The students of today will bethe car designers of tomorrow.But wWithout a nudge from an

art teacher, a visit to an artschool or just plain luck, some ofthe world’s top automotive de-signers may never have madetheir mark on history, said FCAspokeswoman Dianna Gutierrez.And Mark Trostle, head of Ram

Truck Design at FCA, wants tochange that. Eight years ago, herevived a contest he won as ahigh school student that helpeddrive him to where he is today,leading the design efforts forsome of the most desired vehi-cles on the road.The 2020 Drive for Design con-

test challenges U.S. high schoolstudents in grades 10-12 tosketch a Ram truck of the future.And, just like in the professionalworld, there is a level of urgency– entries are due by May 1. Threestudents will be named winnersfrom all valid entries received.“The landscape of automotive

design has changed and today’sautomotive designers not onlysketch cars, they create some ofthe most advanced user experi-ence systems, work with 3D tech-nology, research color trendsand create interior spaces thatare multifunctional and beauti-ful,” said Trostle. “As the field ofautomotive design grows, it’s vi-tal that we increase awarenessand educate students and par-ents about the career opportuni-ties available.”The Drive for Design competi-

tion kicked off during the EyesOnDesign commemorative posterunveiling held at the Detroit Insti-tute of Ophthalmology in GrossePointe Park, Gutierrez said.Coming back for a second year

as a guest judge is Josh Welton,writer, artist and owner of Brown

Dog Welding LLC fabrication andart studio in Detroit. Welton is anaccomplished welder, fabricator,teacher, artist, writer, social me-dia influencer, podcast host, en-trepreneur and automotive en-thusiast. He writes for a varietyof outlets and shares his artisticcreations on social media. Wel-ton will help review submittedsketches and select this year’swinners.To kick off this year’s competi-

tion, Trostle and Head of FCA De-

sign Ralph Gilles participated inan “Ask Me Anything” FacebookLIVE broadcast on Feb. 26, host-ed by Welton.Three winners receive an ex-

clusive, behind-the-scenes tourof the FCA Product Design stu-dios in Auburn Hills, and the op-portunity to spend one-on-onetime with leading automotive de-signers, Gutierrez said.They also receive a scholarship

view this week’s edition at DetroitAutoScene.com

®Detroit Auto Scene ®

VOL. 88 NO. 8 MARCH 2, 2020FIRST IN THE HEART OF DETROIT: ESTABLISHED 1933 AND 1976

info@detroitautoscene.com

®TechCenterNews®

New technology means buyers now have the ability to customize their check-in experience at Ford dealerships.

GM has received an honor noother automaker in the worldhas been able to achieve.The company was recognized

by Ethisphere, a global leaderin defining and advancing thestandards of ethical businesspractices, as one of the 2020World’s Most Ethical Companies,said GM spokeswoman JessicaJames.GM is one of only four hon-

orees in the automotive industryand the only automotive originalequipment manufacturer, Jamessaid. The other three companiesare suppliers Aptiv, CooperStan-dard and Cummins. In 2020, 132honorees were recognized span-ning 21 countries and 51 indus-tries, James said.The World’s Most Ethical Com-

pany assessment is based uponthe Ethisphere Institute’s EthicsQuotient (EQ) framework whichoffers a quantitative way to as-sess a company’s performance inan objective, consistent andstandardized way.Scores are generated in five key

categories: ethics and complianceprogram (35 percent), corporatecitizenship and responsibility (20percent), culture of ethics (20percent), governance (15 per-cent) and leadership and reputa-tion (10percent).

“It’s easier to live your valueswhen things are going well, butit’s more difficult when the goinggets tough,” said GM Chairmanand CEO Mary Barra. “At GeneralMotors, we are determined tolead the automotive industry increating a world with zero crash-es, zero emissions and zero con-gestion, and to do it with integri-ty. This recognition as one of theWorld’s Most Ethical Companiesis a testament to the men andwomen of General Motors who

GM Honored For Company’sEthical Business Practices

Mary Barra

You might have seen this tech-nology at your local fast foodrestaurant – a touchscreen kioskthat lets you customize your or-der just the way you like it.Well, this same technology is

now being used in a larger retailenvironment – Ford dealerships.Last fall, Ford began piloting

digital kiosks in dealership serv-ice areas to improve the check-inexperience in seven Ford dealer-ships across the US. This andother initiatives are part of an on-going effort to make each pieceof the vehicle ownership experi-ence more personalized, conven-ient and transparent.

“Our goal is to change the per-ception of the dealership experi-ence,” said Robert De Filippo,global director, Ford Retail Cus-tomer Experience. “We can startto do this by meeting rising ex-pectations for fast and reliable

Ford Uses Touchscreen Tech in Dealerships

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

FCA is seeking auto design submissions from students across the U.S.

Perugi spoke about how the auto industry in changing radically.

FCA Seeking Next Generation of Designers

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

by Jim Stickford

The automotive world willchange more in the next 10 yearsthan it has in the last 100.The was the message given by

Michael Perugi, an auto industryanalyst for Acxiom, a nationalconsumer data and market ana-lyst company to the media at aAutomotive Press Associationevent held on Feb. 25 at the De-troit Athletic Club.Perugi said Acxiom, with the

help of JD Power, has performedseveral studies of the changingautomotive world and the pub-lic’s reactions this new environ-ment.Perugi said that all trends

show that the vehicles of tomor-row will be more connected thatever. By connected he meanshaving access to the cloud andbeing able to transmit and re-ceive data much the same way asmart phone does.To make that connectivity

work, companies not normallyassociated with the auto indus-try such as Apple and Google arebecoming players in the indus-try. They are working with OEMslike Ford to develop connectivitysystems that can deliver servic-es.And companies like Ford and

GM are working with other non-

Getting Customer Trust KeyTo Selling New Technology

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

PAGE 2 MARCH 2, 2020DETROIT AUTO SCENE - TECH CENTER NEWS

Who doesn’t want to be in themovies?To that end, Dodge is launch-

ing its new “House of Power”campaign, featuring the DodgeChallenger SRT Hellcat Wide-body, the Dodge Charger SRTHellcat Widebody and the DodgeDurango SRT, in addition tofootage from the upcoming ac-tion thriller “F9,” the ninth chap-ter in Universal Pictures’ block-buster Fast Saga, which hasearned more than $5 billionworldwide, said FCA spokes-woman Diane Morgan.The campaign will include a 30-

second version of the video fortelevision, which will debut thisweek, in addition to the 60-sec-ond version that extends to thebrand’s digital and social mediachannels, including YouTube,Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.“‘House of Power’ is the next

chapter in the brand’s long-standing partnership with VinDiesel and the iconic ‘Fast’ fran-chise,” said Tim Kuniskis, hlobalhead of Alfa Romeo and head ofPassenger Cars – Dodge, SRT,Chrysler and FIAT, FCA – NorthAmerica. “‘House of Power’ isn’ta place, it’s a state of mind thatDodge enthusiasts have alwaysshared. It’s for those who don’tfit the mold, but break it ... thisstate of mind is a brotherhood. ABrotherhood of Muscle.”To launch the new chapter in

its iconic Fast saga, UniversalPictures held a massive fan cele-bration, “The Road to F9,” on Jan.31 in Miami. The studio releasedthe all-new trailer for the film andhosted a once-in-a-lifetime con-cert complete with performancesfrom global music superstars, in-cluding Cardi B and Ozuna, whoboth have roles in “F9.” The 60-second “House of Power” spotfirst aired on television duringthe televised event.Narrated by Vin Diesel, “House

of Power” is set against thepulse-pounding “Hell’s Bells”track by AC/DC.Summer 2020 is the time for

“F9,” the ninth chapter in thesaga that has endured for almosttwo decades and has earnedmore than $5 billion around theworld, Morgan said.Vin Diesel’s Dom Toretto is

leading a quiet life off the gridwith Letty and his son, little Bri-an, but they know that danger al-ways lurks just over their peace-ful horizon. This time that threatwill force Dom to confront thesins of his past if he’s going tosave those he loves most.His crew joins together to stop

a world-shattering plot led by themost skilled assassin and high-performance driver they’ve everencountered: a man who alsohappens to be Dom’s forsakenbrother, Jakob (John Cena, nextyear’s “The Suicide Squad”).“F9” sees the return of Justin

Lin as director, who helmed thethird, fourth, fifth and sixth chap-ters of the series when it trans-formed into a global blockbuster,Morgan said.The action hurtles around the

globe, from London to Tokyo,from Central America to Edin-burgh, and from a secret bunkerin Azerbaijan to the teeming

streets of Tblisi. Along the way,old friends will be resurrected,old foes will return, history willbe rewritten and the true mean-ing of family will be tested likenever before.The film stars returning cast

members Michelle Rodriguez,Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris”Bridges, Jordana Brewster,Nathalie Emmanuel and SungKang, with Oscar-winner Helen

Mirren and Oscar-winner Charl-ize Theron. “F9” also featuresGrammy-winning superstar CardiB as new franchise characterLeysa, a woman with a connec-tion to Dom’s past, and a cameoby Reggaeton sensation Ozuna.“F9” is produced by Neal H.

Moritz, Vin Diesel, Jeff Kirschen-baum, Joe Roth, Justin Lin, Clay-ton Townsend and Samantha Vin-cent. www.thefastsaga.com.

Dodge Brand Muscle Cars More ‘Fast & Furious’ Than Ever

Dodge’s “House of Power” ad campaign will promote its vehicles and the new “Fast & Furious” film.

DOVER, Del. (AP) – Delawareofficials have agreed to give $4.5million in taxpayer money to on-line retail giant Amazon, whichraked in $11.6 billion in profit lastyear.The state Council on Develop-

ment Finance voted Feb. 24 togive Amazon.com Services LLC aDelaware Strategic Fund grantfor the company’s plan to estab-lish a distribution facility on thesite of a former General Motorsplant that was shuttered in 2009.A Nevada-based commercial

development company that hasworked with Amazon in the pasthas applied to build a five-story,3.8 million-square-foot facility atthe former Boxwood Road as-sembly plant in Newport.

Amazon said in its grant appli-cation that it plans to spend $50million for new equipment andmachinery, including $48.5 mil-lion in equity. The remaining $1.5million will come from the strate-gic fund grant, which also in-cludes $3 million “performancegrant” for Amazon’s promise tocreate 1,000 full-time jobs overthree years. Amazon is planningto hire 50 managers with estimat-ed salaries of $60,000, and 950unskilled or semiskilled “associ-ates” who would be paid $15 or$15.86 per hour.The grant funding was recom-

mended by the Delaware Pros-perity Partnership, a “public-pri-vate” entity incorporated byDemocratic Gov. John Carney.

