Key Takeaways - Right to repair empowers consumers. It ensures car owners can access repair information and choose service providers, not just dealerships. - Tech advances challenge old agreements. Modern cars’ proprietary software and data collection aren’t covered by past right-to-repair deals. - Legislation falls short. Current bills fail to address critical issues like telematics and software access, maintaining automaker control. - Bipartisan support with consumer focus. The movement appeals across political lines, emphasizing consumer rights and small business support. If you buy something, you should own it. If you own a car, you shouldn’t need permission to repair it. And if you don’t want to DIY, you should be free to choose where you take it for service—like your independent shop down the street, not just a corporate-owned dealership. That’s the real consumer issue at the heart of right to repair. It’s not just about dudes like me tinkering on old trucks in driveways; it’s about stopping automakers from turning your car into a secret scroll only the dealership can decipher. This affects every single car owner in America. Quick Download on Right to Repair in 2026 Here’s the contextual download for anyone wondering why “right to repair” keeps surfacing in the news—and why it matters even if you never plan to touch a wrench. - What it means: Right to repair is the principle that a company selling you a complex product has to make the information, tools, and parts needed to fix it available to you and to independent shops—not just to its own dealers. In plain terms, you should be able to get your car fixed without the manufacturer’s permission. - Why it’s back: Carmakers and the aftermarket struck a truce in 2014, but that deal predates the era of the always-connected, data-collecting car. Automakers have
Jul 22, 2026 · via thedrive.com
Welcome to Deal Central Insider Deal Central Insider is your quarterly source for industry insights, dealer success stories, practical tips, and product updates. Each issue highlights trends shaping the automotive retail landscape and shares ideas dealerships can use to create a more connected buying experience. In This Issue - Meet Buyers Where They Are - Start Deals Earlier. Create More Momentum. - Tip of the Quarter - Dealer Spotlight Masano Auto Group - What‘s New at Deal Central Meet the Buyer Where They Are Today’s car buyer starts the deal long before they walk in. Data from Cox Automotive’s 2025 Car Buyer Journey Study found that 63% of buyers say a blend of online and in-store, omnichannel, would be their ideal experience. Yet about half still complete the entire purchase in person. The opportunity sits in that gap: meet buyers where they’re already shopping and bring them in ready to move. Across more than 20 million leads, dealers using Deal Central are seeing exactly that pattern, deals starting earlier, buyers showing up more often, and paperwork moving faster. Start Deals Earlier. Create More Momentum. Deal Central can help your dealership begin the deal conversation earlier in the buying journey. Instead of waiting until a customer arrives in the showroom, you can start building the deal while the customer is still researching, shopping, or communicating with the store. Why does that matter? Because when you create deals earlier, you’re often better positioned to keep the process moving. Across more than 20 million leads, Deal Central dealers were more likely to have a deal in place before key milestones in the buying journey: - Before first contact: 21.4% vs. 3.2% - Between first contact and appointment: 12.4% vs. 2.0% - Between appointment and showroom visit: 16.2% vs. 2.5% It’s not just that
Jul 21, 2026 · via coxautoinc.com
Developer expands luxury car condo concept to Cincinnati suburb
CINCINNATI (Cincinnati Business Courier) - Luxury private garage brand Torque Motor Suites is expanding its Cincinnati presence with a new location.
Torque Motor Suites announced in a news release that it is opening garage suites in Blue Ash at 4310 Glendale Milford Road July 29. Torque Motor Suites is a project by Neyer Properties, one of Cincinnati’s largest commercial real estate developers. Torque has another location in Oakley.
The project includes 30 private garage suites ranging from 1,200 square feet to 1,600 square feet and up to 400 square feet on the mezzanine level. The suites include minimum 18-foot ceilings, climate controls, insulated walls and ceilings, LED lighting and a bathroom. Select units have showers.
Read the full story from the Cincinnati Business Courier.
Cincinnati Business Courier is a Local 12 News partner
Jul 21, 2026 · via local12.com
Suspect vehicle crashes into 16th Street FreeRide bus in Denver after pursuit
Commerce City police say a suspect connected with an attempted murder case was a passenger in a vehicle that fled into Denver before it crashed into an RTD bus.
According to the Commerce City Police Department, the female passenger is suspected of being an accessory to attempted murder in connection with a shooting in the city on Sunday. That shooting took place at Highway 2 and 72nd Avenue.
The CCPD says officers were pursuing the vehicle the woman was riding in on Tuesday afternoon when it passed into Denver.
