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Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHere's why used Toyotas and Hondas are so expensiveToyota and Honda have each been called boring brands – sometimes by the people who make them. But a combination of reliability, disciplined production and pricing help them hold their value better than any other brand. The same is true of their luxury divisions Lexus and Acura. CNBC looks at how they got this way and explores what could knock them off the podium.

Organizations: Toyota, Honda, Lexus, Acura, CNBC

☆ Why Toyota and Honda vehicles have such high resale values
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( Robert Ferris | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Toyota and Honda have at times been called boring: Honda by its own engineers, Toyota more famously by a chairman descended from the company's founder. But while they may not have the luster of, say, European sports cars, these two Japanese brands have enviably high resale values. Toyota has topped Kelley Blue Book's Best Resale Value list eight times since 2014, including the last four consecutive years. Another key for the automakers is that Toyota and Honda listen carefully to customers and try to build only what they think people will buy. "The market tends to have much greater demand than Toyota supplies up front, which keeps resale high, which keeps consumers happy, and the cycle continues on and on," said Tyson Jominy, vice president of data analytics at J.D.

Persons: Tyson Jominy Organizations: Toyota, Honda, Lexus, Acura Locations: .

☆ Stellantis to sell, shutter large testing facility amid cost-cutting efforts
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-18 | by ( Michael Wayland | Robert Ferris | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

DETROIT — Automaker Stellantis plans to shutter and sell its large vehicle proving grounds in Arizona at the end of this year, CNBC has learned. The Arizona Proving Grounds covers 4,000 acres between Phoenix and Las Vegas in Yucca, Arizona. As of July 2019, the operations employed 69 people, including workers represented by a local chapter of the UAW, according to the automaker. Stellantis plans to use a proving grounds in Arizona owned by Toyota Motor beginning next year, according to two people familiar with the decision. Stellantis’ other major U.S. proving grounds facility is a 4,000-acre campus located west of Detroit in Chelsea, Michigan.

Persons: Carlos Tavares, Stellantis, “ Stellantis, ”, Gretchen Whitmer, Tavares ’ Organizations: DETROIT, CNBC, Atlantic, Wall Street, United Auto Workers, Chrysler, Ford Motor, UAW, Toyota Motor, Toyota, Stellantis, Michigan Gov, General Motors, Ford, Bloomberg Locations: Arizona, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Yucca , Arizona, Detroit, Chelsea , Michigan, Auburn Hills , Michigan, North America, Brazil, India, Mexico, U.S, Europe

Nathan Laine | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesDETROIT — Automaker Stellantis plans to shutter and sell its large vehicle proving grounds in Arizona at the end of this year, CNBC has learned. The Arizona Proving Grounds covers 4,000 acres between Phoenix and Las Vegas in Yucca, Arizona. Stellantis plans to use a proving grounds in Arizona owned by Toyota Motor beginning next year, according to two people familiar with the decision. Stellantis Chrysler Arizona Proving Grounds Source: Google EarthStellantis confirmed the closure Friday morning, citing the company's ongoing cost-cutting and real estate evaluations. Stellantis' other major U.S. proving grounds facility is a 4,000-acre campus located west of Detroit in Chelsea, Michigan.

Persons: Carlos Tavares, Nathan Laine, Stellantis, Tavares, Gretchen Whitmer Organizations: Stellantis NV, Bloomberg, Getty, DETROIT, CNBC, Atlantic, Wall Street, United Auto Workers, Chrysler, Ford Motor, Toyota Motor, Toyota, Stellantis Chrysler, UAW, The UAW, Stellantis, Michigan Gov Locations: Sochaux, France, Arizona, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Yucca , Arizona, Stellantis Chrysler Arizona, Detroit, Chelsea , Michigan, Auburn Hills , Michigan

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHere's why Stellantis is strugglingMerging some of America's legacy car brands with big European ones made Stellantis the world's fifth largest automaker in 2021. Just three years later, Stellantis is struggling, and its troubles lie specifically with its North American business – home to Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler. Critics, including its own dealers, say the company raised prices too high and too fast, and didn't focus enough on making good cars. Its stock has plummeted and stakeholders are asking for its CEO to step down.

Persons: Stellantis Organizations: Dodge, Chrysler, Critics

☆ Stellantis is struggling. Here's why
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-10 | by ( Robert Ferris | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

American car brands Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler are struggling under their new owner. The European-American giant Stellantis is the world's fifth-largest automaker by volume, according to S&P Global Mobility. But Stellantis did better than that. 2023 was a banner year: record sales, record profits, record free cash flow. Out of all brands in the U.S., Stellantis vehicles have some of the highest inventories of vehicles on dealer lots, according to Cox Automotive.