Amazon Uses Old GM Plant

Doering Fleet Managementand eIQ Mobility are partneringto provide fleets with seamlessEV deployments.eIQ Mobility provides fleets

with highly accurate EV Feasibili-ty and Sustainability Assess-ments using EValuate, their on-line decision platform, said Doer-ing spokesman John Sternal.Clients receive detailed analyticson which EVs are the best fit fortheir applications. EValuate de-fines which locations to priori-tize for best EV deployment,specifies the charging infrastruc-ture, and details anticipated To-tal Cost of Ownership with Car-bon emissions implications.Now clients can work with Do-

ering Fleet Management tosource and finance EVs andcharging infrastructure, managethe fleet through their lifecycle,and remarket their EVs using Do-ering Fleet Management’s EVmanagement tech and expertise.Adam Berger, President of Do-

ering said, “We are thrilled youpartner with eIQ Mobility to ac-celerate the deployment of EVfleets. The two major hurdleswe see are data analysis to aiddecision making, and infrastruc-ture support. eIQ Mobility fillsthat gap artfully with data-drivenrecommendations about EV fea-sibility and product match.”“Our fleet clients range from

Fortune 500 corporations withtens of thousands of vehicles todynamic regional companieswith a few hundred units. Theyare looking for data-driven EVFeasibility assessments. eIQ Mo-bility accelerates the decisionsfor our clients on EV modelchoice, optimal locations, car-bon reduction, and EV chargingneeds,” said Sila Kiliccote, CEO,eIQ Mobility.

Doering FleetManagementGets Partner

Bronco is the product of leg-endary talent, from the teamswho won the Baja 1000 to the col-lectors who restore them today.But there’s one legend in the

story of the Bronco who not onlyhelped create the first Ford 4x4sports-utility vehicle design, hemade history, becoming one ofthe first African American de-signers in the industry, said Fordspokesman Jiyan Cadiz.McKinley Thompson Jr., a Ford

designer who helped pen thefirst-generation Bronco, was thefirst African American designerhired at Ford Motor Company af-ter graduating from ArtCenterCollege of Design in Pasadena,California with a degree in trans-portation design in 1956.His first assignment was at

Ford’s advanced design studio inDearborn, working under GeorgeWalker, vice president of Ford de-sign, Cadiz said. Among his proj-ects was a light-duty cab-forwardtruck, several concept sketchesfor the soon-to-be Ford Mustangand the legendary Ford GT40.Thompson also worked on the

futuristic space-age Ford Gyron,a two-wheeled concept car thatwas on display at the Century ofProgress exhibit at the Ford Ro-tunda in 1961.“McKinley was a man who fol-

lowed his dreams and wound upmaking history,” said Ford Bron-co interior designer ChristopherYoung. “He not only brokethrough the color barrier in theworld of automotive design, hehelped create some of the mosticonic consumer products ever –from the Ford Mustang, Thun-derbird and Bronco – designsthat are not only timeless buthave been studied by genera-tions of designers.”Among Thompson’s more

noteworthy projects was theBronco sports-utility vehicle, anopen-air 4x4 concept featuring asquare, short body and highground clearance with minimalfront and rear overhangs for op-timum off-road capability, Cadizsaid. One of his designs, titled“Package Proposal #5 for Bron-co,” rendered July 24, 1963, influ-enced the design language thatwould become iconic attributesof the first-generation Bronco.In Thompson’s proposed de-

sign, the form and function ofthe wheels positioned at the farcorners of the body for a confi-dent and aggressive go-any-where stance, while the curve ofthe wheel arches smoothing outconveyed speed.

“I believe the hardest thing fora person like McKinley to do wasworking within the constraintsgiven him to make a beautifulproduct,” said Young. “Engineer-ing dictates size and functionali-ty, then manufacturing limitshow it can be stamped and as-sembled, and finance says youhave to build it for a low price.”Thompson’s concept for an all-

purpose compact two-door SUVis a theme he would return to lat-er in life.After retiring from Ford, he

worked to design and build aconcept he envisioned as an af-fordable all-purpose vehiclenamed the Warrior, Cadiz said.The small utility vehicle wasbased on a one-piece fiberglassbody, a process Thompsondreamed of decades earlier.Thompson was born in 1922

and grew up in Queens, NewYork. He had a keen interest incars from the time he was young,and later recalled seeing a silver-gray DeSoto Airflow when hewas around 12, Cadiz said.“It just so happened that the

clouds opened up for the sun-shine to come through,” he saidin an interview documented byThe Henry Ford. “It lit that carup like a searchlight.” Thompsonrecalled running toward it, butthe light turned green. “I wasnever so impressed with any-thing in all my life,” he said. “Iknew that’s what I wanted to do– I wanted to be an automobiledesigner.”Thompson served in the Army

Signal Corps in World War II,learning drafting and working asan engineering layout coordina-tor. After the war, that work pro-vided for him and his growingfamily, but Thompson’s love ofcars and his dream of being a de-signer persisted, Cadiz said.In the early 1950s, he entered a

design contest in Motor Trendmagazine, submitting a turbinecar with a reinforced plasticbody, both concepts that weretrending in the postwar era.He won the contest, then went

on to enroll in the transportationdesign department at ArtCenterCollege of Design.Later on in his Ford career,

Thompson worked on the sideto create his dream car in arented garage in Detroit from1969 to 1979, enlisting the helpof Wallace Triplett, who had alsobroken the color barrier as thefirst African American draftee toplay for the Detroit Lions in1949.

Together, they built a proto-type and pitched the plans toburgeoning automakers in devel-oping nations, Cadiz said.Thompson hoped to changethese countries for the better,much the same way Henry Fordenvisioned with the Model T.Eventually, Thompson pulled

the plug on the project – but noton his dreams. He retired from

Ford in 1984 and moved to Ari-zona with his wife. He passedaway on March 5, 2006.“McKinley’s influence, beyond

his work on the original Bronco,helped pave the way for others

like him who might not have hadan opportunity to express theircreative talents and live theirdreams to be a part of one ofAmerica’s greatest companies,”said Young.

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Ford Honors History of Designer McKinley Thompson, Jr.

This first-generation Bronco was originally introduced to the market back in the mid-1960s.

Thompson helped pen the first-generation Bronco in the 60s and was Ford’s first African American designer.

By TOM KRISHERAP Auto Writer

Washington (AP) – The Na-tional Transportation SafetyBoard says the driver of a TeslaSUV who died in a Silicon Valleycrash two years ago was playinga video game on his smartphoneat the time.Chairman Robert Sumwalt

said at the start of a hearing Feb.25 that partially automateddriving systems like Tesla’sAutopilot cannot drive them-selves. Yet he says drivers con-tinue to use them without pay-ing attention. He says the boardmade recommendations to sixautomakers in 2017 to stop theproblem and only Tesla hasfailed to respond.The board will determine a

cause of the crash at the hearingand make recommendations toprevent it from happening again.Sumwalt says government reg-

ulators have ignored the board’sprevious recommendations formeasures to prevent these crash-es.The March 2018 crash involv-

ing a Tesla Model X SUV killedApple engineer Walter Huangwhen it swerved and slammed

into a concrete barrier dividingfreeway and exit lanes.Just before the crash, the

Tesla steered to the left into apaved area between the freewaytravel lanes and an exit ramp,the NTSB said. It crashedinto the end of the concretebarrier. The car’s forward colli-sion didn’t alert Huang, andits automatic emergencybraking did not activate, theNTSB said.Also, Huang did not brake,

and there was no steering move-ment detected to avoid thecrash, the board’s staff said.NTSB investigators previously

found that Tesla’s system be-came confused at a freeway exitand was a factor in the crash.Autopilot is designed to keep

a vehicle in its lane and keep asafe distance from vehicles infront of it. It also can changelanes with driver approval. Teslasays Autopilot is intended to beused for driver assistance andthat drivers must be ready to in-tervene at all times.NTSB documents released

earlier this month quotedHuang’s relatives as saying hehad previously complainedabout Autopilot malfunctioning

and swerving in the area nearwhere crash occurred.“If you own a car with partial

automation, you do not own aself-driving car,’’ Sumwalt said inopening statements. “Thismeans that when driving in thesupposed ‘self-driving’ mode,you can’t read a book, you can’twatch a movie or TV show, youcan’t text and you can’t playvideo games.’’Sumwalt said the NTSB had

called for technology more thannine years ago to disable dis-tracting functions of smart-phones while the user is driving,but no action has been taken.Don Karol, the NTSB’s project

manager for highway safety, toldthe board that the staff is recom-mending that cell phone compa-nies program phones to auto-matically lock out distractingfunctions such as games andphone calls while someone isdriving. The staff also recom-mends that companies enactpolicies to prevent use of com-pany issued cell phones whileworkers are driving.“Lockout mechanisms should

be default setting and shouldautomatically lock out distractingfunctions,’’ Karol told the board.

Driver on Video Game Caused Tesla Crash

PAGE 4 MARCH 2, 2020DETROIT AUTO SCENE - TECH CENTER NEWS

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service and letting each cus-tomer know they matter to us.”Liberty Automotive Group in

Ohio is one of the Ford dealer-ships involved in the pilot pro-gram. As a result of the increasein efficiency and customer satis-faction from the digital kiosk intheir Brunswick location, the au-tomotive group recently pur-chased additional kiosks forsome of its other locations, DeFilippo said.“The way I see it, there are two

types of customers,” AndrewBellavia, Chief Operating Officerof Liberty Automotive Groupsaid. “Customers who are com-ing in for quick service or main-tenance on low-mileage vehicleswho want to get in and out quick-ly, and then customers who haveunique cases that they want todiscuss in-depth with our servicestaff. These kiosks provide an op-tion to the customer who wantsto move fast, freeing up serviceadvisors to address the morecomplex concerns.”

Bellavia said in December thekiosk in the Brunswick locationassisted 241 out of roughly 1,100customers, and 85 percent ofthese said the kiosk made theircheck-in process easier. Accord-ing to Bellavia, a kiosk check-in onaverage takes a quarter of thetime of a service advisor check-in.Across the seven pilot dealers,

the average customer check intime using the kiosk is just overtwo minutes. Additionally, 84percent of Bellavia’s users saidthe kiosk made their check in ex-perience easier and 90 percentsaid it was able to answer all oftheir questions.Imagine pulling up to a busy

service area, De Filippo said. Allservice advisors are busy assist-ing other customers. A waitseems eminent. Enter the digitalservice kiosk. Not unlike digitalkiosks seen in other retail estab-lishments such as fast-food orairline travel, digital kiosks indealership service areas allowcustomers to check-in and selectservices without interaction witha service advisor.