The officers reportedly lost sight of it when it entered Denver, and they called off the pursuit. Soon after, the vehicle reportedly crashed into an RTD bus, injuring the driver and the suspect already wanted by the police. Both of them were taken to the hospital for treatment, and the CCPD says they are each facing a number of charges.
Authorities say no one on the bus was injured.
The Denver Police Department closed the intersection of 16th and Champa Street so officers and an outside agency can investigate the scene.
Jul 21, 2026 · via cbsnews.com
Related: New Trucks, AI & Summer Downtime Videos Leaders, Data, and the Future of Mobility | AF News Recaps From Fleet Manager of the Year finalists to connected vehicle privacy and the future of urban mobility, this week's biggest fleet stories are all about where the industry is headed next. Here's your Weekly Cheat Sheet. - The content highlights the finalists for Fleet Manager of the Year, emphasizing leadership excellence in the industry. - Discussions on connected vehicle privacy underscore the importance of data security in evolving mobility solutions. - The future of urban mobility is a focal point, exploring innovative trends and their potential impact on transportation systems. *Summarized by AI The nominees for the 2026 Automotive Fleet awards are officially live. Their accomplishments reflect the evolving role of fleet leaders, who are driving innovation, improving efficiency, and leading organizations through a rapidly changing transportation landscape. That evolution is also changing how fleets think about data. As connected vehicles generate more information than ever before, simply deleting driver profiles is no longer enough. Fleet organizations are being encouraged to develop comprehensive data management strategies that address privacy, security, and vehicle lifecycle considerations long before vehicles leave service. We're also getting a new look at the fleet landscape itself. Fleet Forward 2026 will debut its first registration-based analysis of the nation's largest commercial fleets, providing fresh insights into fleet size, composition, and broader industry trends. And finally, the Fiat Topolino is generating discussion well beyond its compact footprint. While it's not a conventional fleet vehicle, it raises important questions about urban mobility, vehicle right-sizing, and how future fleets may look in dense city environments. Make sure you don't miss future Weekly Cheat Sheet updates and the latest fleet industry news.
Jul 21, 2026 · via automotive-fleet.com
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Jul 21, 2026 · via detroitnews.com
Kaylee Hottle, a deaf actor best known for her starring role in two “Godzilla” films, died in a car crash in Maryland early Tuesday morning, the Frederick County Sheriff's Office said. She was 18. Hottle was one of two passengers in the car when it went off the road and hit a culvert in Ijamsville before 3 a.m. The driver, a 19-year-old Frederick man, was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and the other passenger declined medical treatment, according to a news release from the sheriff's office. Excessive speed is believed to be a factor in the crash, which is under investigation, the sheriff's office said. Hottle was a native signer of American Sign Language, and her family members are also deaf. Her parents, Joshua and Ketsi Hottle, shared emotional video statements about her death on social media sites. “Privilege to be your mom, Kaylee Hottle,” Ketsi Hottle wrote on her video post. “I am taking a flight I would never like to take,” wrote Hottle's father. In “Godzilla vs. Kong” and the sequel, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” Hottle played an orphaned girl named Jia who sees beyond Kong's threatening appearance and forms a special bond with the monster, communicating with him using sign language. “I’m so devastated to hear this. You will be deeply missed Kaylee,” her “Godzilla” co-star Millie Bobby Brown posted on Instagram. Co-star Alexander Skarsgård, who learned ASL to communicate with Hottle, told the pop culture website Junkee in 2021 that he and others were impressed by the young ingenue's professionalism and her ability to quickly incorporate the director's notes into her acting. In a 2024 interview with The Associated Press, Hottle said through an interpreter that she hadn't watched monster movies before she was cast in Godzilla, so her father helped
Jul 21, 2026 · via spectrumlocalnews.com
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Jul 21, 2026 · via youtube.com
nsight’s newly released flagship automotive report forecasts that the global active installed base of vehicles equipped with factory-embedded OEM telematics will reach 583.1 million by 2030, up from 338 million at the end of 2025. That growth trajectory implies a compound annual growth rate of 11.5 percent, a pace that would make the connected car fleet nearly double in size in just five years, transforming what was once a premium feature into a near-universal expectation. A Feature That Became the Default The shift is visible most clearly in how new vehicles are built. Berg Insight found that 83 percent of new cars sold worldwide in 2025 already came equipped with embedded connectivity, up from 79 percent the year before. By 2030, the firm projects that figure will climb to 91 percent of all new vehicles shipped, or roughly 82.6 million cars annually, up from 72.6 million units in 2025. Aftermarket dongles and phone-tethered infotainment