While US new vehicle sales have been softening lately, National Automobile Dealers Association chief economist Paul Taylor sees the trend reversing in July throughout the rest of the year. Increasing inventory levels and decreasing gasoline prices will lead to increased sales for a full mix of new cars and trucks.
As gas prices fell about 20 cents a gallon in late May, full-size truck sales picked up on what would otherwise have been a dismal month. But experts doubt full-size pickup sales will ever return to their glory days of 2.5 million units.
Ford has changed direction with the release of its new C-Max van by dropping the gas-only version and adopting a hybrid-only strategy for the vehicle. Ford believes it needs a "halo" hybrid vehicle to compete with the Prius and will improve its marketing by emphasizing the vehicle for hybrid-only powertrains.
GM re-launched its certified used-vehicle program, giving it a new official name and offering a 2-year, 30,000-mile free maintenance program. The new title is Chevrolet/Buick/GMC Pre-Owned Vehicles program. The updated strategy does not include Cadillac, which has its own certified program.
Automakers and independent electronics companies are working on technology that senses driver fatigue and helps keep them alert. Some are simple, but more effective solutions integrate existing vehicle computer controls.