Hyundai Motor’s South Korean workers to strike Thursday: union source

SEOUL (Reuters) – Hyundai Motor’s South Korean union will stage a four-hour strike on Thursday to protest against the automaker’s move to set up a low-cost carmaking joint venture, a union source told Reuters. The decision was made during a meeting of union representatives on Wednesday, he said. A union spokesman confirmed the plan. Reporting… Continue reading Hyundai Motor’s South Korean workers to strike Thursday: union source

​Hyundai partners with AI start-up to make HD maps for autonomous cars

(Image: Hyundai) Hyundai Mnsoft will collaborate with AI startup Netradyne for the development of high definition maps for next-generation vehicles, the companies announced. Hyundai Mnsoft, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group focused on navigation solutions, will leverage Netradyne’s crowd-sourced deep vision technologies for the development of HD maps. Netradyne, founded in 2015, specialises in using… Continue reading ​Hyundai partners with AI start-up to make HD maps for autonomous cars

Top Automotive Industry News for Week of October 15 – October 21, 2018

Here is the most important news associated with the automotive industry
identified by the AEA for the week October 15, 2018 – October 21, 2018.

We hope it helps you stay up to speed on the key developments in our
industry:

-AEA Membership News-

AEA Reception is tonight in Las Vegas. See you there!

-Automotive Manufacturing News-

Audi slapped with a $930 million fine by German prosecutor for its
diesel cheating scandal

(CNBC)

Daimler Cuts Earnings Estimates as Outlook Gets Tougher

(The Detroit Bureau)

Ford's new 'Proud' ad campaign features Bryan Cranston from
'Breaking Bad

(USA Today)

Ford and Volkswagen flirting with relationship possibilities and
joint projects

(USA Today)

Ford boosts production of its $400,000 GT supercar as demand
outpaces supply six-to-one

(CNBC)

Ford seeks to allay dealers’ worries with ‘comeback story’

(The Detroit News)

Frustrated GM investors ask what more CEO Barra can do

(Reuters)

GM Offers Extended Warranties As Reliability Ratings Improve And
Scammers Surge

(Forbes)

Hyundai's Nexo Stands Out As The First Truly Complete Fuel Cell
Electric Vehicle

(Forbes)

Judge approves Elon Musk settlement with SEC

(The Detroit News)

New Chips Improve Tesla Autopilot “500% to 2000%,” Musk Says

(The Detroit Bureau)

Porsche denies speculation that it's planning to go public

(CNBC)

Tesla buys new plot for China factory for $140 million

(CNBC)

Tesla, GM in line for EV boost under U.S. Senate bill

(Automotive News)

VW's Porsche expects to repeat record vehicle sales this year

(Reuters)

-Automotive Evolution News-

Clutch Looks To Increase the Number of OEMs, Dealers on Its
Subscription Platform by Year’s End

(Auto Finance News)

Future of electric-car tax credit up in the air

(The Detroit News)

Google’s Waze expands carpooling tool throughout U.S.

(The Detroit News)

How car subscription app Fair wants to disrupt the market for car loans
using subscriptions

(CNBC)

Kids' Ride Service Race Heats Up As Zūm Expands To Take On Kango,
HopSkipDrive

(Forbes)

Not everyone is ready to ride as autonomous vehicles take to the
road in ever-increasing numbers

(CNBC)

The Computer Chauffeur Is Creeping Closer

(The New York Times)

Waymo details how emergency services should deal with self-driving
incidents

(autoblog)

-Automotive Retail News-

Assurant Launches Mechanic 2.0

(Auto Dealer Monthly)

Best budget-friendly small cars include Kia, Honda, Hyundai and
Mazda sedans

(USA Today)

Black Book Valuation Data Now Integrated With CDK’s Lightspeed EVO

(Auto Dealer Monthly)

CarMax pinpoints where its sales of manual transmissions are
rarest, most common

(Auto Remarketing)

Change Is Coming to Automobile Dealerships

(Forbes)

Equifax: Vehicle Sales Down, Borrowing Up

(Auto Dealer Monthly)

GM Rolls Out Optional Extended Warranty

(Auto Dealer Monthly)

-Automotive Wholesale News-

5 trends surface as wholesale-price softening accelerates

(Auto Remarketing)

Weekly Vehicle Values Fall Precipitously

(Vehicle Remarketing)

-Automotive Enthusiast News-

These Are the Most Valuable Cars Jerry Seinfeld Has Featured on
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

(Car and Driver)

-Automotive Servicing News-

Goodyear offers replacement tires at consumers' homes

(Automotive News)

