VW's Keogh: $4,500 Incentive for Union-Made EVs 'Fundamentally Wrong'

First Up 10/22/21

Dealers Do Good

Through our Dealers Do Good campaign, AIADA is recognizing dealers for the good things they do for 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.

On October 16, Step Up For Students, the non-profit organization that manages Florida’s Hope Scholarship Program, recognized the South Florida Automobile Dealers Association (SFADA) and its dealer members with the Partners For Hope Award for supporting the program since its inception. Collectively, SFADA’s dealer members have contributed $21,887,000 to fund Hope Scholarships for victims of school violence or bullying. Read more here (Miami’s Community News). 

Bill Jacobs BMW in Naperville, Illinois, recently donated $17,000 to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana. In August, the dealership held its annual Charity Golf Classic with over 200 golfers at Cantigny Golf Club in Wheaton. Proceeds benefitted  Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana. Every year, the Charity Golf Classic benefits a local charitable organization, and this was the first year Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana was the beneficiary. Read more here (Source: Positively Naperville). 

VW's Keogh: $4,500 Incentive for Union-Made EVs 'Fundamentally Wrong'

Volkswagen Group of America CEO Scott Keogh took the automaker's fight against a proposed $4,500 additional federal incentive for union-made battery electric vehicles to the SiriusXM airwaves during an interview Wednesday, calling it "fundamentally wrong" and "putting the resources in the wrong place." Speaking on Doron Levin's "In the Driver's Seat" on SirusXM's Business Radio channel (Channel 132), Keogh said VW, Toyota, Nissan, and other foreign automakers with plants in the U.S. shouldn't be disadvantaged because their plants are nonunion. The $4,500 federal credit has been proposed by Michigan lawmakers for inclusion in the federal budget reconciliation bill, or Build Back Better Act, now being negotiated by Democrats in Congress. "Look, I'm going to be quite blunt and straightforward," Keogh said in the interview, set to air Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. "I think it's wrong. I think it's fundamentally wrong. I think an American working in Chattanooga, Tenn., or an American working in any plant in America should get the fair day in court. And there shouldn't be a bigger incentive." Read more here (Source: Automotive News). 

Carvana Faces Government Scrutiny and Fines Following Consumer Complaints

Carvana Co. says its goal is to help consumers sidestep everything people hate about buying used cars, thanks to a shopping experience that takes place almost entirely online. But, reports The Wall Street Journal, some customers say the experience hasn’t been as smooth as they expected, as the nine-year-old company gets tripped up in paperwork and bureaucratic red tape. Consumers have filed dozens of complaints with state regulators and hundreds with the Better Business Bureau about issues that include incorrect paperwork, delays getting titles and registrations, and other troubles with the purchasing process. At least four states have disciplined Carvana or are investigating the company for violating vehicle-sales rules. In Michigan, the company is on probation after admitting to violating state laws including those governing title transfers and vehicle registration, according to a document reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Read more here (Source: The Wall Street Journal). 

AutoNation to Get 9 Luxury Stores in Priority 1 Deal

AutoNation Inc.'s plan to buy Priority 1 Automotive Group, of Towson, Md., will add nine luxury dealerships to the nation's largest new-vehicle retailer in a market where it already has a foothold, reports Automotive News. Priority 1, a family-owned group in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., areas, operates three BMW dealerships, plus Mini, Audi, Porsche, Cadillac, Acura, and Jaguar-Land Rover stores and three collision centers. All of those businesses are expected to be part of the sale to AutoNation. AutoNation said Thursday, as it announced record third-quarter results, that it has signed an agreement and aims to close on the acquisition in the fourth quarter, pending automaker and other approvals. The deal is expected to add about $420 million in annual revenue for AutoNation. Read more here (Source: Automotive News). 

Nissan Cuts Planned Output in October and November by 30%

Nissan is slashing its planned global production for October and November by 30%, as it struggles with a shortage of semiconductors caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, reports Reuters. The Japanese carmaker has informed suppliers that it will build a total of 583,000 cars during the two-month period, the Nikkei said, without saying where it obtained the information. "We acknowledge that the semiconductor supply shortage is still in a difficult situation," a spokesperson from Nissan said, although she declined to comment on the reduction reported by the newspaper. The company will give an update when it release its latest earnings results next month, she added. Like other carmakers, Nissan has been forced to curtail production despite a rebound in demand in key auto markets, including China and the United States. The pandemic has both squeezed output at component suppliers and stoked demand for electronic devices that has intensified competition for chips. Read more here (Source: Reuters). 

Around the Web

A Tour of Italy, and a Century of Stunning Cars [NY Times]

Here Are Your Forever Cars [Jalopnik]

10 Car Features People Want Most (and 7 They Want Least) [Autoblog]

Toyota Paring Back Production for November [The Detroit Bureau]

Menu
Close