Upon approaching the kiosk,the customer is prompted toenter their phone numbervia touchscreen. From there,the customers’ primary informa-tion is displayed for verificationof name, address, vehicle type,and preferred method of con-tact.The customer then chooses

the services their vehicle needsfrom various menu options andselects how they would like to becontacted with updates regard-ing their vehicle service. Recallspertinent to the customers’ vehi-cle also are displayed on thescreen during the check-inprocess.Outdoor versions of the kiosk

also are being piloted to provideaccess to vehicle drop-off orpick-up any time of day or night,regardless of service centerhours, De Filippo said.Outdoor kiosks offer similar

options as the indoor iterationsand will eventually have theadded capability of acceptingand delivering keys, De Filipposaid.

Ford Uses Touchscreen Tech in Dealerships

are committed to doing the rightthing, even when it’s hard.”GM announced its vision in

2017 and has since committed toan all-electric, zero-emissions fu-ture. The goal is for people tolive safer, more sustainable lives,Barra said. In 2019, she signedthe Business Roundtable’s state-ment on the purpose of a corpo-ration and committed to lead GMfor the benefit of all stakeholders– customers, employees, suppli-ers, communities and sharehold-ers.More recently, GM accelerated

its sustainability goals to source100 percent of its global electrici-ty from renewables by 2040 andenable the reuse or recycling of100 percent of EV batteries,James said.In addition to setting sustain-

ability goals, GM committed toincreasing the percentage of sus-tainable materials in vehicles. Inpartnership with suppliers, atleast 50 percent of the materialsin GM vehicles will be sustain-able by 2030.“Congratulations to everyone

at General Motors for earningthis recognition,” said Ethi-sphere’s Chief Executive Officer,Timothy Erblich. “This is a mo-ment to acknowledge the leadersworking to advance corporate

cultures defined by integrity andaffirm those companies con-tributing to broader societal im-peratives and the greater good.”GM was also included in the

Bloomberg Gender Equality In-dex in January 2020, James said.The GEI tracks the financial per-formance of public companiescommitted to supporting genderequality through policy develop-ment, representation and trans-parency.Grounded in Ethisphere’s pro-

prietary Ethics Quotient, theWorld’s Most Ethical Companiesassessment process includesmore than 200 questions on cul-ture, environmental and socialpractices, ethics and complianceactivities, governance, diversityand initiatives to support astrong value chain.The process serves as an oper-

ating framework to capture andcodify the leading practices oforganizations across industriesand around the globe. Best prac-tices and insights from the 2020honorees will be released in a re-port and webcast in March andApril of this year.All companies that participate

in the assessment process re-ceive an Analytical Scorecard pro-viding them a holistic assessmentof where their programs standagainst the demanding standardsof the leading companies.

GM Honored For Company’sEthical Business Practices

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

to attend the Precollege SummerExperience Transportation De-sign program at College for Cre-ative Studies, a leading art anddesign college in Detroit, fromwhich both Trostle and Gillesgraduated.The summer program curricu-

lum includes the fundamentals ofgestural sketching, drawing auto-motive concepts in perspectiveand how to translate designs into3D models.The FCA Product Design Office

is again partnering with EyesOnDesign, which focuses on the au-tomotive community and stu-dents coming together to com-memorate, reflect and appreciatethe craftsmanship and beauty ofclassic and modern vehicle de-sign.Drive for Design winners will

receive their awards on Sunday,June 14 at EyesOn Design’s “Vi-sion Honored” Black Tie andSilent Auction and will serve asJunior Judges at the EyesOn De-sign Car Show, held every Fa-ther’s Day weekend at the his-toric Edsel and Eleanor FordHouse in Grosse Pointe Shores.For detailed contest rules and

information on how to submitsketches, visit www.FCAdrive-fordesign.com.Students and parents can fol-

low the FCA North America so-

cial channels for regular posts toeducate and inform followersabout careers in automotive de-sign.Weekly updates will be posted

every Wednesday on the Drivefor Design Facebook page (Face-book.com/DriveForDesign), theFCA North America Facebookpage (Facebook.com/Fi-atChrysler.NorthAmerica), theFCA North America Twitter (@Fi-atChrysler_NA) and FCA NorthAmerica Instagram (@Fi-atChrysler_NA) channels usingthe hashtag #DriveForDesign.Launched in 2013, the FCA

Product Design Office created itsDrive for Design contest as an in-novative way to educate youngartists about careers in automo-tive design.Starting locally in Detroit,

Drive for Design has grown to be-come a national contest thatawards talented students withprizes and unique opportunitiesto further develop their designskills.Past winners of the contest

have come from schools acrossthe country.The College for Creative Stud-

ies (CCS) is a nonprofit, privatecollege authorized by the Michi-gan Education Department togrant bachelor’s and master’s de-grees.CCS, located in midtown De-

troit, strives to provide the

school’s students with the toolsneeded for successful careers inthe dynamic and growing cre-ative industries such as in adver-tising design, art education,crafts, entertainment arts andfashion accessories design.

FCA Seeking Next Generation of Designers

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

traditional companies, such asAmazon. It’s now possible forAmazon customers who sign upfor a special app to get packagessent directly to customers’ cars.Food companies like Dunkin’

Donuts and Dominoes are work-ing with car companies to makeit possible to order food fromone’s car for quick pickup with-out waiting in line.This is all new and presents

challenges for car companies tonavigate, Perugi said. Among thedifficulties is coming up withservices people want and willpay for. All too often companieswill offer tech that people don’tactually use.Another issue being faced by

car companies and their techpartners is data collection. As to-day’s vehicles become smartphones with wheels, the ques-tion of who owns the data gener-ated by people as they drivetheir vehicles becomes more im-portant.Acxiom studies show that peo-

ple are very concerned about pri-vacy breaches. Over the pastseveral years, privacy breachesof different companies has beenreported in the news, Perugisaid. Every time such a breach isreported, people become a littlemore skeptical of the new tech-nology. That makes it a thatmuch more difficult selling peo-ple on this technology, which canbe costly to OEMs that havespent billions developing newconnectivity systems.Perugi said that things like ride

sharing have different levels ofpopularity among different gen-erations. Acxiom has found thatas younger people age up andstart having families and movinginto their new homes, they reallywant to own their own vehiclesand depend less on services likeUber and Lyft.And health care providers

have found that actually beingable to send a single vehicle topick up an elderly patient andtake that patient to the doctor’soffice is cheaper and more popu-lar than sending out a bus topickup patients to send them tomany different offices.“But one thing we’ve found is

that concerns about data securi-

ty are high and absolutely thesame across all generations,” Pe-rugi said. “We’ve found that 68percent of people will be willingto share information is if savesthem money on insurance. About66 percent will share informationto received maintenance alerts.We’ve also learned that supportfor sharing info such as driverbehavior has gone down.“People are willing to share in-

fo with relevant parties, but theyare concerned about data securi-ty. Consumers are demandingthat their data be kept safe andthey want car companies andtheir partners to treat that datawith the utmost integrity.”Perugi said that Acxiom has al-

so seen a slight drop in supportfor AV technology.He attributes that to the fact

that the media has been report-ing on accidents and fatalitieswhere drivers have been usingAV tech.The public has noticed this,

Perugi said, and they are not asexcited about AV tech. They willhave to be convinced that it willwork and that will mean hardwork by OEMs.“People like AV tech because it

has the potential to make drivingsafer for humans, but accidentshave show people that these sys-tems will have to be able to letpeople take over quickly whenthe situation calls for it,” Perugi

said. “And people want thesesystems to be hack proof. It willtake time to regain lost trust.”Overall, Perugi said that as

these new technologies enter ve-hicles, engineers and designerswill need to remember to makethe consumer the center of thenew ecosystems and that the da-ta will have to be secure.Perugi also touched briefly on

alternatives to leasing. He saidthat Volvo is really the only OEMto enjoy success with its “all-one-payment plan.Under Volvo’s plan, people will

make one payment to drive a Vol-vo XC40. That includes leasecosts and insurance. They can al-so switch vehicles in a year ifthey don’t like the XC40.This simplified system avoids

having to make 36 monthly leasepayments and insurance pay-ments. Additionally, they canswitch vehicles if they don’t likethe vehicle within a year. Butthey don’t have to worry abouttrying to switch vehicles everymonth, unlike the Cadillac pro-gram.It’s a cheaper and simpler al-

ternative to leasing and Volvowill be expanding it to more vehi-cles. Perugi said the company al-so had success because they tar-geted a specific demographicwith the XC40 program. It beatstrying to sell everything to every-body.

Acxiom Sees a Greater Auto Tech FutureCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

DETROIT (AP) – A wealthy realestate developer announced in aFeb. 21 statement that he is do-nating $100 million to help kick-start a fundraising campaign forconstruction of the University ofMichigan's Detroit Center for In-novation.Stephen M. Ross said the cen-

ter will help usher Detroit “into anew era of leadership in technol-ogy.” The Detroit-born Michigangraduate is chairman of The Re-lated Companies and also majori-ty owner of the Miami Dolphins.The statement from the De-

troit Center for Innovation proj-ect says the idea is for it to be-come a talent pipeline to existingcompanies and also to draw newbusinesses to the city.An initial phase of the project

will, among other things, include

a University of Michigan anchoracademic building, incubatorand start-up services, as well asa hotel and conference center.Construction is expected to be-gin in 2021.The 14-acre center will be lo-

cated at the site of the formerWayne County Jail in Detroit. TheUniversity of Michigan's flagshipcampus is in Ann Arbor, around40 miles to the west.Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan

called the $100 million donation“historic” and the auto industryis betting on Detroit becoming acenter of technological advancesand that the announced gift“builds on that momentum.”Dan Gilbert, chairman of the

Bedrock real estate company, al-so made a significant land dona-tion to the project.

Philanthropist Betting Big on Detroit

®TechCenterNews®

MARCH 2, 2020 PAGE 5DETROIT AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING AND TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRIES

William Springer II, publisherLisa A. Torretta, operationsJim Stickford, editorDetroit Auto Scene and Tech Center Newsare registered trademark and property ofSpringer Publishing Co., a Mich. corporation.