Safety administration investigates Ford pickup tailgates opening
unexpectedly

(Detroit Free Press)

-General Business & Executive News-

Auto Classified Industry Veterans Skip Dowd and Ernie Blood Launch
MautoSearch

(Medium)

Car-shopping company Shift seeks to follow Carvana with 2020 IPO

(Automotive News)

Cox to shed staff as it restructures

(Automotive News)

Dealer Inspire Expands in Canada Offering New Digital Marketing Options
for Automotive Dealers

(Cars.com)

Google Adds EV Charging Stations to Google Maps

(Cars.com)

Report: Uber, Lyft each looking to go public in 2019 as rivalry
heads to Wall Street

(USA

Today)

Walmart to team with Advance Auto Parts for online store, lowers FY
2019 earnings forecast

(USA Today)

U.S. retail sales increase modestly; consumer spending strong

(Reuters)

-AEA Reminder-

Did we miss something? Let us know via our

Contact Us Page >>

. If you have specific important news going public soon that you would like
to share with your fellow AEA Members, submit your

PR Distribution Request >>

Have a great week,

Member Services

memberservices@automotiveexecutives.com

Automotive Executives Association

www.automotiveexecutives.com

Here’s why Kia Soul EV and Kia Niro EV both get big 64-kwh battery packs

Follow Bengt

Add to circle

2020 Kia Soul EV
One key specification in the 2020 Kia Soul EV that was revealed at the LA Auto Show this week was a bit unexpected: its inclusion of a large, 64-kwh battery pack.

That leaves two vehicles—the Soul EV and the 2019 Kia Niro EV—with the same big battery. And both will be arriving at U.S. dealerships in the first quarter of 2019.

Based on earlier hints, we expected Kia to fit the more city-focused, lease-oriented Soul EV with the company’s 39-kwh pack. So we asked Kia why it decided to go big on battery for both of these high-utility hatchbacks.

Simply put, according to Kia, it’s what existing Soul EV drivers want. And the Soul EV and Niro EV don’t really compete with each other.

DON’T MISS: 2019 Kia Niro EV rated at 239 miles, on sale soon

“The plan all along was to maximize range, because that’s what our customers want,” said Steve Kosowski, the manager of long-range strategy and planning at Kia Motors America.

2020 Kia Soul EV

When, in late 2015, the company surveyed its customers about what range they wanted in a next vehicle, they were a bit surprised about how high the range they wanted was. “The median range was 208 miles,” said Kosowski. “So from this we learned that 200 miles is sort of a magical number.

CHECK OUT: 2020 Kia Soul EV has more punch, faster charging, and a lot more battery

The 39-kwh pack couldn’t meet that, so it was ruled out at that point in the development process. “It was very telling, we got a lot of very valuable information from that survey,” said Kosowski. “One of the engineers asked, why do you want to carry all this weight around if you only use a portion of the battery most of the time; but I think the industry has shown, and consumers have shown, that 200 is the new floor.”

That happens to be quite close to what Honda describes as the process in deciding why it didn’t need significantly more range in its Clarity Electric, versus its former Fit EV (by surveying owners). Honda settled on just 25.5 kwh and an EPA-rated 89 miles of range. So apparently not everyone agrees.

READ MORE: 2019 Kia Soul EV drops most affordable trim

Kia says that, despite the similarities, very few if any shoppers will consider both the Soul EV and the Niro EV. Soul EV customers want the car to be more vibrant and youthful—thus the brighter color palette—with the capability to take along a bike, surfboard, or dogs, Kosowski said, while Niro EV buyers are more understated and more likely to have kids.

2019 Kia Niro EV

The Niro is the flagship eco-car for Kia, so it will be the somewhat higher-priced, more premium offering in the lineup than the Soul EV.

At a current estimated cost, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, of more than $200 per kilowatt-hour, including manufacturing costs and ancillary pieces like the pack case and cooling system, the 64-kwh battery pack could cost several thousand dollars more than the 39-kwh one, even when considering the economies of scale. But if more existing owners re-up for the new model because of it, and Kia is able to sell more Soul EVs rather than unload them via lease deals, the range bump may pay off handsomely.

Top Automotive Industry News for Week of October 22 – October 28, 2018

Here is the most important news associated with the automotive industry
identified by the AEA for the week October 22, 2018 – October 28, 2018.

