The fact that phone apps connected to new cars may permit marketers, insurers, and hackers to glean information about drivers has catalyzed concern.
“Modern cars are a privacy nightmare,” the Mozilla Foundation <a href="https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/articles/its-official-cars-are-the-worst-product-category-we-have-ever-reviewed-for-privacy/">stated</a>, adding, “Every car brand we looked at collects more personal data than necessary and uses that information for a reason other than to operate your vehicle and manage their relationship with you.”
“Many can track where you go and when, how fast you drive and how hard you brake, where you park and spend time, even what music or podcasts you listen to,” <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/stop-car-spying-on-you-415998b7?mod=hp_jr_pos2">The Wall Street Journal</a> noted. “Such information can be a gold mine for marketers and insurers—and a target for hackers.”
Car companies also have the capacity to collect a driver’s medical information and genetic information, the Mozilla Foundation concluded. Additionally, the foundation found that 84% of the car brands it researched admitted they could conceivably share the driver’s personal information with service providers, data brokers, and other businesses. 76% of the brands said they could sell the driver’s personal data.
“Car companies are becoming tech companies,” Thorin Klosowski of the Electronic Frontier Foundation said. “Self-policing hasn’t been shown in other tech industries to be a reliable way for companies to operate.”
The Federal Trade Commission<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/policy/advocacy-research/tech-at-ftc/2024/05/cars-consumer-data-unlawful-collection-use"> warned</a> in May, “Car manufacturers—and all businesses—should take note that the FTC will take action to protect consumers against the illegal collection, use, and disclosure of their personal data. Recent enforcement actions illustrate this point: Geolocation data is sensitive and subject to enhanced protections under the FTC Act.”
“Cars are much like mobile phones when it comes to revealing consumers’ persistent, precise location,” the FTC noted. “In a series of seminal cases in recent years, the Commission has established that the collection, use, and disclosure of location can be an unfair practice. In <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/01/ftc-order-prohibits-data-broker-x-mode-social-outlogic-selling-sensitive-location-data">X-Mode</a>, the FTC alleged that the data could be used to track people’s visits to sensitive locations like medical or reproductive health clinics, places of worship, or domestic abuse shelters. Similarly, in <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/01/ftc-order-will-ban-inmarket-selling-precise-consumer-location-data">InMarket, the Commission </a>alleged that the company’s internal use of sensitive data to group consumers into highly sensitive categories for advertising purposes was unlawful.”

SPAIN-TELECOM-MWC-MOBILE-WORLD-CONGRESS

Privacy At Risk: Vehicles’ Phone Apps May Expose Your Personal Info

Apps

Auto Companies

Automobiles

Business

Cars

Privacy

Technology

In a shocking backtrack, New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul announced an indefinite delay on the controversial congestion pricing plan for drivers entering Manhattan&#8217;s central business district amid fears that it could affect Democrats&#8217; election chances.
On Wednesday, Hochul said she had directed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to push back the new toll’s June 30 start date.
&#8220;After careful consideration, I have come to the difficult decision that implementing the planned congestion pricing system risked too many unintended consequences for New Yorkers at this time,&#8221; Hochul <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRVEYLjYBcg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a video announcement.
&#8220;For that reason, I have directed the MTA to indefinitely pause the program,&#8221; she said.
The governor cited the high cost of living, saying &#8220;hardworking New Yorkers are getting hammered on costs.&#8221; She added that while New York&#8217;s pandemic recovery has been faster than expected, it is &#8220;by no means complete.&#8221;
The MTA&#8217;s congestion pricing plan would charge drivers a minimum of $15 to enter Midtown Manhattan south of 60th Street. Drivers would be charged the rush hour price nearly all day every day — between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays and between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekends. Cars would be charged $3.75 during the remaining hours.
The toll is aimed at lessening peak-hour congestion in Manhattan. The around $1 billion raised from the toll is supposed to go towards upgrading subways, commuter railroads, and bus systems.
Hochul is also <a href="https://abc7ny.com/post/congestion-pricing-nyc-kathy-hochul-start-delay/14912968/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> concerned about how the expensive toll might affect local Democrats facing uphill battles in House races in the New York City suburbs. Republicans have already started attacking Democrats over the toll.
Additionally, several lawsuits have already been filed over the congestion pricing plan.
For months, critics have slammed the idea of slapping drivers with new expensive charges.
Representative Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican and vocal critic of the toll, celebrated the expected change.
“It is welcome news that Governor Hochul is considering delaying congestion pricing, scheduled to begin June 30, due to our pressure, the public‘s outcry and concerns it will impact Democrats in November’s election,” Malliotakis <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/06/05/us-news/gov-kathy-hochul-considering-delaying-congestion-pricing-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the New York Post.
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“I urge my fellow New Yorkers to continue calling their city, state and federal representatives because it is working. They are feeling the heat and this war-on-cars cash grab must be reversed!” she said.
Another critic of the toll, International Transport Workers president John Samuelsen, who serves on the MTA board, also sounded off on the reversal.
“I told the governor two years ago that if she imposed the congestion toll without increases in transit service it would be a political disaster,” Samuelson <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/06/05/us-news/gov-kathy-hochul-considering-delaying-congestion-pricing-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “It’s like taxation without representation. She let [MTA CEO] Janno Lieber lead her around like a stooge.”
The MTA is governed by 23 members, who are nominated by the governor, NYC mayor, and local officials.
New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams emphasized that the congestion toll should not be a &#8220;burden on everyday New Yorkers.&#8221;
&#8220;We have to get it right,&#8221; Adams said. &#8220;We have to make sure that it&#8217;s not going to impact our recovery. We got to the point of more jobs in this city than in the history of the city because of the support in the recovery effort.&#8221;

