Watching how industries react to innovation efforts

Watching how industries react to innovation efforts

These are interesting times for retail technology in the auto industry, and I get to have a ringside seat.

As the new retail technology reporter for Automotive NewsI’m looking for stories that can explain to readers the increasingly dramatic and ongoing retail technology transformation.

I want to enlighten retailers about product innovations designed to make their lives better and more efficient and highlight industry players excelling at something different.

The auto business is relatively new to me as a reporter, but I’ve long written about technology and the change it brings to industries, starting with the life sciences: biotechnology,

SPOTLIGHT: 15 questions with Corey Smith

SPOTLIGHT: 15 questions with Corey Smith

Corey Smith is the national fixed operations training manager at National Auto Care.

First car: Eagle Summit

First concert you attended: Joan Jett

Name a pet peeve: Chewing sounds

Most thrilling/adventurous thing you’ve done: Ziplining in Mexico

your personal heroes: My stepfather Craig A. Smith

First job: Raking blueberries in Maine

One thing you learned on the job you never forgot: Pay attention to small details

If you could pick up a new skill, what would it be? Being able to fix cars

3 people you’d invite to dinner, living or dead: Steve Jobs, Shaq, Ed Roberts

What did you

Carvana settles a long-running regulatory dispute with Illinois

Carvana settles a long-running regulatory dispute with Illinois

An Illinois regulatory official said Tuesday the state has agreed to settle a long-running regulatory dispute with Carvana Co.

Per the settlement agreement, Carvana can continue to operate in the state, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said in a Tuesday video announcement. The retailer admitted to violating Illinois law and agreed to abide by new restrictions, according to a news release from his office.

The settlement allows the secretary of state’s office to suspend and revoke Carvana’s dealer license again if it fails to comply with either the agreement or state laws, according to the agency.

The

Germany’s auto industry must defend itself in moving to EVs

Germany’s auto industry must defend itself in moving to EVs

Germany for decades led on well-engineered combustion cars. It’s now facing a watershed year in the quest to retain an edge in the age of electric vehicles.

Europe’s biggest economy is under growing pressure to retool dozens of fossil fuel-era factories employing tens of thousands of workers in a race for clean-technology leadership with the US and China.

Volkswagen Group, Mercedes-Benz and BMW are rolling out several new battery-powered models in the coming months that will be pivotal to proving they can finally start to narrow the gap to Tesla and China’s BYD, the two clear leaders in EV sales.

Honda to create division to speed up EV development

Honda to create division to speed up EV development

In changes effective April 1, the new division would consolidate Honda’s electrification strategy and development of automobiles, motorcycles and power products such as generators, it said.

The automaker also said it would combine six regional operations to three, composed of North America, China and associated regions including Japan, the rest of Asia and Europe.

Integrating the three was to “rapidly develop the implementation of resource shifts in accordance with the future lineup strategy in line with the electrification acceleration,” a spokesperson said in a briefing.

The automaker anticipates its vehicle lineup in North America and China will be mid-to large

Ford job cuts in Europe: Where the ax will fall

Ford job cuts in Europe: Where the ax will fall

A spokesperson at the automaker’s headquarters in Michigan said on Monday that discussions with the German works councils were continuing and that the company needs to be “more competitive” as it transitions to EVs. He would not comment on specific job plans.

Workers were told to expect concrete numbers of job losses from the automaker in mid-February, according to Cologne’s daily paper, the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger.

Industrial action threats

Ford’s plans triggered a union threat of Europewide disruption.

“If negotiations between the works council and management in coming weeks do not ensure the future of workers, we will join the

How to Defog Your Car Windows in Arizona Winters

How to Defog Your Car Windows in Arizona Winters

Although Arizona winters are mild compared to other areas of the country, fogged windows are still a serious problem on those chilly winter mornings. The air inside your car is usually warm. When the cold night air makes contact with your car windows, condensation can collect on the windows, making it difficult to see when you first get in your car in the morning. It can especially be a problem if you need auto glass repair in Arizona. The good news is that there are options when it comes to defogging your windows. The following tips will help you see

A Dealer’s Camera System Helps it Beat Claims of Damage

A Dealer’s Camera System Helps it Beat Claims of Damage
Image: Bill Pugliano (Getty Images)

Image: Bill Pugliano (Getty Images)

With the slimy way that dealers often do business, it always comes as a surprise when dealers get a win—and one that’s both right and verifiable. For that, you have to give credit where it’s due. In this case, one dealer’s camera system has been used to catch customers lying about the service department damaging their vehicles, Automotive News reports.

Gjovik Ford in Plano, Ill. opened two years ago. Given that the dealer had an 11-acre vehicle lot, owner Todd O’Reilly knew that he would need an excellent security system to cover that kind of