systems, once the default way to bring an older car online, are steadily being replaced by connectivity built into the vehicle at the factory. For automakers, the incentive extends well beyond selling subscriptions. Martin Cederqvist, senior analyst at Berg Insight, said manufacturers are increasingly offering core connected services free for extended periods specifically to keep vehicles online. That strategy, he explained, allows carmakers to collect the kind of large-scale usage data that shapes future product development and helps confirm how vehicles are holding up over their full lifespan. The car, in other words, has become a listening device for its own manufacturer, feeding a continuous stream of performance data back to the company that built it long after the sale is complete. The Data Tsunami Behind the Dashboard That constant connection comes at a cost measured in gigabytes. Berg Insight estimates the average connected car consumed
Jul 21, 2026 · via autoconnectedcar.com
Polestar Won't Fight US Ban, Effectively Ending Its American Future The automaker says it won't challenge a federal ban on future vehicle sales, despite now building some of its cars outside China. the breakdown - Polestar won't appeal the US government's decision to block future vehicle sales. - The ban stems from new connected-car security rules targeting Chinese software in internet-connected vehicles starting with the 2027 model year. - Polestar will shift its focus to Europe. Polestar is officially giving up on the US market, it seems. According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, the Chinese-backed automaker won't challenge the US government's decision to block future sales of its vehicles. The decision effectively ends the Swedish EV maker’s presence in one of the world's biggest auto markets. Instead of appealing the Commerce Department's ruling or pursuing legal action, Polestar says it will shift its attention elsewhere. "We will instead focus our investments on markets where we have a strong brand position and ability to achieve profitable growth, with a strong weighting towards Europe," Polestar spokesman Michael Ofiara told the WSJ. Ofiara added that the company had held "significant dialogue" with US officials and concluded an appeal was unlikely to succeed. Motor1 reached out to Polestar for an official statement. Polestar 3 Performance Why Polestar Was Banned The Commerce Department's decision to ban Polestar in the US stems from new connected-vehicle security rules. Those rules prohibit Chinese software in internet-connected vehicles beginning with the 2027 model year. US officials argued that cameras, GPS systems, and other connected technologies could pose national security risks if controlled by foreign adversaries. Polestar, which is majority-owned by China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, said it was denied a special authorization that would have allowed it to continue selling vehicles despite the new rules.
Jul 20, 2026 · via motor1.com
Immersive In-Car Gaming Becomes Reality: The Cinemo and SmashLabs PartnershipContributed by: Business WireLogoImagesCinemo and SmashLabsImmersive In-Car Gaming becomes reality: the Cinemo and SmashLabs PartnershipTagsTechnologyElectronic GamesAutomotiveEntertainmentGeneral AutomotiveAutomotive ManufacturingMobile EntertainmentSoftwareManufacturingAudio/VideoCinemo
Jul 20, 2026 · via pressreleasehub.pa.media
Detroit Is Watching Volkswagen Fall. It Should Take Notes. Key Highlights - Volkswagen plans to cut its model lineup by up to 50% and potentially shed 100,000 jobs, reflecting industry upheaval. - Chinese EV startups like XPeng are now in talks to acquire European factories, challenging traditional automakers' dominance. - Tariffs provide temporary relief but do not address core issues like automation, battery supply and software development. - U.S. automakers lag behind Chinese competitors in battery technology, automation and connected vehicle software. - Historical examples show that joint ventures and manufacturing collaborations are the fastest paths to closing capability gaps. This month, Volkswagen, once the proudest symbol of German industrial strength, said it would cut its model lineup by as much as half and, if unions agree, shed up to 100,000 jobs. Days later came a more startling report: XPeng, a Chinese electric vehicle startup barely a decade old, is in talks to buy one of Volkswagen's underperforming European factories. Read that again. The student is no longer merely outselling the teacher. The student is bidding on the teacher's classroom. In Washington and Detroit, the reflexive answer is protection. Tariffs on foreign cars and an effective ban on Chinese EVs will, the thinking goes, give General Motors and Ford the breathing room to catch up. That assumption is dangerously incomplete. Tariffs buy time; they do not buy capability. The durable strategy is the uncomfortable one: Invite Chinese EV makers into joint ventures on American soil, with technology transfer written into the terms, exactly as Beijing did with American and European automakers four decades ago. How the Best Customers Became the Fiercest Rivals Consider how fast fortunes have reversed. When GM entered China in 1997 through a joint venture with state-owned SAIC Motor, crowds lined up outside its Shanghai showroom to
Jul 20, 2026 · via industryweek.com
