pandemic

NAPA AUTO PARTS Supports Intrepid Fallen Heroes with $1.5 Million Donation

May 28, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

Special to Auto Trends Magazine.

NAPA AUTO PARTS announced this week that it has completed its eighth annual “Get Back and Give Back” Campaign. Launched in 2012, NAPA’s “Get Back and Give Back” Campaign supports the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF), a not-for-profit organization and national leader in supporting the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families.

In 2019, NAPA’s military month promotions raised over $1.5 million for the cause. Since 2012, NAPA AUTO PARTS has raised, and donated, over $13 million in funds to build regional Intrepid Spirit Centers that can diagnose and treat Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) in active duty service members.

NAPA AUTO PARTS stores and NAPA AutoCare Centers partnered in multiple promotional programs in 2019 to raise money for the IFHF. This included campaigns selling “We Believe in Heroes” t-shirts and a Hero Hat program in stores, where proceeds from NAPA’s generous customers were contributed to the campaign. In addition, dedicated NAPA suppliers participated in several programs to help raise funds.

“NAPA has a very large military family, including our employees and our customers who have served or are actively serving in the armed forces,” said Jason Rainey, VP of NAPA AutoCare, NAPA AUTO PARTS. “One of our top priorities is ensuring this family has the support it deserves, especially in raising awareness for injuries such as PTS and TBI that are often underfunded, unrecognized, and untreated. In this unique and challenging time with the worldwide pandemic, we are proud to extend the funds that were raised in 2019 without interruption. Furthermore, we’re proud to partner with the IFHF again in 2020 even in these unprecedented times. The 2020 “We Believe in ALL Heroes” campaign focuses on our military as well as those who have served on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“We want to thank NAPA AUTO PARTS for their years of supporting the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and ensuring that the men and women who are injured while defending our nation will have access to the best care available,” said Arnold Fisher, honorary chairman of the IFHF. “With partnerships like this as well as public donations, we are able to help our armed services members who suffer from TBI, PTS, and other psychological health conditions recover from their injuries and return to their lives.”

About Get Back Give Back Campaign

The “Get Back and Give Back” Campaign makes NAPA one of the single largest donors to the Fund. The proceeds go towards the IFHF’s mission of building ten Intrepid Spirit centers around the country that diagnose and treat Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) in U.S. service members.

About NAPA AUTO PARTS

NAPA (www.NAPAonline.com) was founded in 1925 to meet America’s growing need for an auto parts distribution system. Today NAPA has grown to nearly 6,000 NAPA AUTO PARTS stores, 57 distribution centers with more than 400,000 part numbers in inventory, and more than 17,000 NAPA AutoCare and AutoCare Collision Centers nationwide.

ABOUT INTREPID FALLEN HEROES FUND (IFHF)

The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF) is a leader in supporting the men and women of the United States armed forces and their families. Established in 2000, IFHF has provided over $200 million in support for the families of military personnel lost in service to our nation, and for severely wounded service members and their families.

Today IFHF is leading efforts to help service members suffering the terrible effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) by building a series of ten specially-designed treatment facilities, called Intrepid Spirit Centers, at military bases around the nation. Within these centers, service members receive the most advanced and proven care to address the complex symptoms of TBI, with the goal of returning these men and women to their duties in the armed forces.

Seven Intrepid Spirit Centers are already open and serving America’s brave service members, and the care provided has allowed more than 90% of patients to continue their service in the armed forces. Construction on the eighth Center began in May 2019. For more information about this effort, visit www.fallenheroesfund.org.

Pandemic Times: Car Disinfecting Tips

May 9, 2020 by admin 1 Comment

Interior cleaning, such as in the cabin of this Nissan Titan pickup truck, takes on a whole different meaning in pandemic times.

These are extraordinary times. America, indeed the entire world, is currently under siege by a pandemic known as COVID-19. This coronavirus has upended life as we know it and the reverberations are likely to last a long time.
The illness has taken many lives and we haven’t witnessed the end of it yet. At the same time, people need to go about their business, including driving to work, heading to the park, and shopping, among other pursuits.

Our vehicles may not have been used much over these past few months, but that’s soon to change. And with the increased driving time, another concern has arisen: how to disinfect car safely and without doing damage to the interior.

Nissan Disinfecting Tips

Nissan is offering tips on how to disinfect your vehicle to thwart the spread of COVID-19. Frequent hand washing as directed by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a crucial part of staying healthy, but so is disinfecting surfaces, including those in your car.

