Automotive News

The Washington State Auto Dealers Association has filed suit against Scout Motors in the latest legal challenge facing the Volkswagen Group-backed brand’s plans to sell direct to consumers.

The complaint, filed June 29 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, said all franchised new-vehicle dealership members in the state ― in addition to VW Group brands Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche ― are negatively impacted by Scout’s direct-to-consumer sales.

Read more: https://www.autonews.com/volkswagen/scout/an-washington-state-dealer-scout-lawsuit-0707/

An employee at General Motors’ assembly plant in Texas is in critical condition after he was shot July 7, according to police and the automaker.

Police in Arlington, Texas, said the victim, a 24-year-old man, was found in the parking lot of GM’s SUV factory there around 6:35 a.m. after he apparently was shot multiple times.

The suspect, Larry Hines, was arrested after calling 911 and reporting that he was involved in the incident, police said. Hines, 26, faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to police.

Both people are employees, a GM spokesperson told Automotive News in a statement.

“Our focus is on supporting that individual, their loved ones, and our Arlington team,” GM’s statement said. “We are cooperating with law enforcement and appreciate their assistance.”

Read more: https://www.autonews.com/general-motors/an-gm-arlington-factory-employee-shot-0707/

"The Trump administration’s decision to deny Polestar the right to sell its products in the U.S. beginning in 2027 is far-reaching and has alarming implications for other automakers, whether international or domestic nameplates.

"To be fair, the underlying legislation emanated from the latter stages of the Biden administration, when the Department of Commerce established a section focusing on cybersecurity risks associated with electronics embedded in passenger vehicles built in China, which had the potential to transmit sensitive data, including photos, back to a potentially hostile country.

"There are several additional factors to consider: Many manufacturers that operate in the American automotive space import cars built in China, including General Motors and Ford Motor Co., but they have not been barred from selling them here.

"Polestar, the only automaker so barred, sells two models in the U.S.; neither is manufactured in China. One is built at the Volvo plant in Charleston, S.C."

-Kjell Bergh, CEO of Borton Volvo in Golden Valley, Minn.

Read more: https://www.autonews.com/opinion/guest-commentary/an-guest-commentary-polestar-ban-china-rule-0706/