Info@TechCenterNews.comwww.DetroitAutoScene.com

586-939-6800

Deadline: Thursday 5:00 p.m.for the next edition of Monday

The myChevrolet mobile app provides users with access to a nationwide network of public charging stations.

Owning an EV is one thing. Get-ting it charged at a time when EVinfrastructure is still in its infan-cy is quite another.Fortunately, finding an avail-

able public charging station andinitiating a charging session hasnever been easier for ChevroletBolt EV owners, said GM spokes-woman Stephanie Lang. As Gen-eral Motors moves toward its vi-sion of a world with zero emis-sions, the company is making en-hancements to Energy Assist, astandard feature available in themyChevrolet mobile app1 forBolt EV owners.Energy Assist, first available

for customers in 2017, currentlyenables Bolt EV owners to planand manage their routes more ef-fectively, locate available charg-ing stations – both along theirroute and in the area – monitortheir route and receive real-timealerts if their range projectionschange dramatically.Energy Assist is integrated

with data from the vehicle, whichenables intelligent planning andprecise charge time predictions,Lang said.“We’re providing EV owners

with the tools to easily find avail-able public charging stations,”said Rick Spina, GM vice presi-dent AV/EV commercialization.“The enhancements to EnergyAssist offer Chevrolet Bolt EVowners a holistic charging expe-rience while they’re on the go –whether traveling near home oron a cross-country road trip.”Energy Assist enhancements

include Dynamic Data Integra-tion. GM is now displaying dy-namic data from charging net-works EVgo and ChargePointwithin Energy Assist, so Bolt EVowners can have a more seam-less charging experience withtheir GM vehicles.Information provided by charg-

ing networks includes real-timedata on charge station status toindicate if a charging station isavailable. GM will integrate dy-namic data from additionalcharging providers throughout2020, which will include EV Con-nect continuing to enhance thecustomer experience.There is also Start-to-Charge.

At eligible charging stations,owners can now link their EVgoaccount to activate and pay forcharging sessions right from themyChevrolet mobile app, elimi-nating the need to toggle be-tween apps and streamline thepayment process, Spina said. Eli-gible charging stations are notedwithin the myChevrolet mobileapp. GM will continue to add eli-gible charging stations through-out 2020.This is done at more than

40,000 stations. Energy Assistprovides Bolt EV owners accessto all Bolt EV-compatible charg-ing station locations, regardlessof the charge point operator. EVowners can now view more than40,000 charging stations in NorthAmerica, with access to 30 per-cent more DC Fast Chargers com-pared to 2019.With crowdsourcing on the

rise, GM is implementing a newfeedback feature for Bolt EV own-ers. Coming in early 2020, BoltEV owners will be able to reviewand rate charging stations withinthe myChevrolet app, Lang said.Similar to other popular

crowdsourcing technologies, thisfeature will rely on Bolt EV own-ers to share their valuable in-sights about charging stations byproviding a star rating and leav-ing comments about the station.Original purchasers of new

Bolt EVs have access to the Ener-gy Assist features in the my-Chevrolet mobile app at no addi-tional cost for five years from thevehicle delivery date, after theyaccept the myChevrolet mobileapp terms. Energy Assist is avail-able for Bolt EV owners in theU.S., Canada and Mexico.The Energy Assist enhance-

ments are a continuation of GM’scommitment to an all-electric fu-ture; offering EV owners the solu-tions they need to charge athome, at work or on the road.Earlier this year, GM an-

nounced that the Detroit-Ham-tramck assembly plant will beGM’s first plant 100 percent de-voted to electric vehicles, andwill build the new GMC HUMMEREV with initial availability in fall2021, Lang said.In 2019, GM announced a col-

laboration with LG Chem to massproduce battery cells for futurebattery-electric vehicles, andwith Qmerit to create a more ac-cessible at-home charging solu-tion.

GM Launches a New EV Information App

LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Gov.Gretchen Whitmer announcedFeb. 25 that Michigan will have amobility officer to coordinate allinitiatives related to self-drivingand connected cars, an effort shesaid will ensure the state is thego-to place for testing and pro-ducing vehicles of the future.While speaking at the MICHAu-

to Summit in Detroit, Whitmersigned an executive directive tocreate the Michigan Office of Fu-ture Mobility and Electrificationwithin the Department of Laborand Economic Opportunity, ef-fectively immediately. It will beled by a chief mobility officerwhose name probably will be an-nounced in April, Whitmer said.She also signed an executive

order to establish the MichiganCouncil on Future Mobility andElectrification, an advisory group

that will replace but functionsimilarly to one created by a2016 law. The council will behoused within the Department ofLabor and Economic Opportuni-ty instead of the Department ofTransportation.Whitmer told The Associated

Press that business leaders toldher administration it would behelpful to have one place of con-tact in state government for is-sues related to the mobility sec-tor.“Obviously that doesn’t mean

that there won’t still be many de-partments involved. But therewill be one quarterback,’’ shesaid in a phone interview.“That’s, I think, essential to en-suring that we’re harnessing allthe great things we’re doing in afocused way that makes sense.’’While many states are compet-

ing to lead in mobility, Michiganis in a great position because it ishome to the auto industry andhas many engineers, top re-search universities and extensive“connected’’ infrastructure,Whitmer said. Her directive citessix trends driving a period of “un-precedented change’’ in the autoindustry and mobility sector: au-tonomous driving, vehicle con-nectivity, powertrain electrifica-tion, shared mobility, intelligentautomation and the global sup-ply chain.The Democratic governor’s or-

der creating the new advisorypanel and putting it under a dif-ferent agency will take effectApril 27 unless it is rejected bythe Republican-led Senate. Themoves were welcomed by OEMs,environmental groups and a ma-jor utility, Consumers Energy.

Governor Aims to Create Mobility Center

Transferring to a four-year col-lege or university from MacombCommunity College will now beeven simpler thanks to newtransfer agreements signed with25 Michigan colleges and univer-sities, said Sean Patrick, managerof Media Relations at MCC.Transfer agreements will allow

Macomb Community College stu-dents to transfer more credits tofour-year schools in the areas ofbiology, business, criminal jus-tice and psychology. The newagreements specify major-specif-ic courses that students shouldcomplete while enrolled at Ma-comb that are common across allinstitutions in Michigan. Theidentification of these coursesmakes it easier for students tocomplete essential courses evenbefore they have decided whereto transfer.

“This is historic for Michiganand Macomb,” said Don Ritzen-hein, provost and vice president,Learning Unit, Macomb Commu-nity College. “Macomb studentswho intend to transfer into theseprograms now have an easierway to apply their credits to mul-tiple Michigan schools ensuringa seamless transition.”Macomb Community College

advisors and counselors havedetails available for studentsabout which courses they shouldcomplete and how those coursesapply to degree programs at theparticipating universities.The Michigan Center for Stu-

dent Success is leading thestatewide initiative for the MCCAin partnership with the MichiganAssociation of State Universitiesand the Michigan IndependentColleges and Universities.

Tranferring to Four-YearSchools Easier at MCC

New Ford and Lincoln vehicleowners may wonder if they havethe right insurance coverage fortheir new ride. Now two of thecountry’s automotive and insur-ance industry leaders are offer-ing a solution that’s as simple asfilling out a form in their Ford-Pass or Lincoln Way app, saidFord spokeswoman MargaretMellott.Ford Insure and Lincoln Motor

Company Insure, powered by Na-tionwide, offer a simple and con-venient way to secure usage-based insurance coveragethrough Ford Motor Credit Com-pany’s licensed insuranceagency.By logging on to their FordPass

or Lincoln Way app, clicking onthe insurance tile and filling insome information, customers in39 states with qualifying 2020Ford or Lincoln vehicles can pur-chase a policy in minutes and be-come eligible to save up to 40percent, Mellott said.The form is prepopulated with

key vehicle information to makethe whole process easier andfaster than customers might beused to.“This is the latest way we’re

improving the customer experi-ence,” said Elena Ford, chief cus-tomer experience officer at FordMotor Company. “Insure makesgetting insurance easier for con-nected-vehicle customers to cov-er one of their biggest invest-ments – their vehicle – while sav-ing money.”Ford Insure and Lincoln Motor

Company Insure policyholdersconsent to be enrolled in Nation-wide’s SmartRide usage-based in-surance program and will sharetheir vehicle connectivity infor-mation with Nationwide for theinitial six-month policy, Mellottsaid.Once customers purchase a

policy, the connected vehicle willtrack and share distance driven,hard braking and accelerating,idle time and night driving to es-tablish a policy rate for renewal.The data are shared with Nation-wide through the vehicle’s em-bedded modem, eliminating theneed for a special app or vehicleplug-in device.Customers are eligible for up

to a 40 percent discount, whichwill be applied when the policy isrenewed.Customers will have access to

Nationwide’s standard Accident

Forgiveness option, as well ascrash repairs using genuine Fordparts.“Customers want to be able to

purchase auto insurance asquickly and easily as possible,”said Brad Lemons, Nationwide’ssenior vice president of PersonalLines Product and Underwriting.“Ford and Nationwide are bring-ing together the best of our busi-nesses to help make this happenin a way that is sure to delightour customers.”Ford Insure is the latest step in

Ford Motor Company’s compre-hensive, long-term customer ex-perience initiative, which is de-signed to make the purchase of avehicle from Ford and Lincolndealers easier and more conven-ient, Mellott said.Ford aims to make each part

of the ownership experienceeasier and worry-free, buildingcustomer ranks and revenuesover time, Mellott said. Ford al-ready has doubled its invest-ment in customer experiencesto increase trust and loyaltythrough programs that show ap-preciation to its long-term cus-tomer base.“Development of Ford Insure

and Lincoln Insure began with afocus on the customer – makingit as easy as possible to insuretheir new vehicle and offer theadvantages of usage-based insur-

ance,” said Marion Harris, presi-dent and chief executive officerof Ford Credit.“Constantly improving con-

nected vehicle technology is al-lowing us to find new ways tocontribute to a great customerexperience.”Ford Insure and Lincoln Motor

Company Insure are available inAlabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Cali-fornia, Colorado, Connecticut,Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois,Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky,Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Min-nesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ne-braska, Nevada, New Hampshire,New Jersey, New Mexico, NorthCarolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsyl-vania, Rhode Island, South Car-olina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah,Vermont, Virginia, Washington,West Virginia, Wisconsin andWashington, D.C. Launches in

other states are planned overtime.The insurance offer starts with

these models: 2020 Ford Explor-er, Fusion, Mustang, Transit Con-nect, Escape, Edge, EcoSport, Ex-pedition, F-Series Super Duty,Transit, Ranger and the upcom-ing all-new 2021 F-150; and 2020Lincoln Aviator, MKZ, Corsair,Nautilus and Navigator.“Nationwide and Ford are two

of the most well-known compa-nies in America, and our cus-tomers are looking to us to pro-vide the best insurance purchas-ing experience possible,” saidKirt Walker, Nationwide chief ex-ecutive officer.“We are confident that this new

partnership will lead to addition-al future innovative products andservices between our two organi-zations.”