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul

NY Governor Announces Delay On Congestion Pricing Plan In Shocking Backtrack

Democrats

General

Kathy Hochul

New York

New York City

Transportation

U.S.

New Jersey officials announced Tuesday that the state would be joining a growing list of Democrat-led states slated to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035.
New Jersey becomes at least the <a href="https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/advanced-clean-cars-program/advanced-clean-cars-ii">17th state</a> to follow some or all of California’s Advanced Clean Cars II rule that was passed by a regulatory board in the summer of 2022. Democratic Governor Phil Murphy said the move will help “lower emissions and improve air quality,” claiming that the new rule will also “preserve consumer choice.” 
“The steps we take today to lower emissions will improve air quality and mitigate climate impacts for generations to come, all while increasing access to cleaner car choices,” Murphy <a href="https://nj.gov/governor/news/news/562023/approved/20231121a.shtml">said</a> in a press release. &#8220;Indeed, together with my Administration’s continuing investments in voluntary electric vehicle incentives, charging infrastructure, and the green economy, these new standards will preserve consumer choice and promote affordability for hardworking New Jerseyans across the state.”
The Garden State joins California, Vermont, Washington, Oregon, Massachusetts, Virginia, Rhode Island, Maryland, and Connecticut in committing to implement the complete ban on new gas-powered vehicles, The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/4323323-new-jersey-gas-ev/">reported</a>. The ban will not affect gas-powered vehicles already owned or the sale of used gas-powered vehicles. 
Murphy’s decision was hailed by fellow Democrats, including Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., who said the ban would help fight the “climate crisis.” 
“This rule will reduce climate pollution while also saving New Jerseyans money at the pump and spurring investments in building clean cars right here at home,” Pallone Jr. added. “Paired with the investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, New Jersey’s action will accelerate the process of transforming our transportation sector for the benefit of public health and the environment.”
Not everyone was pleased with the state’s adoption of the gas-powered vehicle ban, however. 
“Automotive retailers, which have already invested billions in electric vehicles … warned that a heavy-handed mandate will not work for the dealers — especially with unsold EVs piling up on lots all around the country,” said Ray Cantor of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, which has lobbied against the rule. 
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The push for electric vehicles has also been strongly supported by the Biden administration even as manufacturers such as Ford have lost money on their EV production. Ford <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ford-gets-9-2-billion-loan-from-biden-admin-for-ev-battery-factories-biggest-check-since-2009-bailouts">received</a> a $9.2 billion loan from the Biden administration intended to help construct three electric vehicle battery plants in the U.S. The Motor company <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ford-loses-billions-on-electric-cars-embraces-hybrids">said</a> in July that it expected to lose $4.5 billion from its EVs this year.

Phil Murphy

New Jersey Joins Growing List Of States Banning Sale Of New Gas-Powered Cars

electric vehicles

New Jersey

Here’s a truly dumb take, courtesy of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/01/opinion/kia-hyundai-tiktok.html?searchResultPosition=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>: “Kia and Hyundai Helped Enable a Crime Wave. They Should Pay for It.”
Wait, you ask: Are Kia and Hyundai hiring gangs of criminals to steal each other&#8217;s vehicles? Not exactly. Apparently, they just didn&#8217;t take enough precautions to prevent people from stealing their vehicles.
I&#8217;m not kidding.
According to the Council on Criminal Justice, the number of vehicle thefts during the first half of 2023 was 33.5% higher on average than during the same period in 2022. As data from Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Chicago, New Orleans, Buffalo and Durham, North Carolina showed, motor vehicle thefts have more than doubled this year relative to last year, according to statistics.
Why are so many cars getting stolen? Apparently it’s the fault of the car. The car wanted it. It needed to be stolen. That&#8217;s the way this works. It&#8217;s not the criminal — the car was just sitting there — and the criminal was not a criminal. It was just someone like you walking down the street like a normal human, never having stolen a car in your life, and there you saw it in the pure summer sunshine, a Kia. And you say to yourself, “Let&#8217;s do this thing. The time has come. That is the easiest car to steal.”
So, drawn like a moth to the flame, you walked over to the Kia and you said, “That might not be a very nice car, I wasn&#8217;t desperate for any of Kia&#8217;s brands, but now that I see it gleaming in the summer sunshine and I know it&#8217;s super easy to steal, I — a lifelong law-abiding citizen — have decided to steal the Kia.”
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-ben-shapiro-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h4>
This is the stupidest thing I&#8217;ve ever heard. Try this: There was a knife. It was sitting there in plain sight, and you were just drawn to it. You couldn&#8217;t stop yourself, so you stabbed your friend in the eyeball. You should probably sue the knife manufacturer.
Apparently, Hyundai and Kia did not equip some of their cars with electronic immobilizer devices that prevent cars from starting unless they detect a radio I.D. code associated with the car&#8217;s rightful key. A couple of years ago, videos showing how to hotwire the vulnerable cars began to pop-up online.
Hundreds of the stolen cars have been involved in numerous deadly crashes, armed robbery sprees, and other crimes around the country.
But the thieves are not to blame for this. It was the car’s fault. I simply can&#8217;t believe they programmed these cars to perform armed robbery. Did you know that if you create a product that when it&#8217;s stolen, it&#8217;s your fault? 
This is how dumb we&#8217;ve become. How about some basic level of personal responsibility? Ah, but that might require more police, more active policing, more throwing criminals in jail and leaving them in jail.
This is truly basic stuff, but not to those morons at The New York Times.
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2 Ben Shapiro Editorial Series 04 copy