Persons: Daniel Roeska, Bernstein, Stellantis, Stephanie Brinley, Carlos Taveres, Roeska Organizations: Dodge, Chrysler, P Global Mobility, Groupe PSA, Italian Fiat Chrysler, Products, Jeep, RBC Capital, Cox Automotive, United Auto Workers Locations: Italian, North America, U.S, America, China

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHere's why U.S. auto factories are so unproductiveAutomakers aren't selling as many cars as they used to, and the EV transition is a lot rockier and slower than expected. Factory space in North America and around the world is empty and unused. Companies especially challenged are Ford, GM, Stellantis, Nissan, and EV makers such as Tesla and Rivian. That could mean billion dollar losses, job cuts and potential supply chain chaos. Automakers, industry analysts and even governments are adjusting expectations and preparing for an uncertain future.

Organizations: Companies, Ford, GM, Nissan, EV Locations: North America

☆ Why U.S. auto factories are so unproductive
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-27 | by ( Robert Ferris | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A record 17.5 million cars sold in the U.S. in 2016, according to forecasting firm GlobalData. High prices are keeping customers away or sending them to used markets, said GlobalData's Global Vice President of Automotive Research Jeff Schuster. "We have all these plants that are ready to build 200,000 or 300,000 electric vehicles and nobody to buy them. For more than a century, nearly all cars ran on gasoline. Automakers were hoping for a clean jump to a world where all cars ran on batteries.

Persons: hasn't, Automotive Research Jeff Schuster, Sam Fiorani, I've, Michael Robinet Organizations: Global, Automotive Research, AutoForecast Solutions, P Global Mobility Locations: United States, U.S

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHere's how North Carolina became one of America's top states to do businessNorth Carolina's Research Triangle, anchored by Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, has one of the country's fastest growing economies due to its growing tech scene, high access to talent, pro-business environment and low cost of living. Watch the video to learn how this small region in the U.S. is got to where it is today.

Locations: North Carolina, Raleigh, Durham, U.S

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHere's why European tariffs on Chinese EVs may not workCritics say the European Union's provisional tariffs on Chinese EVs could raise prices, reduce choice and slow the pace with which the EU meets its climate change mitigation targets. Some European automakers, especially those from Germany, oppose them. They also might not be high enough to actually stop the tide of Chinese imports. Supporters say they are necessary to 'offset the harm' done by China's pattern of subsidizing its own industries and subsequently crushing global competition.

Organizations: EU Locations: Germany

☆ Why the European Union's tariffs on Chinese automakers may not work
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-14 | by ( Robert Ferris | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

By the end of October, the European Union will make a final decision on what some analysts call the biggest EU trade case against China in more than a decade. But automakers and countries are divided over whether to place tariffs — so far of up to 36.3% — on Chinese electric vehicles. A German automotive trade association says they would hurt German automakers, which have a significant presence in China. China has been exporting cars to countries all around the globe, and both supporters of tariffs and trade and industry analysts point to China's support for its domestic manufacturers as a rationale for imposing tariffs. Chinese automakers can produce a car for about $5,500, said Felipe Muñoz, senior analyst for JATO Dynamics, while it costs European automakers closer to $20,000.

Persons: William Reinsch, Scholl, Felipe Muñoz, Muñoz, It's Organizations: European Union, China, Business, Center for Strategic, International Studies, JATO Dynamics Locations: European, China, Germany, Washington ,

☆ Why VW investing $5 billion in Rivian might be transformative for both companies — and the auto industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Robert Ferris | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Electric truck maker Rivian's $5 billion deal with Volkswagen Group nets Rivian some much-needed cash. But it also gives Volkswagen a path to a future in the auto industry it has struggled to gain on its own. As of the second quarter, Rivian was losing somewhere around $1.5 billion per quarter — or about $30,000 to $43,000 on every truck it sold in the past five quarters. Financial strain and instability in the EV market and the broader economy have led to multiple rounds of layoffs at Rivian. But there are still challenges: Automotive history is littered with failed partnerships, Rivian and VW are still competitors, and the EV transition has proven rockier than many forecasters had expected.

