Larry Printz

Sep 12, 2023 | thedetroitbureau.com | Jeff Zurschmeide |Larry Printz

BMW Group, Ford Motor Co. and American Honda Motor Co. Inc. announced an agreement to create a new EV charging company: ChargeScape LLC. The three founding automakers will own equal shares of the new company, which will perform arbitrage of energy flows between EVs and the grid. The idea of automaker-aligned public charging networks has been catching on as executives realize that charging can create ongoing revenue streams measured in billions of dollars per year.

Sep 12, 2023 | thedetroitbureau.com | Larry Printz

Declining electric vehicle (EV) prices led to new vehicle prices remaining virtually flat in August compared to the same period a year ago. But new vehicle inventories continue to build along with incentives, which increased for the 11th consecutive month, which now stand at 4.9% of the average transaction price, up from 2.3% one year ago. The average transaction price for a new vehicle in August was $48,451, up $42 from one year ago, according to Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book.

Sep 11, 2023 | thedetroitbureau.com | Larry Printz

The BMW Group announced a fresh investment in the Oxford and Swindon Mini manufacturing facilities in the U.K. Monday at a cost of more than £600 million, or $750 million. The Mini Cooper three-door and the small crossover Mini Aceman will be produced at the Oxford factory starting in 2026. By 2030, the BMW Group will have invested more than $3.7 billion, or £3 billion, in its Swindon, Hams Hall, and Oxford plants to convert to solely electric vehicle production.

Sep 11, 2023 | thedetroitbureau.com | Joseph Szczesny |Larry Printz

All three of Detroit’s automakers are now the union’s target. UAW President Shawn Fain said during a Facebook live appearance the union will strike any company that does not have a tentative settlement in place on Sept. 14 at 11:59 p.m.  The union is prepared to strike General Motors, Ford and Stellantis at the same time without tentative agreements, Fain said for the first time.

Sep 9, 2023 | thedetroitbureau.com | Larry Printz

It’s a week when two automotive icons were born, both of whom would have an outsize influence on the automotive world: Ferdinand Porsche and Henry Ford II. Books have been written on both men, and many stories, opinion pieces and analyses have examined their lives, actions and products. So consider this, at best, a brief primer on both, as they had an outsized influence on the industry they both loved.