Award of Eight Car Rental Medallions Punted By Select Board JohnCarl McGrady • The Select Board continued a discussion on how to award eight rental car medallions on Monday after acting airport manager Preston Harimon informed members of town administration that the airport “does not have open space” for another car rental agency. Select Board members said that access to a physical storefront was a major factor in their decision, and multiple applicants had suggested they would like to use space at the airport. “Having a location is really important,” Select Board member Matt Fee said. “We should be requiring that they have some place to do it.” During the meeting, town of Nantucket operations administrator Erika Mooney received an email from acting airport manager Preston Harimon stating that a request for proposals for the use of airport space connected to car rentals would not be issued until 2031. The Select Board then opted to continue the discussion to obtain more clarity from the airport and give the applicants time to update their plans and potentially work together. Of the four applicants, only one, Geoff Smith’s G. J. Smith, Inc., already has physical space for rental cars secured. Smith told the Select Board that he owns a lot near the airport and would be willing to collaborate with other applicants. He said that part of his focus would be on renting vehicles for commercial use. Off-island car rental giant Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Pat Tully and Daniel Walsh’s Compass Pointe Rentals both initially proposed using space at the airport, but were quick to pivot after Mooney read Harimon’s email. Enterprise emphasized its size, existing relationships with other companies, and intent to offer cars to island residents temporarily without their vehicles. Compass Pointe, similar to Smith, discussed offering rental vehicles for commercial
Jul 20, 2026 · via nantucketcurrent.com
Swedish automaker Polestar will soon be barred from selling vehicles in the U.S. over concerns about Chinese technology, and the automaker has no plans to appeal the decision, according to the Wall Street Journal. A new U.S. Department of Commerce policy restricting the sale of vehicles with connected technology from China or Russia bars Polestar from the U.S. market starting in 2027, and the Swedish automaker told the Wall Street Journal that it won't appeal the decision. While an avenue for appeal existed, Polestar executives engaged in "significant dialogue" with U.S. authorities and weren't confident in the success of an appeal. The automaker could have eventually taken the issue to court as well, but Polestar leadership says they will zero in on other markets. "We will instead focus our investments on markets where we have a strong brand position and ability to achieve profitable growth, with a strong weighting towards Europe," Polestar spokesman Michael Ofiara said to the Wall Street Journal. The Connected Vehicle Rule has the potential to impact a variety of automakers operating in the U.S. market. Other brands like Lotus and even Mercedes-Benz are all at risk of being barred from U.S. sales, but one notable Chinese-connected automaker has received an exemption from the rule. Volvo received approval to continue selling cars in the U.S. in May, despite being owned by Chinese automotive conglomerate Geely, which also owns Polestar and Lotus. The exemption granted to Volvo required the Swedish automaker to submit governance, technology, and data security details to the Office of Information and Communications Technology and Services within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Federal regulators emphasized that exemptions are granted on a case-by-case basis. National security has been cited as the primary driver behind moves to ban Chinese technology under the Biden and Trump administrations. Specifically,
Jul 20, 2026 · via roadandtrack.com
Once an 'embarrassment' China's EV industry now leads the world Tue 21 Jul 2026 at 4:41am , updatedTue 21 Jul 2026 at 8:04am In some Chinese-made electric vehicles, you can swap your empty battery for a new one in under five minutes. It sounds too good to be true, but the process is simple: drive your car into a special swapping station, take your hands off the steering wheel, then let robots take out the old battery and pop in a fresh one. The tech is just one example of how Chinese EV companies have pushed the boundaries of automotive invention on their path to electric worldwide domination. Loading...Other Chinese companies have developed super-fast EV chargers that can replenish a car's power to nearly 80 per cent in five minutes. And finding a place to charge your car, a challenge in other parts of the world, is rarely a problem in China. The country now boasts the largest EV charging network in the world with about one public charger for every 10 cars. Australia, by comparison, has one public charger available for every 45 electric vehicles. The extraordinary infrastructure and technology advancements have seen China largely overcome the problem of EV "range anxiety", the fear of not having enough power to complete a trip, and helped put China at the forefront of the world's electric vehicle revolution. China is now the undisputed global leader of the EV industry, producing almost 75 per cent of the world's EVs. And it is not just production where China dominates. The country is widely considered superior in all stages of the EV process: from conception and development through to manufacturing and exporting to the rest of the world. But China's EV juggernaut did not happen by accident. The grand EV plan China's government decided
Jul 20, 2026 · via abc.net.au