Thieves Steal Cars, Then Commit Armed Robberies, Yet It’s The Car’s Fault?

Ben Shapiro

Car Theft

Chicago

Crime

Hyundai

Philadelphia

Readers Pass

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ford-motor-co" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ford Motor Company</a> could announce new layoffs as soon as next week &#8212; its third round of layoffs within the last year.
Sources informed <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/ford-prepares-new-round-of-layoffs-for-u-s-salaried-workers-a533a7a4?mod=hp_lead_pos5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wall Street Journal</a> that this round of layoffs will primarily affect U.S. salaried workers in the gas, electric vehicle, and software divisions of the company.
The reported layoffs come after the company <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/22/ford-to-cut-3000-jobs-primarily-in-north-america.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cut 3,000 American jobs</a> last August and announced earlier this year that it would <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/ford-to-cut-3-800-jobs-in-europe-in-ev-shift-e1f8f567?mod=article_inline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reduce its European workforce</a> by 3,800.
The company has struggled to curb its spending as it transitions to electric vehicles and reported a $2 billion net loss last year, all while having committed to spending $50 billion through 2026 in developing its EV unit.
The company <a href="https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2022/03/02/ford-accelerating-transformation.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously reported</a> that it hopes to ramp up annual EV production to two million by 2026 and expects EVs to represent half of its global volume by 2030.
CEO Jim Farley has acknowledged the company will need to spend “billions” to procure materials that would enable an increase in EV production, and the company has <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/ford-ceo-jim-farley-grapples-with-problems-from-the-auto-makers-past-b098271c?mod=article_inline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">received criticism</a> from previous CEOs about its operational inefficiencies.
Farley acknowledged that the company has struggled operationally on a February earnings call.
“The strength of our products and revenue has masked this dysfunctionality for a long time. It’s not an excuse, but it’s our reality,” he said.
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The report followed an earlier <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/ford/2023/06/22/doe-announces-9-2-billion-loan-plan-for-ford-sk-joint-venturefeds-announce-9-2-billion-loan-for-ford/70345917007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcement</a> from the U.S. Department of Energy that it would loan $9.2 billion to Ford and South Korean battery maker SK &#8212; a loan that covers most of the $11.4 billion the companies had jointly pledged to spend on the venture.
The loan is the most significant financial support the federal government has given an automobile company since the Great Financial Crisis and is the biggest loan the Department of Energy has ever made.
Ford was out-earned by its rival General Motors in 2022, despite GM’s lower revenue and smaller workforce, and Ford’s annual costs are still $7 to $8 billion above where they should be relative to rivals, according to the Journal, though Ford did <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/20/ford-ceo-didnt-hesitate-on-the-tesla-deal-its-good-for-customers.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report above-expected revenue</a> in its most recent quarterly earnings report.
The Journal also reported that the company would work to separate its gas-engine business from its EV and software sectors. Its EV sector is predicted to lose $3 billion in operating profit this year.
A Ford spokesperson said in a statement that the layoffs are in line with the company’s future business plans.
“As we have said, part of the ongoing management of our business includes aligning our global staffing to meet future business plans, as well as staying cost competitive as our industry evolves,” he said.

Ford

Ford Motor Company To Announce New Layoffs In Coming Weeks: Report

Economy

Ford Motor Co.