“Most people are still using their vehicles, whether they are essential employees commuting to work or someone running to the grocery store while in quarantine,” said Ryan Fulkerson, director, New Model Engineering, Nissan North America. “We want to make sure they’re informed on how to best keep their vehicle disinfected.”

The CDC recommends wearing disposable gloves for cleaning and then disinfecting surfaces. If a surface appears dirty, it should be wiped down with soap and water before disinfection. For vehicle cabins, a soft or microfiber cloth dampened with soap and water may be used to wipe down hard surfaces.

Alcohol-Based Wipes

While most common household disinfectants are effective, some are not ideal for use on a vehicle including bleach, hydrogen peroxide, benzene, thinners or other harsh and abrasive cleaners. These chemical products can damage your vehicle’s upholstery and/or interior surfaces. Instead, alcohol-based wipes or sprays containing at least 70% alcohol are effective against the coronavirus according to the CDC and can be safely used in your vehicle.

The infotainment screen is tricky because it’s a high-touch area that should not come in contact with aggressive cleaners. Use screen wipes or a soft cloth dampened with soap and water to clean the screen surface. Wipe dry with a clean, soft cloth. Ammonia-based cleaners should not be used on infotainment screens, as they can damage the anti-glare and anti-fingerprint coatings. If the vehicle is equipped, using voice commands can help avoid touching the center screen altogether.

Your Disinfecting Checklist

The following is Nissan’s checklist to help you remember vehicles surfaces to regularly disinfect:

Steering wheel
Key and remote fob
Exterior door handles, both sides
Trunk lid or lift gate grab areas
Interior door pulls, both sides and interior door panels
Start button, if equipped
Rearview mirror: back and edges
HVAC vents
Gear selector
Turn signal lever
Windshield wiper controls
Center stack knobs
Center console and armrest
Seat belt and buckle. Avoid harsh cleaners on the belt itself, they can degrade the fibers and the belt’s strength
Parking brake handle, parking brake or release lever
Deep Cleaning, Automotive Dealership Style

If a vehicle requires more attention, remember that automotive dealerships and their service departments are deemed essential services while many businesses around the country are closed in response to government mandates aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19.

As a result, many service departments remain open and are available to assist with vehicle service and repairs. Many also offer no-contact drop-off or at-home pick-up and delivery, including your Nissan facility.

Photo copyright Auto Trends Magazine. Chart copyright Nissan North America.

Coronavirus: An Industry Under Siege

May 5, 2020 by admin 3 Comments

Car manufacturers are finding different ways to support Americans during the pandemic. Here, a technician administers a COVID-19 test for a passenger at a drive-thru testing center. This particular center is the Children’s Hospital in Washington, DC. Hyundai supplied $4 million in grants through its Hyundai Hope On Wheels program to help underwrite testing (photo copyright Hyundai Motors).

Two months in and the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic shows little signs of ebbing. Sure, we’re seeing the number of new cases fall in many of the earlier hotspots, but in other areas of the country as well as in the world, the scourge seems persistent and ever-expanding.

Trillions of dollars of commerce have disappeared, with the federal government countering with trillions more in financial relief to assist small businesses and taxpayers. In the middle of it all is big business, including the automakers who depend on a steady stream of customers to keep their enterprises afloat.

Deep Losses Abound

To the surprise of no one, the U.S. auto industry’s sales have plunged, with some manufacturers, such as Honda, reporting losses above 50 percent. Manufacturing plants the world over have shut or are operating at reduced capacity. Also, the supply network is on hold, while consumers are more concerned about putting food on their tables, obtaining unemployment assistance, and holding off landlords, mortgage companies, and utility companies in an effort to stay afloat.

Yet, in these distressing times there remains a glimmer of hope. Americans are practicing physical distancing, virus testing and tracing continues to expand, and businesses are figuring out ways to reach consumers going forward.

Early on, manufacturers set out to console consumers, including those who were already financing or leasing their vehicles. Auto Trends received copies of various alerts, informing owners of options available, including deferred payments. The last thing anyone wants to see is a massive repossessing of late-model cars and the financial carnage that would cause.

Special Financing and Cash Back Deals

Besides reaching out to current owners, the automakers quickly updated their financing and leasing schemes to reach new-vehicle shoppers. Fiat Chrysler led the charge, rolling out 0-percent financing for up to 84 months, an uncommonly long timeframe. Besides its novel financing approach, the cashback deals are also better. Our internal survey shows savings of $7,300 to more than $10,000 on the Ram pickup trucks alone.

