Category: Automotive News

VW will seek diesel scandal damages from former CEO Winterkorn, ex-Audi boss Stadler

by Eldon Ballas on March 28, 2021 in Automotive News

Volkswagen Group said it will claim damages from former CEO Martin Winterkorn and former Audi boss Rupert Stadler, as the company tries to draw a line under its diesel cheating scandal.

The automaker’s supervisory board has concluded that Winterkorn breached his duties of care from July 27, 2015, by failing to comprehensively and promptly clarify the circumstances behind the use of unlawful software functions in 2.0-liter TDI diesel engines sold in the North American market between 2009 and 2015, VW said in a statement on Friday.

Winterkorn also failed to ensure that the questions asked by the U.S. authorities in

Stellantis’ Ram brand recalls 20,000 heavy-duty diesel trucks for fire risk

by Eldon Ballas on March 25, 2021 in Automotive News

Stellantis is recalling more than 20,000 heavy-duty Ram diesel trucks globally over an issue that could cause an engine compartment fire.

The affected vehicles include 2021 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups and 3500, 4500 and 5500 chassis cabs equipped with a Cummins 6.7-liter turbodiesel engine. In the U.S., the recall covers about 19,200 vehicles. It also covers an additional 685 vehicles in Canada and 223 in certain markets outside of North America.

In a document filed with U.S. vehicle safety regulators, the automaker previously known as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said the vehicles “may experience an engine compartment fire originating from

2020-40-under-40-Ryan-Case | Automotive News

by Eldon Ballas on March 23, 2021 in Automotive News

Management retention is key to operational success, customer retention, business growth and associate morale, says Ryan Case, national parts and service director and corporate facility director at Rick Case Automotive Group.

Case began serving in various fixed ops, service, parts, F&I and used-car roles at Rick Case 15 years ago. He was promoted to parts and service director of the Sunrise, Fla., group in 2017.

He has lived by his motto of retention and growth since he has been involved with the group.

Case joined Rick Case after exploring a variety of nonautomotive-related fields, including culinary arts. He now hopes

Ford to build some F-150s without certain modules due to chip shortage

by Eldon Ballas on March 21, 2021 in Automotive News

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. has begun building some F-150 pickups and Edge crossovers without certain electronic modules due to the ongoing semiconductor shortage and parts disruptions following last month’s severe winter weather.

The automaker said it would build and hold affected vehicles for a number of weeks, then ship them to dealers once modules are available and it can finish comprehensive quality checks.

The F-150 pickup, redesigned for the 2021 model year, is the nation’s top-selling vehicle and a key profit driver for the automaker. It is built at plants in Michigan and Missouri.

Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker said

VW’s new battery strategy stuns South Korean suppliers

by Eldon Ballas on March 19, 2021 in Automotive News

SEOUL/BEIJING/FRANKFURT — Days before Volkswagen Group held an event to announce a major ramp-up in its electric vehicle production, the German automaker abruptly told its South Korean battery suppliers their current technology would be largely excluded from those plans.

The decision by the world’s second largest automaker to move the bulk of its cars to a different battery cell in two years came as a shock to LG Energy Solution and SK Innovation , three people with knowledge of the situation told Reuters.

“It’s not our everyday business routine to get such one-sided notice from a partner … people