Auto Industry News: Ex-UAW Boss Gary Jones Charged, GM Unveils 11 New EVs, February 2020 Auto Sales, Some Auto Shows Must Go On, and MORE Recalls
It’s another busy week in auto news. The feds finally come down on former UAW prez Gary Jones, levying corruption charges while GM unveiled a whopping eleven new EVs at a special briefing at its engineering center. February 2020 auto sales looked terrible in China but held steady in the U.S., as the coronavirus slowly makes its way across the globe. Despite growing public uneasiness about infection, the Detroit Autorama and the NTEA Work Truck Show just wrapped up, and we have some highlight recaps. Last but not least, two more recalls popped up on consumer alert lists.
Let’s dig in.
Ex-UAW Boss Gary Jones Charged; Corruption Probe Reaches Highest Office
Federal prosecutors have brought official charges of corruption against former UAW leader Gary Jones, as part of a multiyear investigation. Amid the juicy details are accusations that Jones conspired with other officials to embezzle over $1 million of union member dues to splurge on private villas, fancy golf outings, expensive cigars, liquid lunches, and even horseback rides on the beach.
“We stand before you today because of greed — pure and simple greed,” said Steve D’Antuono, the head of the FBI in Detroit. “The charges against Gary Jones are offensive to the hard-working men and women of the UAW.”
Jones is the 14th person charged in the corruption probe. More importantly, he is the most high-ranking. “Prosecutors … left no doubt there may be more to come — possibly including a federal takeover of the union, a pillar of the nation’s labor movement,” reports the New York Times.
Recently, the UAW has worked to distance itself from the stink of corruption, saying via statement that, “all UAW members including the UAW leadership are and should be angry about the charges of former UAW member Gary Jones and his alleged actions. This is a violation of trust, a violation of the sacred management of union dues, and goes against everything we believe in as a union.”
Unfortunately, at this point, it’s fair to say the union has an issue with corruption at the top. A fact that tarnishes much of the hard work officials have done in the past few months to negotiate new and improved labor deals for members.
Having trouble keeping track of all of the shady stuff guilty UAW officials have been up to? So do we. Here’s a link to a full scandal timeline to keep you up-to-date. (I hate that this is a real, actual thing.)
GM Unveils 11 EVs, Plus New Platform and Battery Tech
It’s been an exciting week for EV fans, thanks to GM’s innovative new line-up. The Detriot-based automaker rolled out an astounding eleven new electric vehicles, providing an in-depth look at the future of the auto industry.
There’s a little bit of something for everyone with all major brands represented, showing off a variety of body types and styles.
GMC intends to roll out its fully-electric Hummer in 2021. According to the automaker, the fancy off-roader will throw down 1,000 hp, 11,500 lb.-ft. of torque, and a 0-60 time of 3 seconds.
Cadillac will offer three different models, including a three-row SUV, a hand-built flagship sedan, and its new Lyriq crossover, which designers say is almost entirely production-ready. According to Road & Track, the Lyriq will ride on a new platform specially designed to accommodate battery packs up to 200 kWh. This could potentially give the Lyriq a 400-mile range and 0-60 run in the sub-3s.
Cadillac hoped to debut the new Lyriq on April 2 at a special debut event, however the launch has been indefinitely postponed amid coronavirus fears.
Buick plans to launch a pair of fully-electric utility vehicles, a crossover and SUV that will likely share a platform. While Buick has yet to release any images, CNET reports that the front-end styling looks like a “Ford Escape grille got crossed with the schnoz from a Toyota 86 sports car.” Make of that what you will.
And of course, Chevy won’t be left out the mix. The badge will put the first of these new EV offerings on the consumer market with its redesigned Bolt. It still looks a bit like a shoe, but the interior is much-improved and it gains Cadillac’s acclaimed Super Cruise. Chevy will also debut a crossover version of the Bolt, as well as a new electric midsize SUV.
GM hopes to have each of these product offerings available for sale by 2025—an ambitious but possible target.
February 2020 Auto Sales
It’s been a hard week for the Chinese auto market this past month, thanks to the rise and spread of the coronavirus. According to the China Passenger Car Association, sales fell an astounding 80% in February. Automakers around the world expect to take a hit, as many of them have invested heavily in China’s growth potential.
In the U.S., however, February numbers held strong. According to Automotive News, brands like Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai posted higher sales last month as consumers took advantage of dropped prices related to incentives and the President’s Day holiday.
J.D. Power projects total sales figures for February will reach more than 1.3 million, a 1.8% bump from last year.
Consider that the rise of the coronavirus in the U.S., which so far is over 500 confirmed cases and 22 deaths, might slow down car sales in the coming months. We’ve already seen a Toyota dealership in Seattle close down for a deep clean and disinfection after an employee tested positive for the virus. Unfortunately, in light of these stories, shoppers will likely opt to delay purchasing a new ride until the worst of the virus passes.
Auto Show Updates
Geneva may be canceled and Beijing on hold amid coronavirus fears, but many smaller auto and industry trade shows in the U.S. recently went on as planned.
The Detroit Autorama, a premier custom car show that spans three days, just wrapped on March 1. Eight hundred unique vehicles, spanning a broad range of makes and models, competed to take home the coveted Ridler Award, named for Don Ridler, the show’s first true promoter. This year’s best-in-show went to an insanely customized 1963 Chevrolet Bel Air station wagon named “IMPRESSIVE,” built by Brad, Brady, and Cory Ranweiler.
Check out Hagerty’s detailed coverage of this ride, here, if you want to learn more.
The NTEA Work Truck Show also took place this past week, ending on March 6. If you’re a member of the industry, you may be interested to learn that in addition to some of the exciting products we already knew about: the 2021 RAM ProMaster debuted, Allison Transmission was selected as the standard transmission in the new Mack MD Series of medium-duty trucks (which were publicly revealed for the first time at the show); and Workhorse Group Inc., the American tech company that bought GM’s old Lordstown factory, debuted its new all-electric step van.
Check out Fleet Equipment Magazine’s great rundown of news and equipment highlights from the medium-duty, vocational, and construction segments.
More Recalls
To wrap up this week on a lighter note than a potential worldwide pandemic slowly spreading around the globe, let’s talk recalls. That’s right, EVEN MORE recalls! You thought last week was enough? Not so much.
Hyundai joined KIA in recalling roughly 207,000 Sonatas produced between November 2012 and January 2014 for the U.S. market, due to a potential fuel hose leak. Neither automaker has identified a solution yet, though Hyundai speculates it may have something to do with the material used to create the fuel feed line.
Additionally, Toyota has expanded its January recall regarding faulty fuel pumps, to more than a million. The problem can cause certain Toyota and Lexus models to stop operating, leading to engine failure. “If this were to occur, warning lights and messages may be displayed on the instrument panel,” the company told CNN. “If a vehicle stall occurs while driving at higher speeds, this could increase the risk of a crash.” You can find a list of the affected vehicles, here.
Join us next Tuesday for another Auto News round-up, featuring industry headlines, highly anticipated new vehicles, aftermarket news, and more.
