Recent Stories
An extraordinary opportunist and disrupter
Kiekert brings electronics to door latches
Door dents could become a thing of the past thanks to German supplier Kiekert AG.
Deep red, silvery hues among BASF's top auto paint colors
Raingarden, Primordial Soup and Aerialist Wish are names of automotive paint colors developed by BASF, the automotive paint and chemicals company.
Columbus lands big EV investment
Automakers' anxiety: Why can't we sell EVs?
Market conditions are improving for EV sales, and automakers are investing. But consumers still aren't buying. What will it take?
How to give control back to hands-off drivers?
As industry engineers and designers contemplate the transition to more vehicle autonomy, they're looking especially hard at what happens when drivers take control of a car that has been in autonomous mode.
Tech race pits haves vs. have-nots
Self-driving cars -- or more precisely, the technology that guides them -- won't be cheap will require deep pockets and could force some niche carmakers to sit on the sidelines. But even big competitors know they can't go it alone.
Rembrandts help refine the art of the sale
Robert Hoehn is a 21st century American car dealer who became obsessed with collecting prints made by a 17th century Dutch master who conjured dark, magical images using copper plates, acid, an etching tool and a press.
NASA project: Getting cars ready for takeoff
Silicon Valley and NASA think traffic-stymied commuters are ready to give up their cars and fly to work.
Complex, costly work leaves 3 paint suppliers to dominate business
Three large suppliers dominate the global market for original-equipment automotive paint -- and the auto industry is content to leave it that way. Auto-paint plant lines are too complex and expensive to consider introducing new suppliers, say paint industry leaders.
Innovating better paint isn't always about the wet stuff
Innovating in the paint business is sometimes as much about the process as the product. The segment's big players are spending r&d dollars to take time and cost out of the process of painting new vehicles. Reducing the number of paint coats by combining steps is a major innovation.
Texting system reduces service dissatisfaction
Gorno Ford's service department uses texting to communicate with customers, carrying out the entire repair order from approval to payment.
Car buyers' color choices stuck in neutral
Since 2011, white has been the most popular car color in North America, according to PPG Industries. Black, gray and silver follow close behind. What happened to bright colors?
Was Bo Andersson too tough for AvtoVAZ?
The tougher the challenge, the more Bo Andersson, the former purchasing czar at General Motors, seemed to relish it. But Russia's recession-plagued auto industry proved more of a challenge than even Andersson could master.
Volvo, Lincoln, Genesis take distinct paths to stylish interiors
With new flagship sedans, Genesis, Lincoln and Volvo are offering alternate definitions of luxury to the overwhelmingly dominant German brands and Lexus. While the exteriors of the Genesis G90, Lincoln Continental and Volvo S90 have garnered plenty of oohs and aahs, designers are making their most powerful statements inside the cabins.