PAGE 6 MARCH 2, 2020DETROIT AUTO SCENE - TECH CENTER NEWS

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A new app available to Ford customers makes getting insurance on vehicles like the 2020 Explorer easier.

Auto supplier Cooper Stan-dard of Novi was recognized byEthisphere, a leader in definingand advancing standards of ethi-cal business practices, as one ofthe 2020 World’s Most EthicalCompanies, said companyspokeswoman Chris Andrews.This is the first year Cooper

Standard has been recognizedand is one of four honorees inthe automotive industry. Thisyear, 132 honorees were recog-nized spanning 21 countries and51 industries.“At Cooper Standard, values

are more than words that hangon the wall,” said Jeffrey Ed-wards, chairman and CEO, Coop-er Standard. “We hold ourselvesto a high standard and this hon-or is a great testament of our val-ues, culture and employees whoare dedicated to conducting re-sponsible business at all levelsof the company.”“We are honored to be recog-

nized for our efforts to imple-ment world-class ethics andcompliance processes that influ-ence all aspects of our businessand impact all of our stakehold-ers,” said Joanna Totsky, seniorvice president, chief legal officerand secretary, Cooper Standard.“Our commitment to environ-mental, social and governancepriorities play an important rolein the Company’s culture andstrategy.”“Congratulations to everyone

at Cooper Standard for earningthis recognition,” said Ethi-sphere CEO Timothy Erblich.“Ethics are truly a company-wideeffort and this is a moment to ac-knowledge Cooper Standard’sculture that clearly places a highvalue on ethics and integrity, andaffirms the Company’s contribu-tions to the greater good.”

Cooper StandardNamed as an

Ethical Company

PARIS (AP) – French prosecu-tors are turning up the heat ondisgraced car industry executiveCarlos Ghosn, opening a judicialinquiry into alleged money laun-dering, fraud and misuse of com-pany assets during his time atthe helm of the Renault-Nissanalliance.The prosecutor’s office in the

Paris suburb of Nanterre an-nounced the inquiry Feb. 19 in astatement.The statement does not name

Ghosn directly, but the inquiryfocuses on activities at Renaultand Nissan under his watch, andstemmed from information pro-vided by Japanese authoritiesand by Renault after Ghosn’s2018 arrest in Japan on chargesof financial misconduct.Ghosn – who denies any

wrongdoing and says the Japan-ese case against him was politi-cally driven by enemies at Nissan– escaped from Tokyo in Decem-ber for Lebanon, where he grewup.The French inquiry aims to de-

termine who is at fault for astring of alleged financial viola-tions between 2009 and 2020.That includes “suspicious fi-

nancial flows’’ between Renaultand the SBA car dealership in

Oman, the prosecutor’s state-ment said. Ghosn’s Frenchlawyers have said the paymentsto SBA were “justified bonuses”for having boosted car sales inthe Persian Gulf, and denied alle-gations that the funds benefitedGhosn or his family personally.The French inquiry is also tar-

geting several million euros oftravel and other costs paid byNetherlands-based Renault-Nis-san holding RNBV but suspectedto have been for Ghosn’s person-al use.Renault last year said in a

statement to the media and pub-lic that an internal audit with Nis-san found 11 million euros inquestionable expenses at RNBVallegedly linked to Ghosn, includ-ing for air travel, personal spend-ing and donations to nonprofitorganizations.The Nanterre prosecutor said

the new inquiry could allowFrench investigators to dig intoactivity in other countries aswell.Ghosn’s French lawyer, Jean-

Yves Le Borgne, shrugged off theFrench inquiry as “not very sig-nificant’’ and said it will allowGhosn’s legal team to formallypresent its own case to Frenchprosecutors for the first time.

Now Government of FranceInvestigating Carlos Ghosn

by Jim Stickford

The popularity of SUVs isgrowing every year and Chevro-let has worked hard to positionits portfolio to take advantage ofthat trend.Which is why the brand has re-

freshed the Equinox with an em-phasis on safety and design, saidGM spokesman Kevin Kelly.“What we’ve found that what is

important for many SUV buyersis safety,” Kelly said. “And theEquinox falls into the largest SUVsegment as a mid-size. There’s alot of competition and it’s grow-ing so we concentrated on fresh-ing the Equinox with new safetyfeatures.”Chevy, as part of its efforts to

improve Equinox market share,has also released a new trim levelof the vehicle – the RS, Kelly said.“This trim level offers buyers a

more spirited and aggressivelook,” Kelly said. “It’s somethingextra for those looking for some-thing extra.”The refreshing of the Equinox

is part of a larger effort byChevrolet to take advantage ofthe growing popularity of SUVs,Kelly said. In addition to offeringvehicles like the Equinox and theTrax, Chevrolet has also addedthe Trailblazer to the brand’sSUV portfolio.As a result, buyers now have a

choice of a wide range of sizes ifthey’re in the market for an SUV.The vehicles range from thesmaller Trax to the Suburban,Equinox and Trailblazer.But it was important to refresh

the Equinox for a couple of rea-sons, Kelly said. It’s Chevrolet’ssecond-best selling vehicle, fin-ishing only behind the Silverado.Sales of the Equinox have grownin nine of the last 10 years.And second, it represents

Chevrolet in the most popularSUV segment. As more and moreOEMs offer vehicles in the mid-size segment, it’s important thatChevrolet provide trim levels andsafety features that make theEquinox stand out from the evermore crowded mid-size segment.“We know that people care

about safety,” Kelly said. “So itonly makes sense to offer astrong range of safety features.And it’s important to promotethose features to the public sothey know what the Equinox nowhas to offer.”

The refreshed 2021 Equinoxwill be available in dealershipsthis fall, Kelly said. Key standardsafety features will include auto-matic emergency braking, frontpedestrian braking, foward colli-sion alert and IntelliBeam head-lamps.Other key safety features are

lane keep assist with lane depar-ture warning, rear vision cam-eras and a following distance in-dicator.The 2021 Equinox will also

have several driver assistancefeatures, Kelly said. They includecamera-based adaptive cruisecontrol, automatic parking assist,safety alert seats, rear cross traf-fic alert, front park assist, rearpark assist and side blind zonealert.The RS trim level is meant to

be a sporty vehicle with a street-inspired look, Kelly said. Amongthe design and style features area gloss black grill, 19-inch An-droid wheels, black badging, anspecial RS shift knob and “eye-catching” red stitching on the ve-hicle’s black interior upholstery.“With the mid-size SUV seg-

ment growing in popularity withthe public, OEMs are putting a lotof effort into the vehicles they’remaking for that niche,” Kellysaid. “So we need to be fresh andif we do it right, we can continueto grow out market share. We

had a pretty strong SUV portfolioand now that we’ve refreshed theEquinox and added vehicles like

the Trailblazer, we’re in a strongposition to take advantage of themarket.”

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The interior of the refreshed Equinox uses contrasting red and black.

Chevy Looks to Expand Equinox Marketshare

Chevrolet made bold changes to the exterior of the Equinox as part of the vehicle’s mid-cycle refresh.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) – A Sub-aru plant in northwest Indiana isset for a $158 million expansionthat will create 350 new jobs byadding a new service parts facili-ty and a transmission assemblyshop, the automaker said Feb.26.Subaru of Indiana Automotive

said both projects will be locat-ed on the plant’s 820-acreLafayette campus, with thetransmission assembly shop tobe added to the existing plant.Construction of that additionand the stand-alone serviceparts facility is expected to be-gin this summer at the plant, lo-cated about 60 miles (96 kilome-ters) north of Indianapolis.The SIA plant – Subaru’s only

manufacturing facility outside ofAsia – employs more than 6,000workers who build the Ascent,Impreza, Legacy and Outbackmodels for North America.Since the plant began opera-

tion in 1989, its annual produc-tion has increased from 67,000vehicles to a projected 410,000vehicles in 2020. About 50 per-cent of all Subaru’s sold in NorthAmerica are built in Indiana.“Our production levels have

tripled over the past 10 years.These new projects are excitinggrowth opportunities to help usmeet increasing customer de-mand,” said Scott Brand, SIA’ssenior vice president of adminis-tration and quality.Subaru of Indiana Automotive isa subsidiary of Subaru Corp.The new projects at the

Lafayette plant are among sever-al made there since the plantopened. Recently, the companyspent $140 million to supportthe plant’s production of theSubaru Ascent, a three-rowcrossover.

Suburu ExpandsCompany’s

Indiana Plant

Michigan Auto Law is offering$5,000 in scholarships to Michi-gan high school students whocreate the best persuasive video,tweet or graphic to convinceyoung drivers to reduce distrac-tions while driving. The applica-tion deadline is March 31.Winners will be announced in

April, during National DistractedDriving Awareness month, saidMichigan Auto Law spokes-woman Christine Snyder.The annual Kelsey’s Law Dis-

tracted Driving Awareness Schol-arship is named after Kelsey Raf-faele of Sault Ste. Marie who diedin a cell phone-related automo-bile crash at the age of 17 in2010. Kelsey’s mother, BonnieRaffaele, worked tirelessly withthe Michigan legislature to enactKelsey’s Law in 2013, which pro-hibits Level 1 and 2 drivers fromusing a handheld mobile phonewhile driving a vehicle.“Distracted driving is a prob-

lem for all ages, but especiallyfor our newest drivers,” saysMichigan Auto Law Presidentand Attorney Steven Gursten.“Teens play a crucial role in con-vincing their peers and others ofthe importance of putting downphones to save lives.”The scholarship application

requirements are open to highschool juniors and seniors (Classof 2020 and 2021) attending any

public or private Michigan highschool (finalists will need to pro-vide proof of enrollment with astudent I.D. or transcript) Michi-gan resident with a valid Michi-gan driver’s license.Applicants can submit either a

YouTube video (30 seconds max-imum); a graphic (PNG or JPGonly); or a Tweet of 110 charac-ters or less. To apply for theKelsey’s Law Scholarship go tomichiganautolaw.com/scholar-ships/kelseys-law/#REG.Entries will be judged on: abili-

ty to persuade others, especiallyteen drivers, to stop textingwhile driving; ability to grab theattention of friends, peers andfamily; a clear and understand-able message and demonstrationof personal creativity and inge-nuity.The best overall submission

will win a $2,000 scholarship;best video submission, $1,500;best graphic submission $1,000;and best tweet submission $500.Students are limited to one typeof submission. The awards willbe applied toward tuition at anyuniversity, college or technicalschool in the U. S. for higher edu-cation. To learn more aboutKelsey’s Law Scholarship, clickhere.Michigan Auto Law is the

state’s largest law firm specializ-ing in automobile accidents.

