Vince Bond Jr.

Reporter and Social Media Coordinator

Address: 1155 Gratiot Ave.
48207-2997 Detroit, Mich.
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Phone: 313-446-1653
E-Mail: vbond@crain.com

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Recent articles
Tesla and Chrysler trade barbs about paying back Uncle Sam
3:34 pm U.S. ET | May 23
Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter today to respond to Chrysler's barb that Tesla wasn't the first American automaker to repay the federal government for aid. ...


AutoNation unit launches Shop-By-Payment service
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 22
AutoNation's lead-referral subsidiary has unveiled an online service that lets consumers search dealership Web sites for new and used vehicles based on monthly payments. ...


Ford, Chrysler to reduce summer shutdowns at most N.A. plants
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 22 | UPDATED: 5/22/13 11:26 am ET - adds Chrysler, GM statements
Ford Motor and Chrysler Group said today they are scaling back annual summer production shutdowns this year in hopes of boosting output of key models in North America. ...


2 congressmen ask Treasury for details on 2008-09 dealership closures
2:36 pm U.S. ET | May 21 | UPDATED: 5/21/13 4:10 pm ET
Two congressmen -- one a former Ohio auto dealer and the other a Pennsylvania new- and used-car dealer -- have asked the U.S. ...


AutoNation unit launches Shop-By-Payment service
3:09 pm U.S. ET | May 20
AutoNation's lead-referral subsidiary today unveiled an online service that lets consumers search dealership Web sites for new and used vehicles based on monthly payments ...


Lawsuit claims defects in Ford 3.5-liter V-6 EcoBoost engine
1:07 pm U.S. ET | May 15
Ford is being sued by three vehicle owners in Ohio because of alleged defects in the automaker's six-cylinder EcoBoost engine. ...


Shaq: No grease needed to slide into my LaCrosse
4:21 pm U.S. ET | May 14 | UPDATED: 5/15/13 11:26 am ET - adds detail, video link
Can Shaquille O'Neal really fit into a Buick LaCrosse? The debate continues, but Buick has to love the humorous PR its giant pitchman generates. ...


Michigan couple appeal sentence in GM trade-secret case
6:07 pm U.S. ET | May 13
A Michigan couple sentenced to prison for stealing General Motors hybrid-car technology trade secrets filed appeals Friday with the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in C ...


NLRB likely to certify UAW to represent Flex-N-Gate workers at Texas plant
3:48 pm U.S. ET | May 10
The National Labor Relations Board likely will issue a certification today confirming the UAW as bargaining representative for hourly workers at a Flex-N-Gate Corp. plant ...


Specialized van maker that won $50M U.S. loan shuts down
2:47 pm U.S. ET | May 8 | UPDATED: 5/8/13 5:18 pm ET - adds details
Van maker Vehicle Production Group -- recipient of a $50 million loan from the Department of Energy -- has suspended operations and is in the process of being sold, its f ...


Flex-N-Gate workers at Texas plant vote to join UAW
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6
After a contentious organizing drive, hourly workers at a Flex-N-Gate Corp. plant in Arlington, Texas, voted last week to join the UAW. ...


Beattie to head Kawasaki sales
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6
Veteran auto industry executive Richard Beattie has joined Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A. as chief marketing and sales officer. ...


2nd lives for EV batteries could cut prices
12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6
Lithium ion battery packs that power some electrified vehicles could end up feeding juice into the electrical grid -- a development that could cut EV ownership costs. ...


Enterprise promotes founder's granddaughter to key post
4:16 pm U.S. ET | May 3
Enterprise Holdings has promoted Christine Taylor-Broughton, the granddaughter of the car rental company's founder, to senior vice president of North American operations ...


Industry veteran Beattie takes Kawasaki sales post
1:32 pm U.S. ET | May 3 | UPDATED: 5/3/13 1:58 pm ET - adds links
Veteran auto industry executive Richard Beattie has joined Kawasaki Motors USA as chief marketing and sales officer. ...


Flex-N-Gate workers in Texas vote to join UAW
4:10 pm U.S. ET | May 2 | UPDATED: 5/2/13 6:05 pm ET - adds Flex-N-Gate statement
Hourly workers at a Flex-N-Gate plant in Arlington, Texas, voted to join the UAW on Wednesday. ...


U.S. judge sentences couple to jail for stealing GM trade secrets
5:55 pm U.S. ET | May 1
A Michigan couple found guilty of stealing General Motors trade secrets related to hybrid-car technology was sentenced to jail in federal court in Detroit. ...


U.S. judge sentences couple to jail for stealing GM trade secrets
May 1, 2013 23:55 CET
A Michigan couple found guilty of stealing General Motors trade secrets related to hybrid-car technology was sentenced to jail in federal court in Detroit. ...


Penske Q1 net income jumps 23% on higher new- and used-vehicle sales
11:14 am U.S. ET | April 29 | UPDATED: 5/10/13 11:21 am ET - corrects Q1 revenue
Stronger new- and used-vehicle sales for Penske Automotive Group pushed up net income 23 percent in the first quarter on an 8 percent rise in revenue from the year-earlie ...


Couple found guilty of stealing GM secrets set for sentencing
April 29, 2013 06:01 CET
A Michigan couple found guilty of stealing General Motors trade secrets related to hybrid-car technology to help develop similar vehicles in China will be sentenced Tuesd ...


Couple found guilty of stealing GM secrets set for sentencing
3:17 pm U.S. ET | April 26
A Michigan couple found guilty of stealing General Motors trade secrets related to hybrid-car technology to help develop such vehicles in China will be sentenced Tuesday ...


Dealership groups expected to post first-quarter gains
4:29 pm U.S. ET | April 22
Dealership groups that announce their first-quarter earnings over the next two weeks should see continued growth as new- and used-car sales outperform 2012 levels, analys ...


SAE panel: Will people trust self-driving cars?
12:01 am U.S. ET | April 22
Consumer acceptance could be the biggest barrier to autonomous vehicles, one expert said at the SAE World Congress in Detroit last week. ...


GM: Chevy Cruze diesel to deliver 46 mpg on highway
12:01 am U.S. ET | April 18 | UPDATED: 4/18/13 2:53 pm ET - adds details
GM said the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Turbo Diesel will deliver an estimated 46 miles per gallon on the highway, besting the company's initial target by four mpg. ...


Consumer acceptance key to autonomous vehicles, SAE panel says
6:05 pm U.S. ET | April 16
The biggest barrier to autonomous vehicles could end up being consumer acceptance, one expert said during a panel discussion on driver distraction that marked the first d ...