AFLA Coffee Break Discussion: Semiconductor Shortage: Reaction to Supply Chain Impact
July 27, 2021, 2:00 pm CT – Registration is limited to 50 people
Refresh your week and connect with your AFLA colleagues at an upcoming themed Coffee Break Series discussion. Each month we feature a new topic and always leave time for connection with each other.
This month, join us for a panel discussion around the Semiconductor Shortage: Reactions to Supply Chain Impact. Register now and watch your email for more information on who will be joining us around the Remo coffee table.
J.D. Power: Lexus, Subaru Top Brand Loyalty
Vehicle owners remain vastly loyal to their specific brands, in part due to the effects of pandemic lockdowns, according to the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Automotive Brand Loyalty Study,.
“The time period for this study traversed nationwide lockdowns, a recovery from the worst of the pandemic and the effect chip shortages had on vehicle inventory,” said Tyson Jominy, vice president of data & analytics at J.D. Power. “During the height of the lockdown, shoppers who were unable—or unwilling—to visit showrooms in-person weren’t shopping around as much but could still call a dealer and have a vehicle delivered to their homes.
“The bottom line is finding a vehicle required working closely with a dealer and, when presented with obstacles, shoppers turned to the dealer they already knew. As a result, the level of increased loyalty this year is remarkable.”
Read the entire press release at J.D. Power.
Old Cars With More Than 100,000 Miles Are Worth Real Money Now
A lot of people still think that, once a car has been driven more than 100,000 miles, there's not much value left in it. That hasn't really been true for decades, but it's especially wrong now.
Used car prices have been driven to extremes recently thanks to a combination of demand from consumers wary of taking public transportation and a major shortage in the computer chips needed to make new cars. That superheated market is pushing prices higher, even for cars and trucks with six-digit mileage.
Trucks are showing the biggest increases, something that's true among used vehicles of all ages and mileages. Average values for Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickups with over 100,000 miles on them increased almost 50% to $27,000 while Ford F-150s of similar age are now worth roughly $26,000, a 43% increase. (These are retail used vehicle values — in other words, what a dealer could sell these trucks for. An owner selling the vehicle directly to another person or to a dealer should not expect to get quite that much.)
Read the article at CNN Business.
GM to Launch Ultium Charge 360 Fleet Charging Service to Power Commercial EVs
GM and its new EV business unit BrightDrop are launching a fleet charging service branded Ultium Charge 360.
The business unit offers commercial customers — starting with FedEx — an ecosystem of electric and connected products. BrightDrop has said it will begin with two main products: an electric van called the EV600 with an estimated range of 250 miles and a pod-like electric pallet dubbed EP1.
The company looked at "how to put the right customer experiences together ... you know, when you think about fleets these are cars that come home with employees for example, and we'll have to help those companies and employees figure out charging in their home."
Read the article at Autoblog.
Toyota Accelerates Automated-Driving Push
Through the acquisition of the U.S. high-tech mapping company Carmera Inc., Toyota Motor Corp. expects to get a boost in its pursuit of higher-level autonomous capabilities in the next several years.
Toyota’s in-house automated-driving subsidiary Woven Planet and Carmera have been working on projects together since 2018. Those collaborations laid the groundwork for the acquisition. Carmera’s technology melds existing inexpensive camera technologies to automatically record and upload changes to the highways and byways as vehicles drive by.
Read the article at The Car Gossip.
