Author: kirklandc008@gmail.com

The automotive aftermarket isn’t necessarily facing a shortage of technicians, according to a shop coach. Instead, there’s a shortage of good workplaces for them. Bill Haas, president of AIM Auto Ignite Management, questioned the common claim that there is a simple technician shortage in North America during a presentation at the MEMA Aftermarket Technology Conference in Springfield, Missouri recently. He pointed to public comments from Ford’s chief executive Jim Farley, who said on social media that Ford dealers need hundreds of thousands of technicians and that customers are waiting two weeks for service. Haas told the audience his experience on…

There’s a growing category of electric bikes that seem designed less around raw power and more around simply being pleasant to ride. They’re lighter, cleaner-looking, easier to pedal, and more focused on enhancing the cycling experience instead of replacing it. After spending time testing the new Velotric Tempo, I think this bike fits squarely into that category. The Tempo isn’t trying to be a high-powered fat tire monster or a pseudo-motorcycle disguised as a bicycle. Instead, it feels like Velotric intentionally built a lightweight, approachable commuter and fitness-oriented e-bike that still rides like a bike first and an e-bike second.…

Google now lets big creators and publishers in the US claim dedicated profiles in Search to highlight things like videos, articles, and their other profiles online. But this feature won’t be available to most people or organizations; Google is limiting it to people with at least 100,000 YouTube subscribers, 100,000 followers on Instagram or X, or 300,000 followers on TikTok. You’ll need to meet the minimum on one of those platforms and be at least 18 years old to make a Search profile.In demo videos, Google shows how a Search profile can feature links to websites and other platforms, a…

So why all the effort? BYD’s special adviser for the European market, Alfredo Altavilla, told Auto Express “There’s no doubt that Chinese and European customer needs are differentiating even more. For example, it is now hard to find any Chinese car that’s shorter than 4.8 metres. Also, the typical highway speed limit in China is 90km/h, while Europe has the Autobahn.”  While the Autobahn situation is exclusive to Germany, 90km/h is roughly 55mph, so China’s roads tend to move at a much slower pace than virtually all of Europe’s motorways. “At 90km/h any car is good ” claims Altavilla, “But…

New data has revealed that used car buyers are still reluctant to purchase a car that has accrued more than 100,000 miles, despite the average car on UK roads now being older than it has ever been.  According to a survey by eBay, 72% of drivers would be scared off by six figures on an odometer, while 52% would avoid a car that had surpassed 50,000 miles.  Yet DVLA data shows that the average car on UK roads is now 10 years old, up from nine years old in 2020 and eight years old in 2018.  Furthermore, a new study…

Your pension plan may not be forced to buy SpaceX stock after all. SpaceX With SpaceX about to go public shortly at a gobsmacking valuation, the Nasdaq 100 and other indexes recently relaxed their rules to allow Elon Musk’s company to join early. That caused some consternation because huge funds often invest in ETFs (exchange traded funds) based on those indexes. That in turn means that people could end up with SpaceX stock in their pension funds, for instance, whether they want it or not. However, the largest index in the world, the S&P 500, just announced that…

When the Ford Fusion left the stage in 2020, it marked the end of a very long era at Ford. The decision to cut sedans from the lineup wasn’t without controversy, as Fusion still accounted for over 100,000 sales in its final year. Prior to that, Fusion clocked 166,045 sales. The numbers were falling, but it was still a significant model in the company’s portfolio. Base Trim Engine 2.5L Inline-4 Gas Base Trim Transmission 6-Speed Automatic Base Trim Drivetrain Front-Wheel Drive Base Trim Horsepower 175 hp Base Trim Torque 175 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm Fuel Economy 21/31 MPG Infotainment &…

“If it’s still leaking, it’s not empty.” I’ll never forget the words of my mechanic when my very first Subaru, a trusty 2010 Subaru Forester, began dribbling coolant all over my driveway. I, a used car expert, should have known better. I even bought the extended warranty, in case the head gaskets needed replacing. They started leaking less than an oil change after that warranty expired. I should have saved my money: the head gasket replacement cost about as much as the $1,100 Canadian dollar extended warranty package that I had otherwise wasted at the time. Subaru head gaskets in…

A Leapmotor C10 on display at the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2025. Credit: CnEVPost The first Leapmotor model produced at Stellantis’ Gurun plant is the C10 SUV, to be followed by the B10 compact SUV. The production milestone comes about five months later than the companies’ initially announced target of late 2025. Stellantis NV (NYSE: STLA) has officially started the local assembly of Leapmotor (HKEX: 9863) vehicles in Malaysia, marking a key step in the European automaker’s electrification strategy in Southeast Asia. The first model to roll off the production line is Leapmotor’s C10 SUV (sport utility vehicle), according…

Everything we read about the Nuvolari suggests Audi has little intention of perpetuating the hierarchy that saw the R8 play second fiddle first to the Gallardo then the Huracán.This new supercar is going to have even more power than its Temerario cousin, as well as a full carbon body. Limited production will also make it precisely as exclusive as a LaFerrari. These are not the trappings of a machine people will easily be able to denigrate as being an ‘overgrown TT’.