Firm Offers $5K Scholarship

PAGE 8 MARCH 2, 2020DETROIT AUTO SCENE - TECH CENTER NEWS

A new study from the Centerfor Automotive Research (CAR)finds that General Motors (GM)–the largest automaker in terms ofU.S. market share and second-largest in terms of U.S. produc-tion volume – is a significant con-tributor to the U.S. economy andthe economies of the nine statesin which GM has manufacturingfacilities.The total employment contri-

bution of GM’s 83,860 jobs is681,000 jobs in the U.S. economy– including those who work forGM.The analysis produces an esti-

mated employment multiplier of8.1, meaning that there are ap-proximately 7.1 jobs supportedin the U.S. economy for every jobat GM, said CAR spokeswomanKatie Ramsburgh.CAR estimated the economic

contribution of GM’s 83,860 di-rect U.S. employees in Indiana,Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Mis-souri, New York, Ohio, Ten-nessee, Texas, and the 41 otherstates as a whole for 2019.GM’s direct employment gen-

erated an additional 207,420 jobsat companies that supply the au-tomaker (intermediate impacts)and 291,280 additional jobs in theU.S. economy that are supportedwhen General Motors direct andindirect employees spend theirearnings (expenditure-inducedimpacts).While GM’s total employment

contribution supports jobsin nearly every sector of theU.S. economy, almost 60 percentof the total employment impactof GM’s 2019 U.S. operationswas concentrated in just fiveU.S. economic sectors: manu-facturing, professional andtechnical services, construction,retail trade, and wholesaletrade.General Motor’s U.S. employ-

ment also supports USD 51.6B inprivate non-farm earnings andUSD 13.7B in government re-

ceipts from personal income tax-es and contributions for govern-ment social insurance and trans-fer payments.“General Motors anchors the

economies in the nine stateswhere the company manufactur-ers vehicles, parts, and compo-nents,” said Kristin Dziczek,CAR’s Vice President of Researchand lead author of the study,“and GM jobs pay better than av-erage wages–boosting the com-pany’s economic contributioneven more.”Contribution of General Mo-

tors Manufacturing Operationsto the United States Economy &the Economies of Nine States in2019:• U.S. Total Direct Employ-ment – 83,567; Total Employment Contribution – 681,044;Total Earnings Contribution– $51.6 billion.

• Michigan – Direct Employ-ment – 46,817, Total Employ-ment Contribution – 200,436,Total Earnings Contribution– $14.5 billion.

• Indiana – Direct Employ-ment – 6,819, Total Employ-ment Contribution – 44,735,Total Earnings Contribution– $3.2 billion.

• Texas – Direct Employ-ment – 6,637, Total Employ-ment Contribution – 64,909,Total Earnings Contribution– $4.7 billion.

• Missouri – Direct Employ-ment – 4,155, Total Employ-ment Contribution – 22,365,Total Earnings Contribution– $1.6 billion.

• New York – Direct Employ-ment – 4,043, Total Employ-ment Contribution – 19,890,Total Earnings Contribution– $2.9 billion.

• Tennessee – Direct Employ-ment – 3,953, Total Employ-ment Contribution – 27,069,Total Earnings Contribution– $14.5 billion.

• Ohio – Direct Employ-ment – 3,768, Total Employ-ment Contribution – 46,766,Total Earnings Contribution– $3.3 billion.

• Kansas – Direct Employ-2,430, Total Employ-ment Contribution – 10,678,Total Earnings Contribution– $800 million.

• Kentucky – Direct Employ-ment – 1,074, Total Employment Contribution – 12,400,Total Earnings Contribution– $800 million.

• Remaining States – DirectEmployment – 4,161, TotalEmployment Contribution –221,388, Total Earnings Con-tribution – $17.9 billion.

CAR Study – GM Responsible for 681K Jobs

While GM may be headquartered in Detroit, the company is responsible for creating jobs across the country.

NITRO, W.Va. (AP) – E.J. Smithis a stickler for detailing.The retired Nitro High School

science teacher’s two ATVs arespotless, as are his car, vintagepickup and Jeep CJ5 – the hoodsof which are clean enough todine upon, in the unlikely eventSmith would consider such anactivity.Decades of washing and detail-

ing his vehicles routinely includ-ed the task of spraying cleaningproducts on his tires, whichcaused him some concern, dueto their often caustic content.“The chemicals in the tire

cleaning products can damagethe wheels,’’ causing discol-oration, corrosion and pitting tooccur, he said. With some cus-tom wheels selling for $1,000 ormore, there would seem to be avalue in keeping them free ofclean-and-shine tire sprays, hereasoned.To solve that problem while

doing his own detailing, Smithcut a circle from a thin sheet ofwood that matched the wheel di-ameter on his vehicles and in-stalled a lightweight handle inthe middle. The homemade de-vice allowed him to easily shieldhis wheels from corrosive sprayas he applied tire cleaner.“After a while, people started

seeing me using it and told methey thought it was a good idea,’’Smith said. “Some of them askedwhy I didn’t patent it, and themore I thought about it, the moreI thought, ‘Why not?’?’’Smith said he failed to act on

other ideas for inventions only tosee others patent and producethem. Smith thought his car caregadget might be relatively easyto submit for a patent and thenmass produce from molded plas-tic.

He turned to longtime friendand fellow retired scienceteacher Mark T. Allen for finan-cial backing. Allen is a 32-yearveteran of the Fayette Countyschools system and owner ofSummersville Lake Marina andSarge’s Dive Shop in neighboringNicholas County.One of their first significant ex-

penses was hiring an attorney toguide them through patenting.“A lot of people have told us

that a couple of schoolteacherswould never get this thingpatented,’’ Smith said. “It tooktwo years, but we got the jobdone.’’The patent for the gadget was

awarded last September while asecond patent application foradd-ons to the device was recent-ly accepted and is listed as patentpending, according to Smith.

Plastic injection molds likelywill be used to produce the gadg-et Smith and Allen are develop-ing. To improve upon the originaldevice, the plastic discs will con-tain a groove to hold a rubberseal in place to secure it towheels and wheel rims, blockingtire spray in those areas.The two retired teachers have

begun to contact potential pro-ducers of their invention. Ideally,the rights to market the devicewould be bought by a car care re-tail chain and sold through itsoutlets.Retirement from teaching has

proved a far cry from rockingchairs and porch-sitting forSmith and Allen.Smith continues to teach NRA-

sanctioned handgun certificationand concealed carry classes,which he began doing 25 years

ago. With his wife, Viktoriya,he operates a professional metaldetecting business to help peo-ple find lost jewelry and othermetallic objects. His company al-so assists police in finding shellcasings and bullets at crimescenes.Smith taught science classes in

Kanawha County schools for 34years, including 18 as a nightschool teacher. During 15 yearsof that period, he taught DNRHunter Safety classes.Smith is a scuba divemaster,

while Allen is a scuba instructor.In 1987, President Ronald Rea-

gan presented Allen with thePresident’s Award for Excellencein Science and MathematicsTeaching.Allen taught middle school sci-

ence in Fayette County schoolsfor 32 years.

Retired School Teacher Patents Device to Protect Tires

Trucks are making a big come-back, according to a new reportreleased by the car-shopping ex-perts at Edmunds.Edmunds data reveals that

market share for full-size truckshit a 14-year high in 2019, consti-tuting 14.5 percent of the new ve-hicle market, and full-size trucksales climbed to 2.4 million in2019, which represents a 123 per-cent increase from 2009, said Ed-munds spokeswoman TaliaJames-Armand.According to Edmunds ex-

perts, the strength of the econo-my, lower gas prices and stableinterest rates, combined with anexplosion of options and ameni-ties in the segment, have helpeddrive full-size truck sales to post-recession record levels.“Shoppers used to think of

trucks primarily as bench-seat

utilitarian vehicles, but today,every creature comfort that onewould expect or want in a luxuryvehicle is now available in atruck,” said Ivan Drury, seniormanager of insights at Edmunds.“The range of options availablein the full-size truck market rightnow is catching the eye of buyerswith more discretionary income,and many of them are ditchingtheir SUVs to make the jump.And since full-size trucks retaintheir value so well, once a shop-per gets pulled into the foldthey’re more likely to remain loy-al to the segment.”Edmunds data reveals that full-

size trucks have outpaced othersegments in price growth be-cause shoppers are opting forhigher trim levels, features, andphysically bigger trucks overall.In 2019, the average transac-

tion price (ATP) for a full-sizetruck was $49,888, more than$12,500 higher than the industryaverage of $37,310. Ten yearsago, the ATP for a full-size truckwas $34,987, which was $6,300higher than the industry averageof $28,609.“There’s no question that truck

shoppers are willing to dig a bitdeeper into their wallets to getwhat they want, and prices looklike they’re only going to contin-ue rising,” said Drury.The Edmunds 2020 Truck Re-

port also takes a deeper look intothe fierce competition brewingbetween the biggest players inthe truck segment, with a partic-ular focus on how the perennialthird best-selling truck, the Rampickup, outsold the second best-selling truck, the Chevy Silvera-do, for the first time in 2019.

Findings showed that Ram of-fers a broader range of configura-tions at different price points forthe Ram 1500 Classic, appealingto a wider consumer base. TheRam 1500 Classic has achievedsuccess with 46 configurationsand it’s treated as a true secondmodel – nearly $10,000 separatedthe average transaction prices ofthe Ram 1500 and the Ram 1500Classic in 2019. The Chevy Silver-ado 1500 LD by contrast offersseven configurations and, as a re-sult, its transaction price differedfrom the Silverado’s by about$4,000 during the same period.Ram used leasing to expand the

buyer base. With truck prices onthe rise, Ram saw an opportunityto promote leasing of its trucks,as an effective backup choice formore price-sensitive shoppers orfirst-time truck buyers.

