GM Expands Car Sharing Service Via Maven
Detroit — The final destination is a mystery, but General Motors is taking another step on its fast-moving journey into new ways of getting around. The company on Thursday announced that it’s formed a brand called Maven that will run its car-sharing ventures, including a new one that will begin competing with ZipCar next month in Ann Arbor, Mich., and spread to other metro areas later this year. GM executives said they expect their...
2016 Will Bring More Innovation to Driverless Cars
News last week that Google and Ford will reportedly collaborate on building a driverless car represents a big move forward in the unfolding evolution of autonomous vehicles. But while 2016 promises to be chock-full of more tech innovation insinuating itself into our daily lives, driverless cars will probably not yet be part of the picture. Apple, Tesla, Google and Nissan are already cranking out prototypes and test-driving autonomous...
Wheels: In Sync With What Really Matters
I write 52 columns a year for this beloved journal — too few, I think, to devote more than a couple to models so expensive they can be comfortably afforded by only 1 percent of the U.S. population. As it is, depending on whose numbers you believe, only 15 percent of our nation’s people can comfortably afford — meaning without sacrificing rent, mortgage, food or utility money — a new car with a current average price of $33,566. And...
Claremont Ford Dealer Ordered — Again — to Pay Restitution
Claremont — Arrien Schiltkamp, owner of the financially troubled Claremont Ford Lincoln dealership that was forced to close over the summer, had his retail seller license permanently revoked by the state Banking Department last week and was ordered, again, to pay full restitution to consumers and an administrative fine of $265,000. Documents also show that Schiltkamp is being investigated by the Consumer Protection and Antitrust...
Wheels: All the ‘Ford Tough’ Without the Weight
It is a gamble, but one that might be worth the risk. In the future, it could say more about the future of Ford Motor Co. than it says about any particular Ford product. Indeed, there is something to be said about a company willing to take big chances when everything seems to be going right. And Ford is risking something big here with its aluminum-alloy-bodied 2015 F-150 pickup truck. The F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the...