Other manufacturers joined in, delivering a variety of offers. For example, Toyota offers 0-percent financing for 60 months on three models: its midsize Camry sedan, compact RAV4 crossover, and Tacoma pickup truck. Hyundai rolled out 0-percent financing for 84 months on its compact Elantra sedan and compact Tucson crossover. Moreover, well-qualified Hyundai buyers enjoy a 120-day deferment on their first payment.

Canceled: Electrified Lincoln SUV

Beyond consumer assistance, the manufacturers have responded in various ways by delaying the introduction of new models or scuttling a planned vehicle completely. For an example of the latter, the Ford Motor Company canceled the planned all-electric SUV for Lincoln. The company cited the coronavirus crisis as the reason for canceling the SUV. Ford will, however, continue with its plan to release a Ford-brand pickup truck based on Rivian’s platform.

Manufacturing plants across America endured weeks of shut down, beginning in March. By early May, several plants in the southern U.S. resumed operation, including facilities owned by BMW, Hyundai, and Kia. All three follow Volkswagen, which restarted production at its massive Chattanooga plant at the end of April.

None are operating anywhere near full capacity as manufacturers maintain distancing, while also testing the veracity of their fragile supply chains.

Looking Ahead

The current downturn easily rivals the losses experienced during the Great Recession of 2008-2009. But the unemployment numbers today are far higher, with the rate spiking to an estimated 16.1-percent when the figures become known on Friday. As the states relax their various shutdown edicts, we expect that number to start to drop. Still, it could be many months if not longer before unemployment returns to an acceptable level.

If you’re in the market for a new vehicle, there are deals to be had. This writer exchanged his 2017 RAV4 for a 2020 Corolla, in April as the lease on the crossover came due. Opting for another lease, we lowered our monthly payments by selecting a lower-cost car and took advantage of incentives to save more money. Likewise, savvy consumers able to swing a new vehicle purchase should also garner an outstanding deal.

But there is one problem on the horizon: dealer stock is falling and, in many cases, won’t see replenishment until manufacturing resumes. Therefore, look for spot shortages until then, with pickup truck stock shrinking the most.

U.S. Auto Sales:
A Pandemic Race to the Bottom

April 2, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

March 2020 U.S. auto sales drop through the floor.

As expected, the U.S. auto sales numbers for March 2020 reflect what we already knew: a substantial correction, resulting almost entirely from the COVID-19 pandemic. Every manufacturer and brand posted losses in March, as the country went through an expanding area of “stay at home” orders covering most of the nation. The full impact of the coronavirus outbreak is not yet known, but consumers are staying away from showrooms.

More than 3 million Americans were suddenly left jobless by the third week of March, effectively removing a source of consumers who might show interest in purchasing a new vehicle. In some states, dealerships shut down, while in others they stayed open under local “essential services” rules.

All three of the major domestics – GM, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler – reported losses. The Big 3, as they are colloquially known – stopped reporting monthly sales figures, choosing to share quarterly data only. With the first quarter done, nearly every brand showed net losses. Ram was the lone exception; Korean make Kia also came out on the plus side.
GM’s quarterly sales fell 7 percent, while Fiat Chrysler slid 10 percent. Ford’s numbers were not available as of this writing, but losses rivaling its chief competitors is in order.

Other automakers reported their March sales, which give a stark picture of what happened last month. Subaru, which has seen a steady increase in sales since the last recession, registered a 47-percent drop in March. The loss snapped a month-over-month streak that spanned more than eight years. Indeed, Subaru is facing the end of 11 consecutive years of growth that have transformed this niche automaker into an important player in the U.S. market.

In no particular order, sales numbers culled from manufacturing data is as follows:

Kia sales fell 22.9 percent for the month, but remain up slightly for the year. Two strong months to begin the year have kept this Korean manufacturer in the black, although we expect that’ll change during the first week of April. Hyundai’s sales fell 43 percent of the month, thus it sold fewer cars than Kia, its sister brand.

Mitsubishi reported a 42-percent sales drop, while Mazda’s sales plunged 42.8-percent. Mazda enjoyed strong sales in January and February, thus it is only down 4.9 percent for the quarter.

Porsche’s quarterly sales dropped 20.2 percent, with every established model registering double-digit losses. Porsche also started delivering its Taycan all-electric model, with 221 units sold in the first quarter.

Volkswagen sales dropped 42 percent for the month and are down 13 percent for the year. The automaker rolled out the new Atlas Cross Sport model during the first quarter.