We hope it helps you stay up to speed on the key developments in our
industry:

-Automotive Manufacturing News-

Consumer Reports: Tesla's reliability tumbles to near the bottom in
latest survey

(USA Today)

Dyson vacuum cleaner company to build electric vehicle factory in
Singapore

(USA Today)

Eight Essential Questions For GM’s Mary Barra

(Forbes)

Feds defend voluntary robot car regulations

(The Detroit News)

Fiat Chrysler's Manley makes mark with $7B deal to sell Magneti Marelli

(Detroit Free Press)

Ford CEO says restructuring is 'a massive undertaking' that must be
'very thoughtfully orchestrated'

(CNBC)

Ford hires new China chief to tackle daunting turnaround task

(Reuters)

Ford seeks to allay dealers’ worries with ‘comeback story

(The Detroit News)

Ford shares jump after strong truck sales help third-quarter results
beat expectations

(CNBC)

Ford talks with VW to help reverse losses overseas

(The Detroit News)

GM Calls For National Electric Vehicle Policy, Says EVs Should Be 25%
Of All New Cars By 2030

(Forbes)

GM earnings: No. 1 U.S. auto maker needs to show it has a strategy to
boost ailing share price

(MarketWatch)

Here Are The Most- And Least-Reliable Rides On The Road For 2019

(Forbes)

Hyundai Motor posts big profit miss on U.S. recalls; shares dive

(Reuters)

Losing Money, Ford Shakes Up Struggling Chinese Operations, Appoints
New CEO

(The Detroit Bureau)

Report: FBI conducting criminal investigation into Tesla

(The Detroit News)

Smart brand might be doomed

(autoblog)

Tesla's Elon Musk made four big assertions — with asterisks

(LA Times)

Tesla Makes Good On Elon Musk’s Promise As Model 3 Drives $312 Million
Profit

(CNBC)

Tesla says has not received subpoena on Model 3 production

(Reuters)

The giant trucks Chevy, Ford, Ram really want to sell

(Detroit Free Press)

Which new technologies make vehicles unreliable?

(Detroit Free Press)

-Automotive Evolution News-

18 Automotive Startups and Their Chances of Survival

(Car and Driver)

Apple Files Patent Linked to AV Driving

(The Detroit Bureau)

Driverless Cars May Increase Cases Of Motion Sickness

(Forbes)

How Jaguar Land Rover Is Getting Ready For The 4th Industrial
Revolution: AI and Autonomous Cars

(Forbes)

GM’s multibillion-dollar driverless car gamble hits some bumps

(autoblog)

Tesla 'obviously' plans to take on Uber and Lyft, says CEO Elon Musk

(CNBC)

Waymo is testing what it should charge for its robotaxi service

(TechCrunch)

-Automotive Retail News-

Auto classified industry veterans roll out new dealer advertising
platform

(Auto Remarketing)

DAS Releases Dealer Social Media Study

(Auto Dealer Monthly)

Edmunds: Used-car sales this month look a lot like September's

(Auto Remarketing)

New Vehicle Sales Expected to Cool in October

(The Detroit Bureau)

Survey: Many Dealers Unaware of NCFC Tax Concerns

(Auto Dealer Monthly)

-Automotive Wholesale News-

Typical October wholesale price movements take hold

(Auto Remarketing)

Used Values Returning to Normal Levels

(Vehicle Remarketing)

-Automotive Enthusiast News-

30 fun and useful car gifts auto enthusiasts will love — according to a
car collector

(Business Insider)

-Automotive Servicing News-

AAA: Enhanced Safety Enhances Repair Costs

(Auto Dealer Monthly)

BMW expands recall to 1.6 million vehicles worldwide over fire risk

(USA Today)

Ford recalls 1.5 million Ford Focus cars that could stall with fuel
tank problem

(USA Today)

Mitsubishi, Dealer-FX launch digital service platform for dealers

(Auto Remarketing)

-General Business & Executive News-

Cox: Mobility Will Reduce Dealership Count

(Auto Dealer Monthly)

Rate hikes are already squeezing these businesses

(CNN)

TIME And Ally Financial Honor Auto Dealers

(PR Newswire)

-AEA Reminder-

Did we miss something? Let us know via our

Contact Us Page >>

. If you have specific important news going public soon that you would like
to share with your fellow AEA Members, submit your

PR Distribution Request >>

Have a great week,

Member Services

memberservices@automotiveexecutives.com

Automotive Executives Association

www.automotiveexecutives.com

Hyundai Kona Electric Charging Rates Compared: 39-kWh vs 64-kWh

41 M BY DOMENICK YONEY Bigger is better! The Hyundai Kona Electric is available in some markets with either a 39-kWh or a 64-kWh battery. The biggest difference is the range each will travel on a charge, but there are other aspects buyers should be aware of. One of those is charging speed while connected… Continue reading Hyundai Kona Electric Charging Rates Compared: 39-kWh vs 64-kWh

Top Automotive Industry News for Week of October 29 – November 4, 2018

Here is the most important news associated with the automotive industry
identified by the AEA for the week October 29, 2018 -November 4, 2018.