Unemployment

The Ford Raptor is very gay. That&#8217;s not a middle school joke, it&#8217;s an actual vehicle offered by The Ford Motor Company, which created a special edition &#8220;very gay&#8221; version of its Raptor pick-up truck two years ago, complete with a rainbow paint job. Yet nobody even noticed it until recently — which sort of makes the whole thing a lot more funny.
On May 18, Robby Starbuck tweeted, &#8220;Did you know that Ford has a truck they call their &#8216;Very Gay Raptor&#8217;? Check out their ad where the truck &#8216;comes out&#8217; of mud to reveal its trans/queer flag colors.&#8221; 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Did you know that Ford has a truck they call their &quot;Very Gay Raptor&quot;? Check out their ad where the truck &quot;comes out&quot; of mud to reveal its trans/queer flag colors. Does this make you more or less likely to buy a <a href="https://twitter.com/Ford?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Ford</a>? <a href="https://twitter.com/budlight?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@budlight</a> showed people are sick of this. <a href="https://t.co/hRqsdw8M3N">pic.twitter.com/hRqsdw8M3N</a>
&mdash; Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) <a href="https://twitter.com/robbystarbuck/status/1659199384196902914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Technically, it isn&#8217;t an advertisement — it&#8217;s just a social media video. According to The National Pulse&#8217;s Raheem Kassam, a spokesperson for Ford has been very quick to point that out. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Me when the Ford comms guy slides into the DMs crying that we told the world about their “Very Gay Raptor”… <a href="https://t.co/3vxpBzKnbx">pic.twitter.com/3vxpBzKnbx</a>
&mdash; Raheem. (@RaheemKassam) <a href="https://twitter.com/RaheemKassam/status/1659883269016395776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
While the very gay truck has gained new prominence, or infamy depending on your persuasion, it has actually been out of the closet for some time, and Ford Europe was quite proud of its Very Gay Raptor (VGR).
&#8220;Created in 2021, &#8216;Very Gay Raptor&#8217; was born in response to a negative comment on social media, with Ford rendering its most badass nameplate in sparkling gold adorned with rainbow graphics,&#8221; a Ford Europe press release <a href="https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/feu/en/news/2022/06/21/ford_s-very-gay-raptor-set-to-redefine-tough-at-goodwood.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;The positive response online was so overwhelming the manufacturer decided to make it real, and has been using it as a tool to help drive out discrimination ever since.&#8221;
Per the company, it was created as part of an effort &#8220;to redefine what &#8216;tough&#8217; actually means.&#8221; One might argue responding to internet trolls in the first place isn&#8217;t very tough, but that&#8217;s neither here nor there.
However, it seems like the stunt is backfiring in the wake of Bud Light&#8217;s Dylan Mulvaney fiasco as it receives renewed attention.
Now, the real kicker in all this is that you&#8217;ll note that the pride flag shown in the Ford Europe video is actually outdated as far as 2SLGBTQIA+ standards go. That&#8217;s the actual acronym for the rainbow alphabet movement now.
Why is it outdated? Well, if you take a few minutes out of your day, you&#8217;ll notice that the flag at the very beginning of the video does not contain a purple circle. What does that non-existent purple circle stand for? It represents &#8220;intersex.&#8221;
Somewhere along the line, an intersex individual or an &#8220;ally&#8221; felt that individuals born with an extremely rare condition where they have a combination of both male and female parts weren&#8217;t represented on the flag.
So, the flag has now been updated to include intersex as seen here, shared by the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken just this past week.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
On International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia, and Transphobia we call for an end to harmful conversion therapy practices, including those that attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IDAHOBIT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IDAHOBIT</a> <a href="https://t.co/DA5XRXvb2Y">pic.twitter.com/DA5XRXvb2Y</a>
&mdash; Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecBlinken/status/1658927895711023104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In other words, the pride agenda has already redefined &#8220;inclusivity&#8221; to mean having pride in being intersex  — and supporting every single sex and make-believe gender represented on the flag.
So, while Ford was busy redefining the word &#8220;tough,&#8221; their comrades in the LGBTQ never-ending train of cultural Marxism were busy conjuring up new ways to undo every social norm in the book. Now, if you don&#8217;t include intersex individuals, you&#8217;re being &#8220;interphobic&#8221; — as is the official position of the U.S. State Department highlighted above.
So, in short, there is no appeasing this movement. Individuals who supported gay marriage less than 10 years ago, but don&#8217;t support radical gender ideology are labeled bigots. If you&#8217;re a Christian, Jew, or Muslim who is against same-sex &#8220;marriage,&#8221; then you&#8217;re considered a super bigot  — even if you explain you love everybody, you just believe in the institution of marriage as defined by practically all of the West until 2015.
Somewhere along the way, black and brown stripes were added — even though skin color has nothing to do with sexual orientation.
Companies, such as Ford, are dumb to think that if they show support for this movement their sales will increase. In turn, they push the entire world more woke and down the slippery slope — even if unwittingly.
Now, companies such as Bud Light are finding out that conservatives are starting to wake up and vote with their dollars. That&#8217;s why BudLight&#8217;s parent company AB-InBev has attempted to distance itself from Mulvaney and is rolling out camo-themed cans, perhaps in an attempt to appease consumers.
It won&#8217;t work, and now Ford could quite possibly become Bud Light 2.0.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Ford, LGBTQ flags

Amid The Bud Light-Dylan Mulvaney Backlash, Ford’s ‘Very Gay’ Trucks Have Resurfaced

