Auto Bytes Blog

After years of going big, American car buyers are downsizing

December 23, 2024

Sales of smaller cars and compact SUVs have been on the rise with more shoppers giving priority to affordability Stubbornly high car prices and elevated interest rates are persuading more Americans that when it comes […]

Trump Team’s 100-Day Plan shows EV policy stripped of rebates

December 18, 2024

Advisers to President-elect Donald Trump are recommending a two-pronged approach to reshape the US auto industry: cut federal subsidies to boost electric-vehicle sales while still fostering a domestic supply chain to produce them. Taken together, the suggestions […]

Automotive 3D printing could change the way carmakers do repairs

November 14, 2024

Automotive OEMs face increasing pressure to improve their supply chains, not only to reduce costs and improve efficiency but to meet environmental demands for a lower carbon footprint. Traditional inventory models with centralized warehouses lead to high […]

Automotive News: Why a lot more used EVs are about to become eligible for a tax credit. Older ones are a mixed bag

October 29, 2024

On Jan. 1, 2025, the percentage of potentially eligible used EVs will jump to 89 percent from 65 percent Almost a quarter of electric vehicles in the U.S. may become eligible for a $4,000 tax credit in […]

Traditional auto dealership franchises might work best, new study says

September 24, 2024

A new Oliver Wyman study, commissioned by NADA, believes the cost advantages of hybrid or direct-to-consumer auto distribution models have been overstated. Traditional auto dealership franchises may be the most cost-effective way to sell cars after all. […]

NADA: Market Conditions Creating “New” Potential Federal Regulatory Duties

September 9, 2024

Since 1975[1], the FTC has had a Rule, currently called the “Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule” (“Rule”) that requires sellers who solicit buyers to order merchandise through the mail, via the Internet, or by phone […]

Glenn Mercer’s Car Charts: Silicon Valley vs. Stuttgart

August 26, 2024

This excerpted chart from a recent round of APEAL shows how Tesla EVs (left blue column) are holding up against non-Tesla EVs (right blue column). The non-Tesla crowd, after quite a few years of flailing […]

NADA FTC Non-Compete Clause Rule – Frequently Asked Questions

August 22, 2024

On May 7, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) adopted the Non-Compete Clause Rule (“Rule”), which finalizes a comprehensive ban on new non-competes for nearly all workers. The Rule provides that it is an unfair […]

New-vehicle cash rebates are surging, with EVs leading the charge

August 20, 2024

Though auto-loan rates remain high, the good news for beleaguered new-vehicle shoppers is that transaction prices are falling and automakers’ incentives are becoming more lucrative than any period since the pandemic slapped the industry silly. Kelly […]