
Automotive Insight
527 episodes — Page 4 of 11

Russian auto industry going from bad to worse
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports the Chinese have captured 50% of the Russian market.

Advice from the Godfather of Toyota's production system
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports a manufacturing expert with Toyota always told workers to wipe down their machinery.

Ford, GM working to develop lineup of affordable electric vehicles
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports both Ford and General Motors are working to have EV's priced in the mid-$20,000 range. But questions remain about how many people will buy them. (Photo: Getty Images)

Ford and GM continue to invest in EV technology
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports General Motors and Ford are investigating in new kinds of battery chemistries because the future is all about EVs. (Photo: Getty Images)

Dodge future proofs the Charger instrument panel
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports the new Charger's instrument panel is designed in several layers in order to make a change without having to redo the whole thing.

Warranty work a bonanza for auto dealers
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy says automakers are paying out record amounts of money for warranty work, the total was 28 billion dollars last year.

China's BYD is worth more than $140B, topping Big 3 combined
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports China's biggest automaker is now worth more than every car company in the world except two.

Thousands of auto manufacturing, tech jobs remain unfilled
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy says there are 600,000 manufacturing jobs that are unfilled at this time in the United States. (Photo: Getty Images)

Three big steps forward for autonomous vehicles
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports there are three new developments regarding autonomous cars. One involves Waymo and teens.

A golden opportunity to buy an electric vehicle
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports thanks to both President Biden and President Trump, EV buyers have a great opportunity to save money.

Owning a car, truck or SUV is expensive
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports while most people only think about the cost when buying a car, other things like insurance, gas, maintenance and service add up and costs about $12,000 a year.

Ferrari is getting into sail boats
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy says Ferrari wants to expand its luxury brand, so it will start selling high end sail boats that cost more than one million dollars.

Ford and GM have secret projects for affordable EVs
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports GM is working on a lower cost EV that will compete with Ford.

Natural hydrogen could be a game changer
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports Michigan could have the largest hydrogen reservoir in the United States.

Fewer drivers means fewer cars
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy says it is a wakeup call for the automakers as fewer people are driving. That means the record number of sales, 17 million in 2016, will never be beat.

The CEO of Ford and President at GM are hard core racers
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports executives were banned from racing in the past, but Ford CEO Jim Farley and GM President Mark Reuss are pretty good at racing. Reuss set a speed record, while Farley raced Mustangs earlier this month.

Employment in the auto industry — Where do Ford, GM and Stellantis stand?
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports automakers employ hundreds of thousands of workers and the numbers depend on vehicle sales and how much of the cars and trucks are made in their own facilities.

Auto designer worked with Queen Elizabeth II on secret project
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports Ian Callum, former head designer at Jaguar, talked about his design of Queen Elizabeth II's hearse during the Eyes on Design event in Metro Detroit this past weekend. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

A healthy auto industry depends on career tech courses
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports automakers, suppliers and car dealerships are struggling to get the people they need. These include factory jobs and car techs.

A car show for a cause: Eyes on Design
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports Eyes on Design is a classic car show like no other. The focus is on the top designs. The money raised goes to the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology.

General Motors doubles EV sales in the United States
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports while most automakers are going slow, GM is adding more models to its EV lineup.

Big 3 automakers could spinoff their powertrain operations
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports GM, Ford and Stellantis could save billions every year if they combined their engine and transmission business into a separate company.

The auto industry needs an Office of Automotive Regulation
bonusWWJ's John McElroy reports there could be world class levels of emission control, fuel efficiency and safety if there wasn't so much government regulation

China's rare earth ban could stop auto production
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports China retailiated against President Trumps tariffs by stopping the US and its allies from taking rare earth minerals.

A price war in China is driving down the cost of cars
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports China's auto industry is starting to show some cracks.

Will Canada welcome Chinese automakers
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports tariffs on cars and components could lead Canada to welcome Chinese automakers into the country.

Wienermobiles to race at Indy
bonusWWJ Auto Analyst John McElroy reports Indycars won't be the only cars on the Indy 500 track this weekend. Six Wienermobiles will race too.

Talent shortage in the auto industry
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy says the top problem for automakers, suppliers and dealers is finding enough people to do the work. The biggest shortage is in body shops.

Automate 2025 was all about factory automation
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports he was gobsmacked by what he saw at the trade show in Detroit, including self-programming robots.

Tariffs could trigger creative accounting in auto industry
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports one way to lower the impact of tariffs could be playing around with transfer prices.

Building better batteries with the help of neuroscientists
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports neuroscientists are offering information to help build better batteries.

German car dealers are skeptical of Chinese brands
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports Chinese cars are NOT taking a lot of market share in Germany as they total 1.5% of the German market.

A comeback for the Yugo?
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports a group of investors in Serbia want to bring back a car that was the butt of many jokes. But the new Yugo will be an EV.

Should automakers get rid of the "lane keep assist" feature
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy says he would do away with lane keep assist feature on cars.

Car brands could go away
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports tariffs could be the end of the road for some brands like Audi, Jaguar, Mini and Mitsubishi because they don't have any assembly plants in the United States.

The history of American Motors
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports a new series about American Motors begins Friday.

New pickup developed in Troy will be a case study in the auto industry
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports a new pickup truck developed by a Troy company called Slate could be sold for under 20 grand, if the EV credits stay in place. It goes into production next year.

New company called Slate unveiling new pickup truck
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy says a new auto company in Troy will unveil a new electric pickup.

Formula 1 racing teams using computer simulation
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy says Formula 1 racing isn't just about the cars and drivers.

A surprise in the Toyota Tacoma off-road pickup
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy says shock absorbers have been mounted on the backs of the front seats of the Tacoma Pro pickup.

Is over the air updates on cars one of the best auto inventions ever?
WWJ auto analyst John McElroy says over the air updates were first unveiled by Tesla ten years ago and some automakers still don't use them.

Gas powered vehicles will be around for a long time
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports it will take 23 years to scrap the entire fleet of gasoline powered cars, so the earliest the last ICE vehicle would be on the road is 2048.

A European automaker plans move to US market, despite tariffs
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports Cupra wants to sell cars in the U.S. by 2030 and is talking with Penske Automotive to sell them.

An affordability crisis for the auto industry
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports car buyers are taking out longer loans and tariffs may mean higher prices.

Cadillac making inroads with electric vehicles
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports many customers who have never owned a Cadillac are considering or buying one because of their moves with EVs.

Auto sales predictions revamped due to new tariffs
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports other analysts are reworking their estimates and expecting sales to drop by anywhere from 300,000 to several million.

One category of autos is exempt from new tariffs
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy says classic cars are exempt from the new tariffs implemented by President Trump.

New business opportunity for automakers
bonusAs costs to repairs cars soars, WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports Stellantis is partnering with a supplier, Valeo, to remanufacture electronic components.

Electric vehicles sales growing ten times faster than rest of market
WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports automakers sold 150,000 EV's in the first quarter, up 43%.

The impact of short term tariffs
bonusWWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports Toyota, Honda and Subaru will be the first to feel the affects of tariffs.