Europe

LGBTQ

Pride Flag

Transgender

The average age of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cars</a> and light-duty trucks on American roads has reached 12.5 years, according to a <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/average-age-of-light-vehicles-in-the-us-hits-record-high-12-5-years-according-to-sp-global-mobility-301824463.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from S&amp;P Global, a phenomenon that comes as bottlenecked <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/supply-chain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supply chains</a> and elevated <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inflation</a> continue their toll on households.
The financial analytics firm noted that 2023 marked the sixth consecutive year of increased average vehicle ages. The three-month rise between 2022 and 2023 constituted the largest year-over-year increase since the recession which struck the United States between 2008 and 2009, during which consumers likewise tightened their budgets in response to economic turmoil.
&#8220;We expected the confluence of factors impacting the fleet coming out of 2021 would provide further upward pressure on average vehicle age. But the pressure was amplified in the back half of 2022 as interest rates and inflation began to take their toll,&#8221; said Todd Campau, associate director of aftermarket solutions for S&amp;P Global Mobility. &#8220;While pressure will remain on average age in 2023, we expect the curve to begin to flatten this year as we look toward returning to historical norms for new vehicle sales in 2024.”
There are presently more than 284 million vehicles in operation on American roads; continual increases in popularity for light-duty trucks will cause the number of passenger vehicles to decline below 100 million for the first time in nearly five decades. Firms in the aftermarket repair sector are slated to experience windfalls as the number of cars between six and 14 years old is forecasted to increase by 10 million in the next five years.
S&amp;P Global linked the higher average vehicle ages in 2022 to “supply constraints that caused low levels of new vehicle inventory” in the first half of the year, followed by “slowing demand as interest rates and inflation reduced consumer demand” in the second half.
Lockdowns and public health mandates imposed over the past three years by governments across the world fostered unpredictable supply chain shocks, contributing to inflation in many countries. Sectors impacted most severely by foreign bottleneck exposure, such as automotive manufacturing, textiles, and basic metals, also witnessed the most extreme inflationary pressures, according to an <a href="https://research.stlouisfed.org/publications/economic-synopses/2022/05/12/supply-chain-disruptions-and-inflation-during-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
Persistent labor shortages that followed the lockdown-induced recession continue to produce difficulties for American companies seeking to hire more workers. There exist roughly 9.6 million job openings and 6.0 million unemployed individuals across the American economy, according to a <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, reflecting a labor market that has further worsened inflationary pressures as firms increase compensation to attract and retain workers.
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Officials at the Federal Reserve have meanwhile <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-reserve-unveils-quarter-point-target-interest-rate-hike-as-banking-system-reels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased</a> the target federal funds rate to combat the inflationary pressures: target rates now sit between 5.0% and 5.25%, increasing borrowing costs for consumers, including those who finance their car purchases with debt.
American economic growth slowed to a 1.1% annualized rate in the first quarter, marking a significant decline from previous quarters as the economic headwinds slow recovery from the recession and the interest rate hikes decrease demand, according to an advance <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-economic-growth-slows-to-1-1-in-first-quarter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimate</a> from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Americans Delay Buying New Cars As Long As Possible To Avoid High Prices

Americans Hit By Inflation Delay Buying New Cars As Long As Possible

Inflation

Interest Rates

Supply Chain

Just when you think you&#8217;ve seen it all, the Democrats pull another trick out of their hat to avoid responsibility for soft-on-crime policies which have sent lawlessness skyrocketing around the nation.
The cities of Baltimore, St. Louis, and Seattle, among other municipalities, announced a lawsuit against two car-makers for allegedly making vehicles that are too easy to steal. (Author&#8217;s note: This is not an article from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/babylon-bee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Babylon Bee</a>).
On Thursday, the cities released a press release stating the lawsuit is &#8220;against Hyundai and Kia for failing to equip their vehicles with industry-standard vehicle immobilization technology. Without this feature, vehicles can be started without a key, a flaw that has been the subject of numerous TikTok videos demonstrating the ease with which these cars can be stolen.&#8221;
According to Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, defunding <del datetime="2023-05-12T17:19:38+00:00">the police</del> the creation of certain parts found in Hyundai and Kia vehicles is to blame for the record-breaking car thefts.
&#8220;These cost-cutting measures employed by Hyundai and Kia at the expense of public safety are unacceptable,&#8221; Scott <a href="https://mayor.baltimorecity.gov/news/press-releases/2023-05-11-city-baltimore-files-lawsuit-against-hyundai-kia-over-car-thefts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a press release. &#8220;They have left our residents vulnerable to crime and are significantly burdening our police resources.&#8221;
To the city&#8217;s credit, Kias and Hyundais do appear to constitute a plurality of car thefts in Baltimore in 2023.
&#8220;Year-to-date, auto thefts are up 95%, with Kia and Hyundais representing 41% of all stolen vehicles,&#8221; Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said in a statement.
Yet what can explain the other 59% of car thefts this year?
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Well, perhaps Baltimore&#8217;s <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/bs-md-pol-police-budget-explainer-20200617-4yjweepbkreknjlef4f45jiblm-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anti-police track record</a>, its <a href="https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/concerns-of-baltimore-city-crime-reaching-surrounding-counties" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tendency to dole out lenient punishments</a>, and its <a href="https://americafirstpolicy.com/latest/20220825-fatherlessness-in-the-national-capital-region#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Baltimore%20City,about%2041%25%20of%20all%20births." target="_blank" rel="noopener">fatherlessness rate can explain the issue</a>.
Looking at those policies could also <a href="https://www.police1.com/crime-prevention/articles/report-ranks-us-cities-with-increased-homicide-rates-in-2023-BeaNzXzmnnVlAw3b/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clarify why Baltimore</a> has the third highest homicide rate per capita in the nation in 2023, followed by St. Louis coming in fourth. Seattle fares better in that category, but even Seattle can&#8217;t say that Kia and Hyundai are to blame for its <a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/violent-crime-car-thefts-reached-15-year-high-in-seattle-in-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">15-year-high violent crime rate</a> in 2022.
Admitting that leftist policies and broken homes are more likely to blame for the chaos would require Democrats to accept responsibility for their actions. So instead, they&#8217;ll blame those evil corporations.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Untitled design – 2023-05-12T121806.766