Toyota 4Runner Driver Doesn't Want To Pay $20 Subscription To Start Car. Then She Discovers Key Fob Trick: 'The Things You Learn' 'Why the heck are there subscriptions to use your own car???' Automakers have been pushing more and more features behind paid subscriptions lately, and remote start is one of the more common ones to get locked away. This new model makes an already expensive purchase feel like you’ll never truly reach the “paid off in full” stage of car ownership that many look forward to. This new Toyota owner found there might be a workaround for at least one of those pesky subscription features. New Feature Unlocked—Literally In a viral video with more than 1.5 million views, content creator Kristen Bravo (@kristenbrvo) shared that the dealership tried to upsell her on the Toyota app, but she didn’t take the bait. "When we bought my 2025 4Runner, we were told that the Toyota app is like the greatest thing ever because you can start your car from the app. The remote just has, like, lock, unlock, and the alarm," she explained. She'd held off on paying for it and seems even less inclined to sign up for the monthly fee now that she’s come across a workaround. "I came across a TikTok that literally says you don't need the app. You don't need to pay the app, and I think it's like $20 a month—and that's why I haven't had it—but this is a life-changer," Bravo says. She then goes out to her car and triple-presses the lock and holds on the third press. And voila, the car started right up. "The things you learn on this app is just amazing,” she said at the end of the clip. Are Car Subscription Fees Here To Stay? Toyota isn't the
Jul 20, 2026 · via motor1.com
Mercedes is in talks with the US to avoid being barred from the American market The cross-party bill, tabled by Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Bernie Moreno of Ohio, would ban car manufacturers from selling vehicles if more than 15 per cent of their share capital is held by Chinese entities For months, the Chinese have been buying fewer and fewer cars from German manufacturers, and now they are threatening to halt Mercedes sales in the US as well. So much so that the Stuttgart-based group is trying to water down a proposed law that would ban the company from operating in the United States because of its partial shareholding in China. The cross-party bill, introduced in the Senate in April by Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Bernie Moreno of Ohio, would ban the sale of connected vehicles by car manufacturers in which Chinese entities hold more than a 15 per cent stake. This threshold would include Mercedes, which has nearly 20 per cent Chinese ownership. Changes to the rules According to Bloomberg, Mercedes is seeking to have the draft legislation amended to raise the permitted threshold for Chinese ownership to 25 per cent. This threshold would match the ownership limit that the bill would impose on other companies, such as suppliers of components or connectivity software. Lawmakers are also considering replacing a numerical threshold with a more qualitative criterion that assesses potential risks to national security. If approved, the proposal would likely be more favourable to the German car manufacturer than the current one. The company stated in a press release that no single shareholder holds more than 10 per cent of its shares and that no shareholder has direct representation on the board of directors or authority over operational decisions. “Mercedes-Benz continues to support legislation aimed at protecting
Jul 20, 2026 · via en.ilsole24ore.com
On the Dash: - Cybersecurity concerns grow as a Norwegian transit operator’s SIM card test confirms a real OTA risk - The finding prompted new cybersecurity investigations in the U.K. and Denmark - It reinforces the security case behind U.S. bills targeting Chinese vehicle technology There are new concerns over potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities in vehicles equipped with over-the-air (OTA) software updates. Officials in the U.K. and Denmark have opened investigations after a Norwegian transit operator found that a Chinese manufacturer could theoretically disable one of its buses through a SIM card built into the vehicle. Cybersecurity analysts warn that the same wireless update technology runs through much of the auto industry. The operator, Ruter, says it found a Romanian SIM card linked to the battery and power supply system of one of its buses made by Chinese company Yutong. “There is access to the control system for battery and power supply via mobile network through a Romanian SIM card. In theory, therefore, this bus can be stopped or rendered inoperable by the manufacturer,” the company said in a statement. The rise of OTA technology OTA updates let manufacturers push new software, firmware and fixes to connected vehicles without a dealership visit. Tesla started using the technology on the Model S in 2012. It has since spread across the industry. The technology cuts costs and speeds up fixes that once required a recall or a service appointment, but that same connectivity gives outside parties a potential path into a vehicle’s control systems. In May, the American Enterprise Institute urged the U.S. to add security reviews, restrict certain foreign-made vehicle hardware and software, and require automakers to disclose more about the data they collect. Cybersecurity and the Chinese vehicle debate The Ruter findings come as U.S. lawmakers are moving to keep Chinese
Jul 20, 2026 · via cbtnews.com