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U.S. auto sales in April expected to drop despite big discounts

DETROIT — U.S. auto sales in April likely fell nearly 8 percent from the same month in 2017 despite big discounts for consumers, industry consultants J.D. Power and LMC Automotive said on Thursday. For much of the past two years, the discounts offered by automakers have remained at levels that industry analysts say are unsustainable and unhealthy in the long term. April U.S. new vehicle sales will likely be about 1.31 million units, down from 1.42 million units a year earlier, the consultancies said. The forecast was based on the first 17 selling days of April. Automakers, including Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, will release April U.S. sales results on May 1. Earlier this month, No. 1 U.S. automaker General Motors said it will stop reporting monthly U.S. sales because the 30-day snapshot does not accurately reflect the market. GM will instead issue quarterly sales reports. U.S. new vehicle sales fell 2 percent in 2017 to 17.23 million units after hitting a record high in 2016. Sales are expected to drop further in 2018 as interest rates rise and more late-model used cars return to dealer lots to compete with new ones. LMC expects full-year 2018 U.S. new vehicle sales to come in at around 17 million units. "Uncertainty and unfavorable factors appear to be mounting for autos, including a volatile stock market, rising interest rates, rising oil prices and potential trade roadblocks," Jeff Schuster, LMC's head of global vehicle forecasts, said in a statement. The seasonally adjusted annualized rate of sales for April will be 16.6 million vehicles, down more than 2 percent from 17 million units in April 2017, the consultancies said. Retail sales to consumers, excluding lower-margin fleet sales to rental agencies, businesses and government, were set to decline about 9 percent in April. The level of consumer discounts, which can erode profit margins and undercut resale values, "remains the larger concern," the consultancies said. The average discount was $3,698, up $187 from April 2017. Discounts on trucks and SUVs were up $426, but down $226 on passenger cars. Reporting by Nick CareyRelated Video: Image Credit: Reuters Earnings/Financials Chrysler Ford GM JD Power

FCA goes natural with CNG fleet

FCA Transport, the fleet of tractor trailers owned by FCA US that hauls parts from suppliers and to assembly plants, is going green. By converting its 179 trucks from diesel to compressed natural gas, CO2 emissions will drop by 16,000 tons per year based on the cumulative 16 million miles the fleet covers annually. That is roughly equivalent to the yearly energy use of 1,500 homes, the same as not burning more than 17 million pounds of coal. FCA says rolling out the largest CNG-powered truck fleet in Michigan took two years to execute and a $40-million investment, including $5 million to build the largest private CNG station on the continent. It also required the assistance of Cummins, Allison Transmission, and Agility Fuel Systems. There is an upside for FCA Transport in all of this: the company estimates fuel savings of 35 percent from not having to buy 2.6 million gallons of diesel every year. It's probably no coincidence that this announcement comes as world leaders tackle the same problems at the Paris Climate Change Conference. The press release below has more. FCA US Launches Largest Private Fleet of Natural Gas-Powered Semitrucks in the State of Michigan- Company announces $40 million investment in Detroit to convert 179 parts-hauling trucks to compressed natural gas (CNG)- Investment includes facility and infrastructure upgrades and the installation of the largest private CNG fueling station in North America- Fleet's transition to CNG will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 16,000 tons per yearDecember 4, 2015 , Detroit - FCA US LLC announced today that it has invested $40 million in FCA Transport, the FCA US-owned truck fleet, to convert its 179 Detroit-based parts-haulers to run on compressed natural gas (CNG) rather than traditional diesel. The move gives FCA the largest private fleet of CNG-powered heavy-duty vehicles in the state of Michigan."Our transition to CNG reflects the way FCA US attempts to balance our search for profitability with social responsibility and community development, including environmental stewardship," said Steve Beahm, Senior Vice President – Supply Chain Management, FCA – North America. "This project was a win-win-win – it offered a solid business case, clear environmental benefits and an opportunity to invest in our Detroit facility and workforce."FCA Transport, built in 1965, is located on Lynch Road in Detroit, just across from the Detroit City Airport.

Chrysler to veer away from 'Imported From Detroit' message?

Claim some ground, control that ground and then expand. Chrysler, wandering the Earth like Kane from Kung-Fu when it came to brand message after the bailouts, pulled off the first two feats in only 120 seconds when its "Imported from Detroit" commercial aired during the 2011 Super Bowl. Two years later and now that the brand has a center in the minds of consumers, the Chrysler Group's head of marketing, Olivier Francois, says it's time to move away from the "Detroit" component of that slogan and express the "Imported" aspect.
It is, more precisely, about positioning Chrysler as genuine competition for imports and not Ford or General Motors, but rather Toyota on quality or Audi on technology. A report in Forbes said that Francois not only "wants to attract import owners to Chrysler vehicles by focusing on quality, technology, fuel economy and style," but to "take back the lead in these four things." That is the new understanding he wants people to infer from the idea of Detroit - that the nation's car capital isn't just a patriotic rallying point but a lively competitor for established giants.
Chrysler has been running ads that no longer refer to Detroit, and recent efforts have linked a specific character to each brand - like Jenny with Jeep and Steven with the Chrysler 300 - to create brand separation. Francois hasn't detailed what he plans to do to bolster Chrysler's upscale pretensions, but his efforts would be helped by CEO Sergio Marchionne loosing the pursestrings and the arrival of strong new product.