Persons: Rivian, Joe McCabe, Alex Potter, Piper Sandler Organizations: Volkswagen Group, Volkswagen, AutoForecast Solutions, EV, VW Locations: Georgia

Trade groups say Chinese electric vehicles pose an "existential threat" to the U.S. auto industry. But faced with a growing preference for hybrids at home and a brutal price war, Chinese automakers want to export more vehicles abroad. "It's hard to process that because we don't see Chinese cars on American roads," said Dunne Insights founder and CEO Michael Dunne. You're going to see Chinese cars all over the place." So how do Chinese EVs stack up?

Persons: Dunne, Michael Dunne, Eunice Yoon Organizations: U.S, Tesla, JATO Dynamics, CNBC Locations: China, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, Israel, South Africa, U.S, CNBC Beijing

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailTest driving BYD, Nio and other Chinese EV rivals of TeslaLow-cost, high-tech Chinese EVs have stirred fears of a government-subsidized existential threat to automakers around the world. So what do these vehicles have to offer? How do they compare to the Tesla Model Y, which in 2023 was the bestselling car in the world? CNBC's Beijing bureau chief Eunice Yoon tested four of them from large and high-profile Chinese brands to see how they stack up against the Model Y, and to offer some insight into how non-China rivals might compete against them.

Persons: Eunice Yoon Organizations: Tesla Locations: Beijing, China

☆ Why Tesla’s big bet on gigacasting has other EV makers reimagining their factories
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-20 | by ( Robert Ferris | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Gigacasting is a form of die-casting — pouring materials like molten aluminum into large molds to form parts. For example, the front and rear portions of the early Model 3 chassis each contained more than 70 parts, according to Tesla. Reducing weight ultimately means more range for the customer, and substituting one large megacast for dozens of stamped parts reduces labor and boosts production, he said. Severinson views repair as a solvable challenge: "There is a solution to repairing also a casted rear floor," he said. Burns and Volk say that might be a sign that the company is hitting some technical limits.

Persons: Elon Musk, Shea Burns, AlixPartners, Tesla, Musk, Erik Severinson, Burns, Wolfram Volk, Volk, Lars Moravy Organizations: Toyota, Ford Motor, General Motors, Hyundai, Nissan, Volvo, Technical University of Munich, BMW, Volkswagen Locations: American, Germany

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhy EV makers are investing in the new manufacturing method of gigacastingAutomakers are seeking new manufacturing methods that can help achieve the goal of producing cheap EVs profitably. One technique is called gigacasting or megacasting where high pressure molds are used to form molten aluminum into large parts. Electric car maker Tesla is credited with pioneering the method, and some rivals also are stepping up investments. CNBC spoke with experts, including Volvo Cars' chief product and strategy officer, Erik Severinson, about that company's plans in this area.

Persons: Tesla, Erik Severinson Organizations: CNBC, Volvo Cars

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhy car payments are so high right nowCar payments have skyrocketed in recent years - a result of a mix of high interest rates and high prices. But larger structural factors are too. For years customers have been clamoring for fancier cars, and automakers have raked in the profits. In the short term, rising incentives and falling prices may provide some relief. But insiders wonder what the car market will look like over the next decade.

☆ Here's why car payments are so high right now
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Robert Ferris | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In the first quarter, 23% of customers with trade-ins had negative equity of more than $6,167 on average, according to Edmunds. It is not uncommon for car owners to have a bit of negative equity on a vehicle when they trade it in. About one-third of trade-ins carried negative equity prior to the pandemic. It is the amount of negative equity that is concerning, says Edmunds Senior Director of Insights Ivan Drury. The rate for a trade-in with negative equity was $887, at a rate of 8.1%, for nearly 76 months.

Persons: Edmunds, Ivan Drury ., Drury, You've, David Paul Morris Organizations: Ivan Drury . Trading, Ford, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: Edmunds, Colma , California

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhy tariffs might not stop Chinese EVsChina makes enough cars to supply half the world's demand. And it has its eyes on the United States. President Biden slapped Chinese automakers with stiff tariffs - effectively doubling the price of a Chinese export EV, which can otherwise be as cheap as $11,500. Watch the video to learn more about how China has become one of the strongest car manufacturing countries in the world and why some insiders say the tariffs may do more harm than good.

Persons: Biden Locations: China, United States

☆ Why tariffs on Chinese EVs may not work
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-15 | by ( Robert Ferris | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Chinese auto sector is increasingly making global automakers and politicians hot under the collar. In the early 1980s, the Chinese auto industry barely existed. President Joe Biden last month introduced stiff tariffs on Chinese EVs, effectively doubling the list price, which can otherwise be as cheap as $11,500. The administration says Chinese firms have benefited from unfair government support, and Chinese EV imports threaten the Biden administration's big investments in EVs. But a few auto industry insiders are skeptical that tariffs will be able to hold off Chinese imports for long.