Liberal Cities Sue Car Makers For Making Vehicles Too Easy To Steal

Baltimore

Robbery

Seattle

St. Louis

The United Auto Workers announced on Wednesday that the labor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/labor-unions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">union</a> would refrain from endorsing President <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> over his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/electric-vehicles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">electric vehicle</a> policies.
Biden, who officially <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sad-biden-to-announce-re-elect-bid-by-video-70-dont-want-him-to-run-poll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> his 2024 campaign for the White House last week, has advanced a number of initiatives to increase the share of electric cars in the public and private sectors. The union, which is based in Detroit and has about 400,000 members, worries that the policies do not contain sufficient job security guarantees for their membership.
&#8220;The federal government is pouring billions into the electric vehicle transition, with no strings attached and no commitment to workers,” United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain said in a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/uaw-not-yet-endorsing-biden-second-term-citing-ev-policies-2023-05-03/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">memo</a> seen by Reuters. “The EV transition is at serious risk of becoming a race to the bottom. We want to see national leadership have our back on this before we make any commitments.”
The outlet added that Fain met last week with White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and various lawmakers. The union boss recently criticized Ultium Cells, a joint venture between automaker General Motors and battery manufacturer LG Energy Solutions, because workers at a new plant for the initiative in Ohio are currently earning less than $17 per hour, even as workers at a nearby former General Motors facility had earned more than $32 per hour.
Fain said that the union will be &#8220;ready to talk politics once we secure a future for this industry and the workers who make it run.&#8221; He asserted that a victory for former President Donald Trump “would be a disaster” but said members “need to see an alternative that delivers real results.&#8221;
Senior officials in the White House have nevertheless emphatically supported labor unions over the past two years. Biden recently <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1652341976782471168" target="_blank" rel="noopener">touted</a> the fact that unions were emphasized in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, proclaiming that “union workers are going to transform America.”
The current lack of an endorsement from the United Auto Workers, however, is not the first time that major unions, which are usually supportive of Democrats, have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/union-allies-turn-on-pro-labor-biden-for-trying-to-prevent-looming-rail-strike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denounced</a> the commander-in-chief and his actions. Organizations such as the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division and the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/union-allies-turn-on-pro-labor-biden-for-trying-to-prevent-looming-rail-strike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> the administration’s move to encourage the forced prevention of a railroad strike last year.
White House officials have suggested an increase in electric vehicle reliance as part of a broader renewable energy adoption push in the federal government. Biden vowed in a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/04/22/remarks-by-president-biden-on-earth-day-and-at-signing-of-an-executive-order-strengthening-the-nations-forests-communities-and-local-economies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">speech</a> last year that his administration would “start the process where every vehicle in the United States military” would become “climate-friendly.” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/energy-secretary-granholm-supports-making-the-military-all-electric-by-2030" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supported</a> an effort last week that would transition the military to rely solely upon electric vehicles by 2030.
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“I do think that reducing our reliance on the volatility of globally traded fossil fuels, where we know that global events such as the war in Ukraine can jack up prices for people back home does not contribute to energy security,” she told the Senate Armed Services Committee. “I think energy security is achieved when we have home-grown, clean energy that is abundant.”
Officials have pursued similar objectives in other federal agencies such as the Postal Service, which will <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/postal-service-buys-nearly-10000-electric-vehicles-as-biden-pushes-for-electrified-federal-fleet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acquire</a> 66,000 electric vehicles by 2028, and established the overall goal of procuring only zero-emission light-duty vehicles for the federal fleet by 2027, a standard that will <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/06/09/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-proposes-new-standards-for-national-electric-vehicle-charging-network/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extend</a> to all federal vehicles by 2035. The EPA recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-unveils-proposal-for-landmark-nationwide-crackdown-on-gas-cars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed</a> nationwide emissions rules that would aim to induce a 56% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions for light-duty vehicles, as well as a 44% decrease for medium-duty vehicles.

