CBT automotive newscast: June 11, 2021

Featured Interview:

Brian Pasch on trends in modern retailing, marketing, and the upcoming Digital Marketing Strategies Conference
This July, the next Digital Marketing Strategies Conference will be held in Napa, California and will also be available to attend virtually. The choice is yours. Here to share a sneak peek into what participants can expect from the event is Brian Pasch, automotive marketing expert, and founder of Brian Pasch Enterprises. Watch the complete segment here.

Top Headlines:

Gary Jones has become the second United Auto Workers union President to be sentenced in connection to the Federal Government’s ongoing corruption investigation. On Thursday, Jones received a 28-month prison sentence and was ordered to pay or forfeit more than 750,000 dollars after pleading guilty to racketeering, embezzlement, and tax evasion.

The Detroit 3 recently announced in a joint statement that they will continue to follow mask requirements, “out of an abundance of caution.” Toyota has ended temperature checks and entry questionnaires in U.S. plants but it is also requiring facial coverings, while Honda and Nissan said they have made no changes to their requirements.

The new Honda Civic hatchback is being previewed prior to its June 23 global debut. Previously imported from the UK, the 2022 hatchback will be built in the U.S. at Honda’s Greensburg, Indiana assembly plant. The redesigned Civic hatchback will be available later this year and will showcase a European-inspired exterior and, “enhanced five-door versatility.”

News & Opinion:

More car buyers are purchasing vehicles out of state – how should car dealers react?
Reduced inventories are now the norm for dealerships, both for new and used vehicles. A recent study by Cars.com identified that almost 10% of mid-May car buyers bought their vehicle out of state in a bid to find the right model or features in stock. Of those traveling away from their home city or neighborhood to buy a car, 52% are driving more than 25 miles and 13% are trekking beyond 250 miles of home. Read more

General Motors mostly agrees to emissions standards
On Wednesday, General Motors CEO Mary Barra penned a letter to Michael Regan, the chief of the Environmental Protection Agency, stating that the automaker would be supporting stricter emissions standards and would prefer to meet standards through a so-called “high-volume electric vehicle pathway.” Notably, however, she declined to fully put GM’s support behind Obama-era emissions rules or President Joe Biden’s tight pollution-reduction proposals. Read more