Persons: Dunne, Michael Dunne, Joe Biden, Sen, Sherrod Brown, Tesla, Elon Musk, Bill Russo, Donald Trump, Russo Organizations: Volvo, EV, Biden, Chrysler Locations: China, U.S, Sweden, EVs, Ohio, Shanghai, Beijing

☆ Here's why privacy advocates say automakers are spying on drivers
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Robert Ferris | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Today's cars have an unprecedented capacity to surveil people inside and around them, and it's raising alarms with privacy advocates. A growing chorus of advocates and politicians say automakers aren't doing enough to protect consumer data from companies, criminals or even the government itself. "Our cars aren't a means of independence and privacy anymore," said Jen Caltrider, director of the Mozilla Foundation's Privacy Not Included program, in an interview with CNBC. GM, Nissan, Stellantis and BMW responded with statements saying they take customer privacy and data protection very seriously and comply with all applicable laws. In late April, two senators asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate automakers for allegedly deceiving customers about the companies' data management practices.

Persons: Jen Caltrider, Caltrider, Nissan Organizations: General Motors, LexisNexis, GM, CNBC, Solutions, Mozilla Foundation, Mozilla, Nissan, BMW, Alliance, Automotive Innovation, Pew Research, Federal Trade Commission Locations: Florida

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow Toyota took on America's trucksThe pickup truck segment is perhaps Detroit's last stronghold in the U.S. auto market, with the Ford, Chevrolet, GMC and RAM brands leading or outright dominating three out of four pickup segments. But the midsize Toyota Tacoma has had the longest-running tenure in that segment where it outsells all rivals by a large margin. But Tacoma is facing fresh challenges in the next few years, from foreign names such as Hyundai and Volkswagen to legacy U.S. automakers to EV makers like Rivian and Tesla.

Organizations: Toyota, Ford, Chevrolet, GMC, Toyota Tacoma, Tacoma, Hyundai, Volkswagen, U.S, EV Locations: U.S

☆ How Toyota's Tacoma became king of the U.S. midsize truck market
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Robert Ferris | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The American pickup truck market is dominated by domestic brands, primarily Ford , Chevrolet , GMC and Ram . But the Toyota Tacoma shows how a foreign automaker can find and control a niche within that market. Toyota introduced the Tacoma in 1995 as a successor to the Toyota Pickup, famously known as the Hilux elsewhere in the world. What's more, of the some seven models in the midsize segment, Tacoma is the only one that comes with a long bed. Watch the video to learn more about how the Tacoma has stayed atop the midsize truck segment, and how it is working to meet the challenge of an expanding market.

Persons: Edmunds Organizations: Ford, Chevrolet, GMC, Ram, Toyota Tacoma, GM, Toyota, Tacoma, Toyota Pickup, Ford Motor, Chevrolet Colorado, U.S . Locations: Ram . U.S, America, U.S, Chevrolet Colorado, Tacoma

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhy Detroit failed in ChinaDetroit automakers like General Motors made a fortune selling cars to Chinese consumers after the Asian country opened its auto market. But Chinese firms have caught up with top names like BYD, Geely and Great Wall. Tech companies are jumping in too, including Li Auto, XPeng, Nio, Xiaomi, Huawei, Baidu, Tencent and Alibaba. One industry analyst said he expects Ford and GM to withdraw from the country in the next five years along with others such as Hyundai, Kia and Nissan.

Persons: General Motors, Li Auto Organizations: Detroit, China Detroit, General, Wall . Tech, Li, Huawei, Baidu, Ford, GM, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan Locations: China

☆ How American carmakers lost ground in China
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Robert Ferris | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

American automakers and their non-Chinese counterparts are fighting an existential battle, as local rivals in China outpace them. GM's sales in China, including those of joint ventures it maintains in the country, have fallen from a high of 4 million vehicles in 2017 to 2.1 million in 2023. Several factors have contributed to the decline of U.S. automakers in China. That's precisely why American automakers shouldn't give up on China despite the U.S. companies' sales setbacks, according to Bill Russo, a former Chrysler executive who runs Automobility, a consulting firm in Shanghai. "If you don't compete in China, then what are you going to do when China shows up in your backyard?"

Persons: Michael Dunne, Dunne, Berkshire Hathaway, —, shouldn't, Bill Russo, Russo, haven't Organizations: U.S, Ford, GM, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Lotus, Volvo, Berkshire, Huawei, Chrysler Locations: China, U.S, Sweden, Shanghai

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