We hope it helps you stay up to speed on the key developments in our
industry:

-Automotive Manufacturing News-

Every Mid-Size Luxury Crossover and SUV Ranked from Worst to Best

(Car and Driver)

Faraday Future's Rough Road: Funds Sought As Cofounders Depart, Workers
Furloughed

(Forbes)

Ford could provide a 40% return in the year ahead as restructuring
takes hold, Goldman says

(CNBC)

GM memo: We must cut costs, can't wait to see what happens in industry

(Detroit Free Press)

GM Throws Weight Behind Nationwide Electric-Car Quota

(Cars.com)

GM to offer buyout to some workers in cost-cutting move: DJ

(CNBC)

Jaguar Land Rover undergoes $3.2 billion turnaround plan as sales slump

(autoblog)

Tesla electric vehicles will park themselves in 2019, Elon Musk says

(USA Today)

Tesla’s third-largest shareholder says it’s willing to pump more money
into the company

(CNBC)

The brutal and extreme tests Ram, Ford, Chevy run on trucks

(Detroit Free Press)

US regulators subpoenaed Tesla Model 3 production forecasts, data

(USA Today)

Volvo and Baidu join forces to mass produce self-driving electric cars
in China

(CNBC)

-Automotive Evolution News-

Cadillac cancels its car subscription program after just two years

(autoblog)

Ford, Volkswagen explore driverless venture to challenge Tesla, Waymo

(MarketWatch)

GM is making e-bikes as it expands beyond cars

(autoblog)

Hyundai, Kia Motors to develop new solar charging tech for vehicles

(Reuters)

Uber details why its driverless SUV killed a pedestrian and how it's
working to fix safety problems

(LA Times)

Uber says it's ready to start testing self-driving cars again

(Mashable)

VW and Intel's Mobileye Will Launch Autonomous Ride-Hailing Service In
Israel Next Year

(Forbes)

Waymo Gets California's Okay For Human-Free Driving Tests As Robo-Car
Skepticism Rises

(Forbes)

-Automotive Retail News-

5 hottest-selling U.S. vehicles in October: Tesla, Toyota, Subaru make
the list

(USA Today)

FCA, Honda and VW Lead October Auto Sales

(The Detroit Bureau)

GM Financial: More Loans, Fewer Leases in Q3

(Auto Dealer Monthly)

Luxury car owners trade up for American pickups as Ford, GM and Dodge
trucks dominate market

(CNBC)

New Vehicle Prices Continue to Rise in Fourth Quarter

(The Detroit Bureau)

Rising interest rates and prices hurt October auto sales, with SUVs
still faring better than cars

(USA Today)

Rising interest rates pinch U.S. auto sales, consumer confidence

(Reuters)

Vehicle sales reached 11-month high in October

(MarketWatch)

-Automotive Wholesale News-

Car Depreciation Reaches 10-Month High

(Vehicle Remarketing)

Lane watch: Wintry chill hits wholesale prices

(Auto Remarketing)

-Automotive Ownership News-

A Comfortable Place to Spend 38,000 Hours Behind the Wheel

(The New York Times)

-Automotive Enthusiast News-

140-car collection headed to Mecum’s Las Vegas auction

(ClassicCars)

Here are the most Googled car brands of 2018

(autoblog)

-Automotive Servicing News-

AAA offers free Lyft rides to and from repair shops

(autoblog)

New car safety technology saves lives — but can double the cost of
repairs

(NBC)

Stalling prompts recall of 2019 Jeep Cherokees with 2.4-liter engines

(Detroit Free Press)

Subaru, Toyota recall 165,000 U.S. cars with defect that could lead to
engine stalling

(USA Today)

-General Business & Executive News-

Broadcom makes $1 billion patent claim against Volkswagen: Der Spiegel

(Reuters)

New Autotrader Experience Helps Car Shoppers Accelerate Their Deal, Buy
Faster From The Palm of Their Hands

(PR Newswire)

U.S. Auto Industry's October Surprise

(Forbes)

With $50M investment, AutoNation obtains 7% stake in Vroom

(Auto Remarketing)

-AEA Reminder-

Did we miss something? Let us know via our

Contact Us Page >>

. If you have specific important news going public soon that you would like
to share with your fellow AEA Members, submit your

PR Distribution Request >>

Have a great week,

Member Services

memberservices@automotiveexecutives.com

Automotive Executives Association

www.automotiveexecutives.com

Communauto receives City of Toronto’s first permit for free-floating car-share pilot

Communauto FLEX Toronto will begin operations in November 2018
Canada’s longest-running car-sharing company Communauto will begin operating Toronto’s first free-floating car-share project under the City of Toronto’s new pilot program. The service, Communauto FLEX, plans to have more than 500 cars on the ground covering 100 square kilometres in Toronto.

