The U.S. Postal Service has begun to receive its first new delivery vans, and mail carriers are giving them rave reviews. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s headlines:
+ Nearly a fifth of crude oil production and 28 percent of natural gas output in U.S. Gulf of Mexico federal waters remains offline following Hurricane Francine, the government reports. More at Reuters.
+ The General Motors plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana where the Chevy Silverado and GMC SIerra are built will be shut down the week of September 23 due to supply shortages. More at The Detroit News.
+ Antonio Filosa, CEO of the Jeep unit at Stellantis, is activating a turnaround plan for the brand, which has seen its U.S. yearly sales decline 34 percent from 973,000 to 643,000 since 2018. More at CNBC.
+ Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing scored his second conseuctive and third career IndyCar season championship with an 11th place finish in the season finale at Nashville. More at Motorsport.com.
+ The Biden administration has confirmed significant tariff hikes on Chinese imports, including a 100 percent duty on electric vehicles to protect domestic automakers and suppliers. More at CBT News.
+ Pirelli and Bosch announced a plan to develop tires with embedded sensors that can transmit data directly to a vehicle’s onboard computers, improving driving dynamics and safety. More at Motor Authority.
+ BYD is ramping up employment to more than 900,000 workers, making the Chinese electric vehicle giant one of the largest employers in the country, the company says. More at U.S. News and World Report.
+ The U.S. Postal Service has begun to receive its first delivery vans from Oshkosh Defense, and while observers find them homely, mail carriers report they love the new vehicles. More at AP News.
+ Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner says Aston Martin was premature to celebrate the arrival of Adrian Newey while the designer is still under contract to Red Bull. More at Racer.
+ EVs and hybrids dominate the list of 25 vehicles nominated for the North American Car, Truck, and Utility Vehicle of the Year award by a jury of 50 automotive journalists. More at the Detroit Free Press.
Photo courtesy of Oshkosh Defense.
Review the previous MCG Executive Briefing from September 13 here.
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While I’m pickled tink that the postal van is made in Wisconsin, it should be noted each van costs just under $60,000 and USPS ordered 50,000 at a cost of $2.98 BILLION( with a B). I don’t know, with an entity that lost over $6.5 billion last year, seems like feeding a dinosaur.
I suppose there are different ways to look at it. The vehicles now on the road aren’t even safe. It seems odd that the shabbiest fleet on the road should to the U.S. govt.
Exactly. And sometimes you have to spend money to save money. If the new vehicles lower the fleet’s operating costs and reduce overtime through less breakdowns, it’s possible they could pay for themselves.