Biden Electric Vehicle

Auto Union Holds Off On Endorsing Biden Due To Electric Vehicle Policies

Auto Union Holds Off On Endorsing Biden Because Of Electric Vehicle Policies

2024 Election

Biden Administration

Elections

Labor Unions

Politics

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York</a> Police Department officials encouraged residents to place <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/apple" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple</a> AirTags in their <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cars</a> to prevent <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/crime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">thefts</a>.
Grand larceny auto has drastically increased in New York City as the annual number of vehicle thefts in the broader United States <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/car-thefts-in-america-reach-highest-level-in-over-a-decade-analysis-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surpassed</a> one million for the first time in nearly two decades. New York City Democratic Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/eric-adams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eric Adams</a> said at a Sunday <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/300-23/transcript-mayor-adams-makes-public-safety-announcement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press conference</a> that residents should use AirTags, which are small, disk-shaped devices that attach to keys, bikes, and other items, to help police officers track stolen vehicles.
“This simple device, this simple AirTag, hidden in a car at a location that a person is not aware of is an excellent tracking device. It&#8217;s easy to monitor,” Adams said. “As soon as we are notified about a grand larceny auto, and even if it&#8217;s days later, we can still track the car and find the person who&#8217;s driving and put a break on what we are experiencing in the city with grand larceny autos.”
AirTags presently <a href="https://www.apple.com/airtag/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sell</a> for $29 and require battery replacement once per year. NYPD Chief Jeffrey Maddrey <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDChiefOfDept/status/1652759702697017345?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on social media that officers would use drones and conventional police work to recover stolen cars with the aid of the AirTag.
Adams revealed that the Association for a Better New York would donate 500 AirTags for residents and added that the city would work with corporate partners to increase access to the technology.
“Your greatest investment is your automobile,” he continued. “It&#8217;s used for many different reasons: to get to and from your place of employment, to drop your children off every day, to deal with any medical procedures you may have.”
New York state witnessed a 23% increase in vehicle thefts between 2021 and 2022, according to a <a href="https://www.nicb.org/news/news-releases/vehicle-thefts-nationwide-surpass-one-million-first-time-2008" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Thefts have particularly risen for certain Kia and Hyundai vehicles, which lack electronic immobilizers that prevent criminals from bypassing the ignition in cars manufactured by other companies. Viral social media videos have instructed young thieves on how to steal the vehicles, according to a <a href="https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/hyundais-kias-are-easy-targets-amid-boom-in-vehicle-thefts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
New York City officials have <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/242-23/mayor-adams-city-corporation-counsel-hinds-radix-city-intends-file-suit-against-kia-#:~:text=Due%20to%20the%20absence%20of,thefts%20in%20the%20preceding%20months." target="_blank" rel="noopener">asserted</a> that the increases in Kia and Hyundai thefts are attributable to the companies turning a “blind eye” to the vulnerability.
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“We have the right to expect that those cars have standard anti-theft measures,” Adams said last month. “We’re going to hold Kia and Hyundai accountable for the public nuisance they’ve created and protect New Yorkers’ cars.”
&nbsp;

Eric Adams

New York Asks Residents To Put Apple AirTags In Their Cars As Vehicle Theft Soars

