Hyundai, Kia Offering Free Steering Wheel Locks, Software Update to Combat Thefts
Hyundai has joined sister company Kia in offering free steering wheel locks to owners of some cars concerned about a spike in thefts. The company will reimburse owners who have paid for a lock out of their own pocket.
The move comes even though both companies began rolling out software in February that closes a critical security loophole in the frequently stolen cars. Certain older Hyundai and Kia vehicles became common targets for thieves after social media videos in late 2021 taught viewers how to steal them with a screwdriver and a USB cable. Both companies have begun installing software updates in millions of cars that, the companies say, should solve the problem.
EVs are Emerging as the Fastest-Growing Segment of the U.S. Auto Market and Chattanooga is at the Forefront
Electric vehicles are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. auto market as the number of EVs sold in 2022 was 65% higher than the prior year, figures show.
Chattanooga is sitting amid more than $30 billion of new or planned investments in EVs by auto companies and battery makers in Tennessee and Georgia alone.
Future GM EVs to Remove Support for Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
General Motors will remove support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in its future EV lineups.
As Reuters reports, the move means that iPhone or Android owners will no longer be able to mirror their phone’s screens to a GM dashboard display, though gas-powered models, which GM will continue to produce until 2035, will still offer CarPlay and Auto.
The 2024 Chevrolet Blazer will be the first GM EV that will no longer offer the features. GM will instead provide its own navigation and infotainment systems, which it has been designing with Google since 2019.
What Leading Customer Service Means to Wheels
Wheels senior leaders talk openly about their passion for putting customers at the heart of everything they do — because they know they are making the world a better place.
Lowering Your Speed by Just 5 MPH Could Make the Roads Safer
Crashes on Seattle streets were less likely to cause injuries after the city lowered speed limits, a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows.
“When it comes to reminders, a clearly visible speed limit sign is pretty hard to beat,” said IIHS Senior Research Transportation Engineer Wen Hu. “We expect Seattle to see even bigger benefits as the city completes the transition to new signage.”