Edmunds Explores Dramatic Growth in Popularity of Full-Sized Truck Market

PARIS (AP) – Despite recordprofits last year, Peugeot makerPSA Group said Feb. 26 it lost700 million euros ($760 million)in China – and that was beforethe new virus hit a key manufac-turing center.As it prepares to merge with

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, PSAforecast a cloudy market for2020, with shrinking auto sales inEurope and Russia and stagna-tion in Latin America – and aquestion mark around China.PSA’s losses in China in 2019

involved two joint ventures thatit decided to scale back becauseof shrinking car sales. Early thisyear, PSA suspended activity atits plants in Wuhan, the epicen-ter of the virus that apparentlyemerged from China late lastyear.“The virus didn’t help,’’ Chief

Financial Officer Philippe deRovira told reporters. He saidWednesday it still expects torestart on March 11, and that it’stoo early to predict the overall fi-nancial impact of the virus onPSA’s activities and sales world-wide.“It’s clear this is a big risk for

the whole industry,’’ CEO CarlosTavares said.Overall, PSA has been on the

rise and working to consolidatewith rivals as the industry grap-ples with the transition to elec-tric and driver-less vehicles. PSAreported a 13 percent boost inprofit for 2019, to 3.2 billion eu-ros. It said the company saved550 million euros last yearthrough its purchase of Ger-many’s Opel and Britain’s Vaux-hall from GM.

Peugeot MakesRecord ProfitsDespite China

KINSTON, N.C. (AP) – A tractorhauling a piece of equipmentmalfunctioned and ran over anumber of vehicles that wereparked in a used car lot, policesaid Feb. 27.Kinston police said the tractor

was hauling a dirt pan used inlandscaping when it ran over atleast five cars parked at FaithAutomotive Sales, WITN report-ed.According to police, the trac-

tor had a mechanical malfunc-tion which caused it to veer tothe right and run right into theused car dealership’s parkinglot, damaging as least five of thevehicles there.No injuries were reported, and

an employee at the dealershipestimated damage caused by theout-of-control tractor to the vehi-cles to be roughly around$20,000.Police closed northbound

lanes of N.C. Highway 11 as a re-sult of the accident.

Out-of-ControlTractor HitsUsed Car Lot

BANGKOK (AP) – Shares skid-ded in Asia on Feb. 24 after re-ports of a surge in new virus cas-es outside China. The decline fol-lowed a sell-off Feb.21 on WallStreet.South Korea’s Kospi dropped

3.9 percent to 2,079.04, while theS&P ASX/200 in Sydnay lost 2.3percent to 6,978.30. Hong Kong’sHang Seng dropped 1.6 percentto 26,865.61 and the ShanghaiComposite index lost 0.3 percentto 3,030.25. Benchmarks in Jakar-ta, Taiwan and Thailand fell bymore than 1 percent and India’sSensex lost 0.9 percent to40,804.98.Japan’s markets were closed

for a holiday.China’s leaders promised more

help for companies and the econ-omy, saying they expect theirgrowth targets can still bereached despite the outbreak.At a news conference Feb. 24,

finance and planning officialssaid they are looking at how tochannel aid to businesses afterPresident Xi Jinping publiclypromised over the past week toensure farming and other indus-tries recover quickly.The government is looking at

“targeted tax reduction,’’ interestrate cuts and payments to poorand virus-hit areas, said an assis-tant finance minister, Ou Wenhan.“We will do a good job of im-

plementing large-scale interestrate reduction and tax deferraland ensure effective implementa-tion as soon as possible,’’ saidOu.The viral outbreak that began

in China has infected more than79,000 people globally and killedmore than 2,600 people. Chinahas reported 2,592 deaths among77,150 cases on the mainland.Another large jump in new cas-

es was reported in South Koreaon Feb. 24, a day after the thepresident called for “unprece-dented, powerful’’ steps to com-bat the outbreak that is increas-ingly confounding attempts tostop the spread.The 161 new cases bring South

Korea’s total to 763 cases, andtwo more deaths raise its toll toseven.Hopes that the outbreak had

been contained were premature,Mizuho Bank said in a commen-tary, “And indeed, fears of sec-ondary infections proliferatingoutside of China have comehome to roost, sending risk as-sets in a tailspin and a wave ofrefuge-seeking into safe-haven.”Stocks fell and bond prices

jumped Feb. 21 on Wall Streetamid signs the viral outbreak isweighing on U.S. companies.The S&P 500 fell 1.1 percent to

3,337. The Dow Jones IndustrialAverage fell 0.8 percent to 28,992.The Russell 2000 index of smallercompany stocks gave up 1.1 per-cent, while the tech-heavy Nas-daq lost 1.8 percent to 9,576.

Technology companies, whichhave much greater exposure toChina than other industries, fellthe most. Chipmakers, which re-ly heavily on China for both salesand supply chains, were some ofthe worst hit. Advanced MicroDevices slid 7 percent, whileNvidia fell 5.6 percent.Data from IHS Markit show U.S.

manufacturing and business ac-tivity slowed in February fromthe previous month, coming inbelow analysts’ expectations.Travel restrictions, business

closures and other efforts in Chi-na aimed at containing thespread of the virus have begun todisrupt supply chains and salesprospects for Apple and otherbig companies.Companies that depend on

consumer spending, especiallyin travel-related industries, alsofell broadly. Marriott Interna-tional shed 2.7 percent and Car-nival fell 1.8 percent. AmericanAirlines dropped 3.2 percent.General Motors lost 2.2 percentand other automakers slipped

as the virus hurts auto sales inChinaThe yield on the 30-year Treas-

ury has dipped to record lows asinvestors sought the safety ofU.S. government bonds. It fell toa record low of 1.886 percent, ac-cording to Tradeweb, from 1.98percent late Feb. 20.The yield on the more closely

followed 10-year Treasury was at1.47 percent. That yield, which isa benchmark for mortgages andother kinds of loans, was close to1.90 percent at the start of thisyear.The price of gold also rose,

surging $17.60 to $1,666.20 perounce.Expectations have been build-

ing among traders that the Feder-al Reserve will need to cut inter-est rates this year to help theeconomy.They’re pricing in a 90 percent

probability of at least one cutthis year, up from an 85 percentprobability a week ago and a 58percent probability about amonth ago.

Punch Group has acquiredGM’s propulsion engineering cen-ter in Turin.The transaction between the

two companies includes an engi-neering services agreement tosupport GM’s global product pro-grams through the end of 2021was formally revealed to the pub-lic on Feb. 27.The agreement ensures the on-

going viability of the engineeringcenter and employment of itsworkforce, said GM spokes-woman Lauren Langille. PunchGroup plans to reposition thecompany with developments fornew market segments while con-tinuing to provide engineeringservices to GM.Since 2005, Turin served as a

global center of excellence fordiesel propulsion systems andelectronics for GM, Langille said.“This addition to our global

portfolio will help the PunchGroup execute our vision to bethe leading integrator and manu-facturer of driveline solutions,”said Punch Group Founder andCEO Guido Dumarey. “The focusof this business will be to deliverworld-class engineering servicesto GM and new clients. This in-cludes developing engine appli-cations for new segments, sup-porting the manufacturing of en-gines, and providing both engineand transmission solutions inmarkets worldwide.”“Our skilled workforce in me-

chanical and electronic engineer-ing, combined with our agilemindset, positions us well to pro-pel and grow this business intothe future,” said Pierpaolo Anto-nioli, managing director of theengineering center.

For GM, the agreement is in-tended to ensure the continuityof engineering services on keyGM programs, as the companycontinues to transform and con-solidate its global engineering or-ganization.“We wanted the best solution

for our employees and our com-pany – the transfer of ownershipto Punch Group, in addition to anengineering services agreement,does just that,” said Doug Parks,executive vice president, GM.“The work will continue to sup-port our global operations andallow us to focus our internal ef-forts on long-term solutions.”

Employees of GM Turin are nowemployees of Punch Group effec-tive today andwill continue to sup-port future GM programs throughthe ESA, Langille said. The twocompanies will continue to worktogether to ensure a smooth tran-sition from GM to Punch Group.According to the Web site “Ref-

erence for Business,” “Punch In-ternational N.V. is a diversifiedmanufacturing company withhistoric roots in manufacturingservices, specifically the manu-facture of plastic and metal com-ponents and the production ofcomponent assemblies for third-parties, such as Philips and Sony.

“Manufacturing Services re-mains the Belgian company’sprimary activity, accountingfor nearly 60 percent of itsturnover. Since the early 2000s,Punch has made an effort todiversify its operations and es-pecially to aim the companymore toward the production ofend products and complete sys-tems.“As such, Punch has made a

number of strategic acquisitions,such as the purchases of graph-ics systems makers Xeikon andStrobbe Graphics in 2002 and ofAdvantra International in 2001and Acunia in 2004.

MARCH 2, 2020 PAGE 9DETROIT AUTO SCENE - TECH CENTER NEWS

Ford’s scooter arm Spin is now seeking employees in Germany as the brand expands across borders.

Spin, the micro-mobility unit ofFord Motor Company that craft-ed the first stationless micro-mo-bility permit in the United Statesof America, is going internation-al.The company will launch its

first international fleet of dock-less electric scooters in Cologne,Germany this Spring, with otherGerman cities soon to follow,said Spin spokeswoman Chris-tine Yeo. To further bolster itspresence internationally, Spinwill apply for the upcoming Parise-scooter share permit in Francenext month and will explore op-portunities in the United King-dom including private partner-ships and pending e-scootershare trials.With over 20 exclusive part-

nerships in the United States ofAmerica, Spin is a partner toover 60 cities and 25 universities,developing a long-term afford-able and reliable alternative tocommuting for communities, Yeosaid.Through its Partnership Prom-

ise, Spin works closely with localgovernments to obtain permis-sion prior to entering new mar-kets, and scaling its fleet respon-sibly. Spin also works with pri-vate companies, advocacy andlocal community groups to cre-ate a genuine transportation so-lution that addresses the needsand challenges of each city andcollege campus.“We believe that community

integration is integral to ourlong-term success. That’s whywe have local teams dedicated tolistening to the people in thecommunities we operate, gather-ing feedback so that we can offerthe best service possible,” saidEuwyn Poon, Co-Founder andPresident of Spin. “Last year, weincreased the number of U.S.cities in which we operate by 600percent. We look forward toworking collaboratively withcities and universities through-out Europe to bring the joyful,

safe, and seamless Spin experi-ence to the international commu-nity.”Since joining the Ford family in

November 2018, Spin and Fordhave partnered to scale the busi-ness in new markets, successful-ly run operations, and offer asustainable and genuine trans-portation solution that will allowa mass of commuters to freelymove in gridlock and urban envi-ronments, and explore the worldaround them, Yeo said.Earlier this year, Spin an-

nounced its plans to heavily in-vest in product and infrastruc-ture projects that will contributeto scooter-sharing sustainablemobility.The company has installed

hundreds of Spin charging Hubsacross the U.S.A. that addressmajor issues such as scooterclutter and accessibility of scoot-ers.“We are thrilled to reach this

major milestone for our compa-ny,” said Derrick Ko, Co-Founderand CEO at Spin. “As the compa-ny that created the first policyframework for regulating station-less micromobility, we look for-ward to collaborating with ourconstituents in Europe to shapethe future of this industry.“Being part of Ford helps us to

offer long-term commitments toour partners as well as infra-structure investments such asSpin Hubs charging stations andmultimodal lanes. We are lookingforward to expanding our servic-es to Europe where cities arecommitted to making sustain-able, safe, and people-centeredtransportation options workthrough regulatory frameworksand infrastructure investments."Since its acquisition by Ford in

November 2018, Spin's team hasgrown significantly from 24 em-ployees to over 600 employees,Yeo said. The company is cur-rently hiring in Germany for localcorporate and fleet operation po-sitions.