NYPD Wants Residents To Put Apple AirTags In Their Cars To Deter Vehicle Theft

Apple

Law Enforcement

Police

Americans in cities racked by violent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/crime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crime</a> are taking a drastic approach to protect themselves, their valuables, and their loved ones.
Armormax is an armorer that bulletproofs cars for foreign diplomats and corporate CEOs. But in an interview with the New York Post, Armormax&#8217;s Mark Burton said that the Utah-based company is fielding orders to bulletproof cars for residents of cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Memphis, and Las Vegas.
“It’s been pretty shocking,” Burton told the <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/04/21/americans-paying-up-to-85k-to-bulletproof-their-cars/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a>. “I would say it really started about 18 months ago. It used to be politicians and CEOs. Almost all international. Now we&#8217;re bulletproofing Honda Accords.”
Armormax was founded in 1993 in Ogden, Utah. The company centered on clients from Mexico, where kidnappings in the 90s prompted the rich and famous to protect themselves by bulletproofing their glass. Their services soon expanded to clientele in Nigeria, South Africa, and the Middle East. But recently, demand has surged at home. The company opened a plant in Atlanta in 2021, and has plans to build three more.
Demand has skyrocketed so much so that Burton told the outlet he recognizes some area codes that frequently crop up. Recurring clients have come from cities like Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Memphis, Atlanta, and New Orleans. Chicago is another recurring locale; the Windy City was the scene of raucous <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bedlam-as-hundreds-of-teenagers-inundate-downtown-chicago" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawlessness</a> over the weekend. Teenagers in Milennium Park jumped on cars and smashed windows on Sunday night. Police were forced to escort residents and others to their vehicles. But at least one man was beaten after teenagers jumped on his car&#8217;s windshield.
“The clientele is changing,” Burton said. “Doctors, lawyers — now you’re seeing real estate developers and even some real estate agents.” He added that realtors and builders feel especially vulnerable in areas of big cities that are gentrifying.
One client from the Las Vegas area, who works in the gaming industry, paid $85,000 last year for Armormax to fully bulletproof his Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, including a PA system to communicate with people outside the vehicle, without opening the windows, in case of an emergency.
“I think post-COVID things changed,” the resident told the Post. “Big city crime, road rage, shootings, carjackings. I drive my car down to The Strip every day, there’s been a lot of incidents here. I feel safer. It was well worth it and I would do it again.”
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Another client, from Los Angeles, told the outlet that she will be picking up her newly-armored SUV from the Utah plant in June.
“I have kids,” she said. “No one gets punished for anything anymore so these incidents are only going to increase. That seems pretty obvious. So I think it’s just a sensible thing to do.”
Other clients order their cars armored after they become victims of crime or get surrounded by a crowd. “It costs $38,500 for a basic windows and doors package for handgun protection,” Burton said. “We get people who are so scared after something happens that they’ll just get their windows done — or even just the windshield — because they can’t cover the whole car being armored.” Heavier armor packages that protect against high-powered rifles can add some $10,000 to the cost, he added. Furthermore, new technology allows vehicles to look unchanged after being retrofitted, increasing demand even further, he noted.
Burton said that the high levels of socio-economic disparity in the third world seems to be developing in America. There are also a growing number of Americans building bug-out vans in anticipation of more widespread chaos.

Armored car

Americans In High-Crime Cities Are Having Their Cars Bulletproofed, Says Armorer

Theft

The rise of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/electric-vehicles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">electric vehicles</a> could lead to more parking garage collapses like the one earlier this week.
Structural engineers and regulators in the United States and Europe are calling on builders to improve the structural integrity of parking garages because of electric cars. The massive batteries that power them dramatically increase the weight of cars, and older structures are not built to hold them up. The complaints come just days after a garage collapse in New York City.
“I don’t want to be too alarmist, but there definitely is the potential for some of the early car parks in poor condition to collapse,” Chris Whapples, a structural engineer and consultant in the U.K. who authored new guidance on increasing weight limits for car parks, told the U.K. <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/04/08/old-car-parks-could-collapse-under-weight-electric-cars/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Telegraph</a>. “Operators need to be aware of electric vehicle weights, and get their car parks assessed from a strength point of view, and decide if they need to limit weight.”
Whapples and British Parking Association structures group chairman Russell Simmons drew up new guidance for multi-story car parks in Britain that would recommend higher load bearing weights for the concrete floors of parking structures. “We have done quite a few inspections of car parks over the last six months, and some prove that the buildings couldn’t withstand the new EV weights,&#8221; Simmons said.
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Electric cars are significantly heavier than their internal combustion counterparts. According to The <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/04/19/electric-vehicles-could-put-pressure-on-parking-garages/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a>, the battery of the new all-electric GMC Hummer alone weighs 2,900 pounds, roughly the same weight as a Honda Civic; the Audi E-tron SUV weighs more than 5,700 pounds, more than 1,000 pounds heavier than a comparable Ford Explorer.
The Telegraph report came just 10 days before a parking garage <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/1-killed-5-injured-after-parking-garage-collapses-in-new-york-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collapsed</a> in New York City, killing one person and injuring five others. New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol noted that the garage had more than half of its cars on the roof. He also noted that electric cars complicate the cleanup operation. “There’s over 50 cars on the roof,&#8221; Iscol said, via The New York Post. &#8220;The building is not structurally sound, you think about hazardous materials that are in the garage, right gas tanks, fluids, further complicated by the fact that there are possibly some electric vehicles in that garage,” Iscol said.
The parking garage itself was built in 1925, and certified for occupancy in 1926, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/deadly-garage-collapse-new-york-city-likely-due-buildings-nearly-100-y-rcna80454" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a> reported. It was certified again to allow &#8220;more than five&#8221; motor vehicles in the basement and first three stories; at the time, the roof was only certified for passenger vehicles. But the building had faced multiple building code violations in the 2000s because of cracked and defective concrete. Local news outlet <a href="https://abc7ny.com/parking-garage-collapse-nyc-pace-university-ann-st/13158954/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC7</a> also reported that parking garages were required to undergo structural inspections and file reports by the end of the year, but the owners of the garage had not yet complied.
Whapples told The Telegraph that he foresees some car parks in the U.K. introducing weight limits. “We have height restrictions in car parks, why not weight,” he said. NCP, one of the largest operators in Britain, has already said it is making adjustments in line with the new rules, including placing EV chargers on the bottom floor, and making parking spaces wider to spread the load.
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NYC parking garage collapse

Electric Cars Could Lead To More Parking Garage Collapses Like In NYC, Experts Warn

Electric cars

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