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Auto blog

‘American Auto’ fires on most cylinders

If you like cars or you enjoyed “Superstore” then “American Auto” is worth your time. NBC previewed the punchy sitcom last night ahead of the series premiere Jan. 4, and it offers a humorous take on the U.S. auto industry as seen through the team at fictional Payne Motors. Overseen by Justin Spitzer, the creator of “Superstore” and a producer on “The Office,” the two episodes that dropped Monday show Payne executives trying to navigate the challenges of the modern auto business.  “Saturday Night Live” alum Ana Gasteyer stars as a pharmaceutical exec turned Payne CEO. The cast also includes Harriet Dyer as stressed-out PR boss, Sadie; Tye White as Jack, a factory worker who gets promoted to the C-suite; and former “Superstore” cast member Jon Barinholtz as the company scion, Wesley, who has no job responsibilities and is employed because of his name. The cast also includes X Mayo, Michael Benjamin Washington and Humphrey Ker as executives. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Autoblog -- thatÂ’s us -- gets name-checked early in the second episode (2:37 into the show) for "our" critical take on GasteyerÂ’s introduction of the Payne Ponderosa, a car the company scrambled to build in time for its auto show reveal.  GasteyerÂ’s CEO character walks in on a meeting between Sadie and Jack -- their budding romance appears to be part of the story arc -- and blurts out “Autoblog says hasty HastingsÂ’ premature launch,” apparently a reference to a headline that pans the Ponderosa. Looking at the cartoonish wagon-like thing, itÂ’s well-earned criticism. Perhaps the writers know of us -- weÂ’ve been around for nearly 18 years and are read by millions each month -- or thought ‘AutoblogÂ’ sounded like a good name for a car website. Either way. The pilot is centered on the Ponderosa and its troubled development (the first version of the car ran over people). Episode 2 features a Ponderosa Magellan van being used by a serial killer in a police chase. Titled “White Van,” the episode is obviously reminiscent of O.J. SimpsonÂ’s 1994 chase in a white Ford Bronco. ThereÂ’s also some Michigan references, which help to set the scene. One character has a Wayne State degree on the wall and the Magellan flees on Interstate 94, which runs through the state.

President Trump to visit Michigan on Wednesday to attend auto-related event

President Trump will visit the Detroit area on Wednesday for the first time since taking office, the Detroit News reports this morning, to meet with officials of automakers, suppliers and unions, and to attend a rally of autoworkers. Trump might use the event to announce his intentions to roll back fuel-economy standards for cars and trucks. The automakers agreed to the standards, which set a goal of a fleet average 54.5 miles per gallon by the year 2025, under President Obama, but they have lobbied Trump to repeal them. "This is a continuation of a dialogue with the auto industry leaders, and also going back and reconnecting with a lot of the people who elected him," Chris Liddell told the News. Liddell is former chief financial officer of General Motors and now assistant to the president for strategic initiatives at the White House. Trump might also use Wednesday's visit to advocate the House Republicans' proposed replacement for the Affordable Care Act. Later Wednesday, he will attend a campaign-style rally in Nashville, and White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has said the president intends to hit the road to sell the American public on the Obamacare replacement plan. The auto industry has been high on Trump's agenda - and a focus of his rhetoric to return manufacturing jobs and facilities to the United States. During his first week in office, Trump met privately at the White House with the CEOs of Ford, GM and Fiat Chrysler, and GM CEO and Chairman Mary Barra and Ford CEO Mark Fields are members of Trump economic advisory groups. He has criticized Ford and GM for making cars in Mexico and took credit when Ford scrapped plans for a new plant there. Related video: Government/Legal Green Chrysler Ford GM Fuel Efficiency Detroit Michigan

Chevy, GMC and Ram dealers are worried they'll run out of new pickups

One of the unexpected side effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is a shortage of pickups at Chevrolet, GMC and Ram dealers. Supplies are running out, and the factories that build these trucks remain closed. Stores across the nation began increasing incentives in March, when the first stay-at-home orders were issued, in a bid to continue luring buyers into showrooms. They also launched online sales channels, or expanded their existing digital business. Sales nonetheless plummeted in April 2020, but in-demand vehicles, like the Ram 1500 and the Chevrolet Silverado, are still selling relatively well thanks in part to the aforementioned incentives. Pickups outsold sedans for the first time in April 2020, according to The Detroit News, by 17,000 units. The problem is that General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), and Ford temporarily closed their factories in March. "The pipeline is very dry," said Mike Maroone, the CEO of a large dealership group named Maroone USA, in an interview with Automotive News. He told the publication his Chevrolet stores are sitting on a 30-day supply of the Silverado, which is one of America's best-selling vehicles. "That is a problem for us," he concluded. Coronavirus-related lockdowns and factory closures compound problems already faced by dealerships who represent General Motors-owned brands. They entered 2020 with a thinner inventory than a year earlier due to the 40-day United Auto Workers (UAW) strike that paralyzed the company late in 2019, and the 0%, 84-month offers announced in March have sapped supply. Ram wasn't affected by a strike, but it has relied heavily on generous incentives to move trucks off lots. Ford, on the other hand, limited incentives to 2019 models. Inventory levels differ greatly from region to region. The national average for the Silverado stood at an 82-day supply in March 2020, down from 120 in March 2019. Ram stores had a 114-day supply of the 1500 (compared to 134 a year earlier), while Ford bucked that trend with a 111-day supply versus 84 in 2019. Don't panic if you're in the market for a truck; we're not facing a complete drought. Automotive News added that America's light-duty pickup inventory could fall to 400,000 units by the end of May, and drop further to 260,000 units in June. For context, there were about 700,000 light-duty trucks in stock in May and June of 2019. That's unquestionably a sharp drop, but there will still be over a quarter of a million trucks to choose from.