Ford is Expanding Its SpinSubsidiary Internationally

Virus Still Shaking Markets Across Globe

General Motors has sold its Turin, Italy-based propulsion center to the Belgium-based Punch Group.

GM Sells Off the Company’s European Propulsion Facility

MILTON, Wis. (AP) – DonaDutcher’s office at BlackhawkCommunity Credit Union is asmall glimpse into bold plans toremember the history of auto-making in Rock County.

She has piles of photographs,hubcaps and a mannequin wear-ing a pair of coveralls with em-ployee number 40-19-10414.

There are bricks from the Gen-eral Motors Assembly smoke-stack, a place setting from the ex-ecutive dining room, a nameplatefrom a 307 Chevrolet and UnitedAuto Workers Local 95 campaignbuttons touting Jim “Boz’’ Bos-ben, Terry Meyer, Mike Sheridanand Archie Bailey.

In the basement of the creditunion, two separate rooms, oneof them a vault, hold frayed andfragile blueprints of GM build-ings, reports from a transporta-tion company GM used to haulvehicles from the plant to deal-ers, postcards, tools andJanesville Gazette newspapersdocumenting the strike of 1937.

“I’ve got a lot of stuff, as youcan see,’’ Dutcher recently toldthe Wisconsin State Journal.

And it’s only a fraction of hercollection.

Dutcher has other storage fa-cilities in Milton, Janesville andBeloit that hold larger items suchas industrial fans, three-wheeledbikes used to get around theplant, handrails, carts, weldingequipment and cabinets full oftools. She even has lights fromthe parking lot, multiple fire hy-drants and three flagpoles.

And sometime in 2021 the arti-facts will come under one roof indowntown Janesville.

That’s where the credit unionwill open a Legacy Center in theformer First National Bank build-ing that was constructed in 1913at the corner of Main and Riverstreets.

Dutcher, a manager of the

credit union’s Milton branch –and whose husband, Brad Dutch-er, started working at GM in 1986and is a former president of UAWLocal 95 – has worked for thecredit union since 2002 and does-n’t consider the Legacy Center amuseum. Instead, it will be moreinteractive. Beyond the exhibits,it will include educational pro-grams and research facilities andbe a place for reflection and re-membrance of an industry thattouched nearly every aspect ofJanesville and provided good-paying jobs to generations offamilies.

“GM was just so connected tothe veins of this community,’’Dona Dutcher said.

The need for a place to take inthe history of Rock County auto-making became apparent afteryears of hearing from former em-ployees, and after 1,200 workersthere lost their jobs when pro-duction of Chevrolet Suburbanand Tahoe and GMC Yukon sportutility vehicles ended just beforeChristmas 2008. The Isuzu truckline closed the following April,ending the jobs of the remaining110 employees. Another 800 orso employees of a long list of GMsuppliers and contracted trans-port companies also were putout of work over the succeedingmonths.

In 1990, GM employed 5,100people in Janesville. At its peakin 1978, the sprawling plant onthe city’s south side had morethan 7,100 employees.

So when it came time to re-model the Milwaukee Streetbranch of the credit union, whereDutcher was working a few yearsago, she started looking at waysin which historical items couldbe displayed in the branch. Herboard of directors, however, be-gan thinking about somethingmore that just a few historicalphotos and signs.

They initially considered com-bining the Legacy Center with anew corporate headquarters butwhen plans for the site along theriver fell through, the creditunion purchased the formerMoose Lodge in the city for itsheadquarters and the First Na-tional Bank building last summerfor the Legacy Center, located inthe midst of a downtown that isundergoing massive redevelop-ment.

“It is important to us that ourexpansion plans continue to con-tribute to Janesville’s overall re-development strategy,’’ SherriStrumpf, the credit union’s CEO,said when she announced theplans. “We are excited that thiswill not only return a building to

its historical significance, but itwill make a great backdrop for amuseum that honors the menand women and families andfriends of General Motors andthe UAW.’’

The history of GM in Janesvilledates back to 1918, when thecompany branched out into farmvehicles by buying the SamsonTractor Co. Within 12 months af-ter the purchase, nearly 150 trac-tors per day were rolling off theproduction line. Car productionat the Janesville plant began in1923, but the Great Depressionshuttered the plant from 1932 to1934. The plant made 16 million105 mm artillery shells duringWorld War II and then returnedto automotive production afterthe war.

It’s only fitting that BlackhawkCommunity Credit Union is creat-ing the Legacy Center to payhomage to GM and the othercompanies created in the city be-cause of GM’s presence. Thecredit union was formed in 1965with employees of the FisherBody Division of GM and officeemployees of UAW Local 95. To-day, the credit union has 12branches, over 60,000 membersand over $600 million in assets.

But it’s safe to say that Dutch-er’s office at the Milton branchthat opened last fall is the onlyone that resembles a museum.

She has archival software onher computer and is always pur-suing garage sales, thrift storesand auctions for anything relatedto auto-making in Rock County.She also gets a steady stream ofphone calls and emails from for-mer workers or the families offormer employees offering upmemorabilia.

Dutcher has collected identifi-cation badges for some of the153 GM employees who workedat a temporary production facili-ty at the yearlong Century ofProgress International Exposi-tion, also known as the ChicagoWorld’s Fair, in 1933.

PAGE 10 MARCH 2, 2020DETROIT AUTO SCENE - TECH CENTER NEWS

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Woman Celebrates GM’s Local History

“GM wasjust so connected

to the veinsof this

community.”– Donna Dutcher,

Blackhawk CommunityCredit Union

February – like January beforeit – is known to be a weak monthfor vehicle sales, and this yearshould be no different, said Coxspokesman Mark Schirmer.

According to a forecast re-leased by Cox Automotive, newlight-vehicle sales volume is ex-pected to rise nearly 6 percentcompared to last February and16 percent compared to lastmonth. With leap year providingan extra selling day – 25 this yearversus 24 last year, the gain isless impressive. After incorporat-ing seasonal adjustments, thesales pace is expected to risejust slightly, from 16.5 million inFebruary 2019 to 16.6 million thisyear.

According to Charlie Ches-brough, senior economist withCox Automotive: “We’ve settledat a slower pace over the last fewmonths, and our expectation isthe new pace will continue thismonth and through 2020. We arein the late stage of the sales cy-cle, and demand is weakeningeven though incentives are rela-tively high.”

There are upside and down-side risks to the forecast this

month as sales in February canbe greatly influenced by manyfactors, including harsh winterweather.

Extreme weather can impactvehicle sales in winter months asshopping on dealership lots be-comes more difficult, and cold,gray climate conditions do notsupport buyer excitement. Thusfar, this February has not seenmassive snowstorms or coldacross much of the country, andthese mild conditions shouldsupport healthy vehicle sales.However, another risk to the ve-hicle market remains credit avail-ability, particularly in subprimelending. Auto financing contin-ues to remain strong, but adownturn in the economy willimpact credit availability.

The record for February oc-curred in 2000, at the peak of thedot-com bubble when salesreached 1.5 million vehicles, andthe seasonally adjusted annualrate (SAAR) was 18.9 million. Ex-ceeding this record is not expect-ed this February as there is littlestimulus from either the econo-my or the market that would liftthe sales pace to this level.

February Auto Sales Weak

MARCH 2, 2020 PAGE 11DETROIT AUTO SCENE - TECH CENTER NEWS

PAGE 12 MARCH 2, 2020DETROIT AUTO SCENE - TECH CENTER NEWS

*All prices and payments include GM rebates. Pictures may not represent actual vehicle. Pricing subject to change per GM incentives. Prices and paymentsare inclusive of active GM employee discount (unless otherwise stated). All leases are 10,000 miles per year with approved A Tier credit. All Vehicles shownare $999 down unless otherwise stated. Disposition Fee may be required at vehicle turn in.Must have lease loyalty or lease conquest vehicle in householdon certainmodels. Prices and payments are plus tax, title, plate, doc fee, refundable security deposit required on certain vehicles – to be determined by lender.**$3,500 trade in is valid on 2008 or newer vehicles w/ under 115k miles in drivable condition, no branded titles, reconditioning determined by appraiser.Certain restrictions may apply, see dealer for complete details. Free appraisals on vehicles see salesman for details ** Exp date: 3/2/2020. All downpayments include Card top Off.

*All prices and payments include GM rebates. Pictures may not represent actual vehicle. Pricing subject to change per GMincentives. Prices and payments are inclusive of active GM employee discount (unless otherwise stated). Pricing includes EdRinke cash while supplies last. All leases are 10,000 miles per year with approved A Tier credit. All Vehicles shown are $999down unless otherwise stated. Disposition Fee may be required at vehicle turn in. Must have lease loyalty or lease conquestvehicle in household on certain models. Prices and payments are plus tax, title, plate, doc fee, refundable security depositrequired on certain vehicles – to be determined by lender. **$3,500 trade in is valid on 2008 or newer vehicles w/ under 115kmiles in drivable condition, no branded titles, reconditioning determined by appraiser. Certain restrictions may apply, see dealerfor complete details. Free appraisals on vehicles see salesman for details ** Exp date: 3-2-2020. All down payments includeCard top Off.

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