John McElroy

Detroit

Editorial Writer at WardsAuto

Host at Autoline Daily

Host at Automotive Insight

Host at Autoline

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Articles

Everything You Want to Know About That Slate EV Pickup

1 week ago | wardsauto.com | John McElroy

Very quietly, secretly even, a group of 400 people, including 150 engineers, have been developing a $27,000 electric pickup truck at a nondescript building in Troy, MI. The name of the company doing all this is Slate and at the very least, it’s going to become a case study for the auto industry in how to develop a low-cost vehicle. First, the basics of the truck itself, then how it all came to be. There are actually two models. There’s a 2-door, 2-passsenger pickup.
Why the Global Auto Industry Has Stopped Growing

1 month ago | wardsauto.com | John McElroy

I know this sounds strange and it’s not what anyone in the industry wants to hear, but the auto industry has stopped growing in almost all the major markets around the world. A decade ago, car sales were booming. The industry was on a path to build 100 million vehicles a year, an historic milestone. But sometime around 2017, global vehicle sales peaked and that target was never hit. The data backing this up comes from the OICA, or the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers.
Has China Hit Peak Auto?

2 months ago | wardsauto.com | John McElroy

I know it sounds crazy, but China’s car market pretty much stopped growing a decade ago. It sounds crazy because all the news coming out of China is about the amazing surge in New Energy Vehicle (NEV) sales, the explosive growth in exports and how BYD, the biggest car company in China, moved past Nissan, Honda and Ford in global sales last year. In fact, if BYD stays on its current growth path, it could surpass General Motors toward the end of this year.
Toyota’s Ambitious ‘Woven’ Experiment

Jan 29, 2025 | wardsauto.com | John McElroy

LAS VEGAS – Toyota calls it Woven City. It’s a bold experimental enterprise unlike anything the company has ever undertaken. Officially, Toyota describes it as a test-course for mobility. It’s literally a new city that Toyota is building to develop advanced software, autonomous vehicles and a whole lot more. But I think it goes deeper than that. I believe it’s a bold social experiment to grow an innovative, start-up culture in what is essentially an experimental petri dish called Woven City.
Time to Rethink Automotive Regulations

Dec 3, 2024 | wardsauto.com | John McElroy

After 50 years of the U.S. government writing automotive regulations, it’s time to step back and assess if there’s a better way to do it. Today the auto industry is tangled up in red tape because Congress enacted a hodgepodge of policies that, while done with the best of intentions, have created a bureaucratic quagmire. I believe we can regulate the auto industry a lot more efficiently without sacrificing emission standards, fuel efficiency or vehicle safety.
Buy Them All Ice Cream

Oct 29, 2024 | wardsauto.com | John McElroy

I’ve never seen the wheels come off a car company as fast as they have at Stellantis. A year ago, I was singing the praises of the company for having the highest operating profit margin of all the global full-line manufacturers and the highest profit-per-vehicle of all the non-luxury automakers. And then, in just a matter of months, the company did a complete faceplant. So far this year sales are down 12%, revenue is down 14% and profits have plummeted 40%.
World Mental Health Day 2024 focuses on mental health at work

Oct 10, 2024 | solicitorsjournal.com | John McElroy

The World Health Organization’s campaign theme for 2024 is mental health at work. Of course, it is easier said than done and, like all aspects of our lives, there is no one size fits all. As we navigate the complexities of daily life, it is crucial to equip ourselves with the tools and knowledge necessary to maintain a healthy mind and that applies in the workplace as much as anywhere else, if not more.
The IC Engine Could Outlast 21st Century

Oct 9, 2024 | wardsauto.com | John McElroy

BEV propulsion systems for legacy automakers cost about $13,500 on average, compared to $7,100 for ICE powertrains, so there’s still a lot of work to do. I just got back from the SAE’s North American International Propulsion Conference. That’s where some of the top propulsion and powertrain experts in the industry get together to look at where automakers and suppliers are headed and what needs to be done. To me, it’s one of the best conferences in the industry.
Relief from sanctions

Oct 4, 2024 | lawgazette.co.uk | John McElroy |Jessica Solsberg

The recent judgment of Mr Justice Calver in Invest Bank PSC v El-Husseini demonstrates the hard stance a court will take when parties fail to adhere to court timelines, thus hindering the efficient conduct of litigation. The case involved a dispute over alleged fraudulent asset transfers whereby Invest Bank, a United Arab Emirates-based bank, claimed that Mr El-Husseini transferred assets at an undervalue to avoid paying debts and putting his assets out of reach to creditors.
Collaborate or Evaporate

Sep 4, 2024 | wardsauto.com | John McElroy

Everybody in Detroit is nervous these days. In the auto industry, that is. No one knows for sure where this industry is headed, and without the auto industry Detroit is dead. There’s too much change going on, too much uncertainty about the future. It’s disconcerting. You can feel it in the pit of your stomach. What Detroit needs is a plan to deal with these threats, but nobody’s got one. Not a plan for the entire region, that is.