Car

More car buyers looking out of state as inventories trail demand

By Betty C. Morrow 2 days ago

Cars.com found 10% of recent car buyers went over state lines for their vehicle.

June 10, 2021, 10:37 PM

5 min read

Nearly 1 in 10 recent car buyers, according to data from Cars.com, purchased their new vehicle in another state — with more than half driving at least 25 miles to a dealership.

Kelsey Mays, assistant managing editor of the automotive website, said increased demand and a global microchip shortage are to blame.

“There’s just no inventory right now,” Mays said in an interview with ABC News. “With lower inventory comes higher prices, with higher prices comes consumers having to travel more.”

Many microchip manufacturers halted production during the pandemic, Ivan Drury, senior manager of Insights at Edmunds, told ABC News. Car companies cut back on chip orders while other technology companies bought as many chips as they could.

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Apple hires BMW veteran in latest sign of electric car push

By Betty C. Morrow 3 days ago

This photo, taken in March 2019, shows Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California.

felixmizioznikov | iStock Editorial | Getty Images

Apple has hired Ulrich Kranz, a former senior executive at BMW who focused on electric cars, Apple confirmed to CNBC’s Phil LeBeau on Thursday.

The hire is the latest sign that Apple is serious about building an electric car to compete with automakers such as Tesla.

Hyundai said earlier this year it was in talks with Apple to manufacture its car before walking its comments back and confirming it was no longer in discussions.

Apple has never confirmed it is building a car but has hired talent from the automotive industry and tested self-driving software in California. In 2018, Apple hired Doug Field from Tesla, who worked on Tesla’s Model 3. With its expertise in supply chains, battery technology and user experience, Apple would represent a major competitor

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Father’s Day weekend car & truck show returns to downtown Waynesboro

By Betty C. Morrow 3 days ago

From Mainstreet Waynesboro Inc.

Cars and trucks will be returning to downtown on Father’s Day weekend thanks to Mainstreet Waynesboro and several new partners.

The Father’s Day Weekend Car & Truck Show will be held Saturday, June 19 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with vehicles stretching from center square to Walnut Street to the east and Potomac Street to the west.

Attendees are pictured here at the Fathers Day weekend car & truck show in downtown Waynesboro

Registration costs $12 per vehicle and opens at 7 a.m. The show is a joint project of Mainstreet Waynesboro, the Appalachian Golden Classics Car Club of Waynesboro and Buchanan Automotive.

Admission to the car and truck show is free.

The show is open to all classic and showcase vehicles of any make and model. The first 100 entries will receive commemorative dash plaques. Registration costs $12 per vehicle.

Trophies will be awarded for Best of Show, Mayor’s Trophy, Coolest Jeep, Father’s Choice and more.

Last year, the downtown

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Chinese and other big business bet on Thai electric car market

By Betty C. Morrow 4 days ago

BANGKOK — As the global automotive industry undergoes a radical shift toward electrification, Thailand, the manufacturing hub of Southeast Asia, is emerging as a new arena of competition for the world’s leading manufacturers.

China’s Great Wall Motors on Wednesday officially opened its first factory in Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor industrial zone of Rayong. It will focus on electric vehicle production for both the domestic market and export to ASEAN countries.

Great Wall is not the only big overseas company jumping into Thailand’s nascent EV market. Taiwan’s Foxconn has just announced a tie-up with Thai oil and gas conglomerate PTT to develop an EV production platform.

Key Apple supplier aims to meet the rising demand for EVs. Foxconn and PTT said they plan to spend around $2 billion to expand EV and EV parts production.

Analysts say the entry of Great Wall and Foxconn will intensify competition in the Thai auto

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