch predicts today’s automotive pet rock could end up on the same gravel heap passenger cars find themselves in, because the market is becoming saturated, reports Forbes. “It will be, by definition, the most crowded segment in history,” said Bank of America Merrill Lynch research analyst John Murphy who presented the study before the Automotive Press Association in Detroit, Thursday. How crowded? Murphy predicted by model year 2023 there will be 149 crossover nameplates, which, he said, is 25% more nameplates than we’ve ever seen for cars or trucks.” The upshot is likely to be a severe role reversal between crossovers and passenger cars, according to Murphy. “We think the probability of crossover will quickly fade and erode to where passenger car profits have been recently,” he said. “A real significant risk, cycles decline, there’s an overcrowding in the market.” Read more here.
Beware of Auto Dealership Fraud Schemes
Laramie Sandquist of Federated Insurance joins AutoTalk on Tuesday, June 18th at 2:00pm EST to discuss how dealers are getting schemed on both cars and money, including some of the latest trends. He will offer some practical advice on how to prevent dealers from being a victim of fraud. To register, click here.
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