Toyota sales fell nearly 37 percent for the month and are down 8.8 percent for the first quarter. New models counted during the January-March period include the GR Supra sportscar and the Yaris Hatchback.

Nissan Group sales, inclusive of the Infiniti and Nissan brands, are down nearly 30 percent for the quarter. This automaker had already experienced a significant downturn ahead of the coronavirus crisis with its sales falling the steepest amongst the major manufacturers.

Honda experienced one of the largest month-over-month drops of any manufacturer with March 2020 sales down 48 percent compared to March 2019. For the quarter, Honda sales – inclusive of the Honda and Acura brands – are off 19.2 percent.

Other manufacturers, including Ford, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW will report today or Friday. All three will share substantial losses for March.

Looking Ahead

April 2020 sales will continue to fall as the COVID-19 pandemic worsens across the United States. With various “stay at home” directives in place, consumers won’t be visiting showrooms in many areas. For lessees, opting for an extension may bide them some time, otherwise inventory turnover should be light for the second quarter, perhaps rebounding in the second half of the year as the pandemic eases.

Jaguar Land Rover Brings Resources to Bear to Fight the Coronavirus Pandemic

March 31, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

Jaguar Land Rover models, including these new Defender models, are aiding Red Cross Societies around the world in the fight against the coronavirus.

The coronavirus pandemic, best known as COVID-19, is the world’s greatest challenge of our time. Hundreds of thousands of individuals have tested positive for the virus with likely millions more affected but showing no signs of symptoms at present.

We’ve reported about the impact the pandemic has had on the auto industry, which has shut down scores of manufacturing facilities around the world. This unprecedented move will have a far-reaching effect on the industry, perhaps lasting for many years.

JLR Responds; Redirects Press Fleet

Nevertheless, automakers are not simply waiting for the pandemic to end. Instead of sitting by the sidelines, many are proactively doing their part to meet the challenge.

Indeed, Jaguar Land Rover has deployed more than 160 vehicle globally to support emergency response organizations. Specifically, the Britain-based manufacturer has redirected dozens of British press fleet vehicles, including the all-new Defender SUV, to the British Red Cross. Consequently, the Red Cross is empowered to reach the most vulnerable citizens, including the senior population.

Simon Lewis, Head of Crisis Response, British Red Cross, elaborated on his organization’s response efforts. “This unprecedented global health emergency requires us all to pull together. As part of the British Red Cross response to coronavirus, we’re delving deep into the heart of communities across the UK to help strengthen support for the most vulnerable people through delivering essential food parcels and medicines to those unable to get out.”
Furthermore, an additional 65 vehicles are now deployed to support Red Cross Societies in several countries, including Australia, France, Spain, and South Africa. The company plans to offer additional vehicles to support the COVID-19 response moving forward.

An Enduring Red Cross Partnership

Jaguar Land Rover’s involvement with the International Red Cross spans more than 65 years. Down through the years, JLR has lent vehicles to Britain’s National Health Service. Moreover, the company is donating protective equipment, including wraparound eye gear for medical staff, to the NHS and is working closely with the British government to aid in various capacities.

Britain has been hard hit by this strain of the coronavirus, with more than 22,000 confirmed cases as of this writing. Some 1,408 individuals have died. The pandemic, though, is far from running its course with even more widespread outbreaks expected. Some fear that the virus may also produce a second wave, especially in China where it originated.

Auto Trends received a press statement from JLR regarding its involvement in the battle against COVID-19.

Said Finbar McFall, Jaguar Land Rover Customer Experience Director, “The health and safety of our employees, customers and their families remains our priority. Jaguar and Land Rover will do everything we can to support people in need around the world. Our partnership with the Red Cross goes back 65 years and we will work hand in hand with them to do all we can during this global health emergency. We will also provide help to those closer to home in our local communities. We can all play a part in helping the vulnerable during this global pandemic.”

JLR temporarily shuttered its British manufacturing facilities earlier this month, while maintaining production at plants in Brazil and India. The company hasn’t set a timeframe for resuming production, which likely will occur once the British government has lifted its lockdown directive.

Impact on U.S. Operations

In the U.S., JLR has largely curtailed its operation, with showrooms closed in various locations, depending on local “stay-at-home” edicts. Auto Trends will continue to report on industry happenings, including how manufacturers, suppliers, and other key players are responding to the crisis.

See Also — Corona Strikes; Industry Reacts