During the first phase of the pilot in November 2018, Communauto FLEX will operate in the downtown core. Even more, 200 cars servicing 50 square kilometres will be available. Communauto president M. Benoit Robert received the City’s first permit from the Mayor of Toronto and Barbara Gray, the City of Toronto’s General Manager of Transportation. The event toke place during a press conference on October 9.

“Car-sharing technologies have the power to change how people go about their day-to-day lives and get around this city. I’ve encouraged the introduction of these new technologies and believe that there can be many benefits, including potentially reducing traffic and congestion by removing cars from the road,” said Mayor John Tory. “I’m proud we’ve worked to strike a balance between the benefits of car-sharing and the potential impacts it could have on neighbourhoods. I’m thrilled that the team at Communauto is among the first to join the pilot and operate here within these new regulations.”

Approved in April 2018
The Free-Floating Car-Share pilot project was approved by the City of Toronto in April 2018. Free-floating car-sharing allows members to take one-way trips beginning in one location and ending in another. This service enables drivers to pick up cars from and drop off cars to legal residential parking spaces throughout the city, rather than being confined to a fixed location.

Communauto FLEX has no monthly fees and is free to join, using a pay-as-you-go structure. Daily trips begin at $0.41/minute, $15/hour, $50/day and $35 is charged for any days following. The first 150km is included in the price of each trip.

During launch, users will receive the first 30 minutes of each trip free for one month after joining.

Torontonians can pick up Communauto FLEX cars from and drop them off at legal on-street parking spaces within the service area, and drive anywhere they want to go in between.

CEO Benoit Robert wishes to add to the existing transit options
“As a Canadian company, we’re proud to be the first to bring a free-floating car service to Toronto under this pilot. Our FLEX service will make car-sharing easy and affordable for city residents, and our goal is to work together with Toronto’s existing transit options to provide better solutions to mobility issues,” said Benoit Robert, Communauto president. “Car-sharing offers a number of social and environmental benefits to individuals and businesses. We are looking forward to working with the city, our users and other community partners to create thriving mobility solution.”

Free-float zone
Communauto FLEX will launch in Toronto with 200 Hyundai Accent hatchbacks. The free-floating car-share will service an area that will cover close to 50 square kilometres in the downtown core. It’s parking zone will span to High Park and Runnymede in the west, Dupont and Danforth in the north, and Victoria Park in the east. Excluded from the service area at launch: metered parking spaces and Green P lots.

If the pilot project is approved after the first 18 months of operations, Communauto FLEX will expand to have more than 500 cars on the road and will grow its service area to cover 100 square kilometres, serving residents up to Eglinton Ave.

How it works
Communauto FLEX offers Torontonians 24/7 access to one-way carsharing. Therefor, it is a simple way to improve their mobility inside and outside the city.

Registered users can locate and reserve cars using the Communauto FLEX mobile App. Doors can also be unlocked and locked using a smartphone or a membership card.

The first 30 minutes of booking are free.

This timelaps gives users enough time to reach the vehicle. Even more, drivers can stop and start their journey at any time.

To pre-register for Communauto FLEX, please visit: https://toronto.communauto.com/

More information on Toronto’s Free-Floating Car-Share pilot project is available at http://bit.ly/FFCarSharePilot2018

About Communauto
Founded in Quebec City in 1994, Communauto is the oldest car-sharing service in North America and the one serving the largest number of communities in Canada. With a fleet of more than 2,000 vehicles, the company serves 13 cities each one with a local approach. Among these Edmonton, Waterloo Region, Hamilton, London, Guelph, Kingston, Ottawa, Gatineau, Montréal/Laval/ Longueuil, Quebec City/Lévis, Sherbrooke, Halifax and Paris in France. Communauto group operates gas, hybrids and electric cars and offers both round-trip and free-floating carsharing.

Toronto’s new car-share service Communauto FLEX launches November 24

First company to receive a permit under the City of Toronto’s new free-floating car-share pilot program TORONTO, November 21, 2018 – Communauto FLEX is bringing free-floating car-sharing back to Toronto under the City’s new pilot program. Beginning this Saturday, November 24, Communauto FLEX will operate in the downtown core with 200 cars servicing 50 square… Continue reading Toronto’s new car-share service Communauto FLEX launches November 24