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REUTERS NEWS ANALYSIS The road to a greener America is littered with roadkill 11:43 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  Apart from the recent success of Tesla Motors, the electric vehicle sector has been one of the biggest duds in clean tech. It's all part of green energy's mid-life crisis.... Read More »
Chevy joins 'Mad Men' buzz on Twitter 4:11 pm U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  Chevrolet brought some more attention to its role in "Mad Men" on Twitter after last night’s episode. AMC’s television drama "Mad Men" follows a fictional New York advertising agency in the late 1960s, which currently is working on a campaign for the Chevrolet Vega.... Read More »
GABE NELSON Audi gripes, but Tesla could be en route to niche-brand success 3:59 pm U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  Audi wants to be clear: Just because the Tesla Model S is outselling Audi's flagship A8 in the U.S. luxury sedan market, it does not mean Tesla Motors is beating Audi.... Read More »
Experian names John Gray head of auto unit 2:57 pm U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  Experian has named John Gray president of its automotive business unit, effective immediately, with responsibility for the strategic direction, leadership and overall growth of the business.... Read More »
AutoNation unit launches Shop-By-Payment service 3:09 pm U.S. ET | May 20, 2013 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. When a consumer chooses the desired payment a sales lead is sent to the dealership.... Read More »
Dealer swaps shoe leather for Facebook 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  When Chris Morrison started out as a car salesman 30 years ago in the placid southern Mississippi city of McComb, he spent every Tuesday at local employers handing out business cards and shaking hands. Today he uses Facebook instead of shoe leather and business cards to help him sell cars and service.... Read More »
VIRAL MANIA Online video has changed how auto marketers connect with customers 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  Online video has redrawn the boundaries of auto marketing, giving companies a chance to sketch a broader story line around their products, break the conventions of TV and connect with customers in new ways... Read More »
Next up: New York 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013 Automotive News will host its second annual New York marketing seminar Sept. 18 at the New York Marriott Marquis.... Read More »
2 SCREENS BETTER THAN 1 Auto marketers want TV viewers to reach for another device 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  TV promotions still reach the biggest audiences, but auto marketers say the greatest untapped potential lies with consumers poised to use other devices to respond quickly to what they see on screen.... Read More »
Expert advice to improve your operation 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013 Dealership finance and insurance experts will offer tips and counsel during Automotive News F&I Week, a free online conference of six Webinars on June 11-13.... Read More »
KEITH CRAIN You can't mandate human behavior 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  They are at it again in California. The mandates for zero-emission vehicles mean that to sell any volume there, you will need to have some sort of electric car for that market. Some car companies may decide to get out of the California market because it doesn't make sense Keith Crain is editor-in-chief of Automotive News.... Read More »
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Women do well as service advisers 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013 I wholeheartedly agree with the assessment of Roger Pipher, fixed operations director of Coleman Buick-GMC-Cadillac in Lawrenceville, N.J., about women as service advisers.... Read More »
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Most F&I managers aren't forgers 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013 Only a small number of F&I managers, automotive professionals or Americans in general would ever consider signing a name other than their own or committing forgery.... Read More »
FINAL ASSEMBLY Shaq: No grease needed to slide into his LaCrosse 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  Can Shaquille O'Neal really fit into a Buick LaCrosse? During a recent episode of the "Inside the NBA" postgame show on the TNT network, analyst Charles Barkley kidded the 7-foot-1-inch Shaq about his LaCrosse ads by saying O'Neal had to be rubbed down with Gold Bond Lotion to slide in.... Read More »
Used-hybrid prices down from '12 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013 A more crowded market of electrified and efficient gasoline-powered vehicles is pushing down prices of used hybrids. Moderating gasoline prices are hurting, too.... Read More »
BEST PRACTICES Old-school Rizza roars into the digital age 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  In an age when auto dealers are plunging into digital tools for marketing, store management and customer retention, Chicago's Rizza Cars has become a star practitioner. The six-store retailer is a case study of a traditional dealership group transforming in a new era of operating technologies.... Read More »
Smart: Battery rental will ease consumers' EV anxiety 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  Smart USA says it can ease consumer jitters about EVs by offering customers who buy or lease the electric-powered ForTwo that went on sale last week the option of renting the car's lithium ion battery.... Read More »
Auto loan delinquencies, repossessions rise 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  Auto loan delinquency and repossession rates rose in the first quarter fueled largely by an increase in subprime loans, Experian Automotive said last week.... Read More »
How dealers can avoid thefts by employees 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  Dealer Danny McKenna is learning to trust his employees again. Last year McKenna says he discovered that two veteran employees were in collusion and had stolen some $600,000 from him over several years.... Read More »
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Snap-Happy 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  Donna Gebers, general manager of East Bay BMW and East Bay Mini in Pleasanton, Calif., makes no apologies for including at least 60 photos of each used vehicle. The 60 photos per used-car listing required of Hendrick-owned stores is at least three times the average number that appear in listings on many third-party shopping sites.... Read More »
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Veteran Texas dealer mines data to sell pickups 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  It takes something special to get Hayden Elder's attention now that he has run a Chrysler dealership in Texas for decades. But software installed at Elder Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram in the past month has turned his head.... Read More »
It's official: Tundra is a bit player in pickups 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013 Gone are the days when Toyota expected to challenge Detroit's dominance in full-sized pickups. "We're never going to challenge the Big 3 in terms of volumes," said Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota's North American region.... Read More »
Dealers 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013  Dealerships in this report: Majestic Honda in Lincoln, R.I.; Heritage Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram Owings Mills in Owings Mills, Md.; Miller's Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram in Martinsburg, W.Va.; Maita Toyota in Sacramento, Calif.; and Gilroy Toyota in Gilroy, Calif.... Read More »
MARK RECHTIN The death of driving? Don't make any funeral plans 11:29 am U.S. ET | May 17, 2013  You know that study that just came out declaring “the end of the driving boom,” because Gen Y supposedly doesn't care about cars? Ignore it.... Read More »
Europe car sales rise for first time in 19 monthsMay 17, 2013 08:34 CET European car sales rose for the first time in 19 months on strong demand in the UK and a rebound in Germany. Registrations in April increased 2 percent to 1.08 million vehicles from 1.06 million cars a year earlier, industry association ACEA said.... Read More »
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