Ryan Beene, Automotive News

Ryan Beene

Automotive News

Washington, DC, United States

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Recent:
  • Unknown
Past:
  • Automotive News
  • Advertising Age

Past articles by Ryan:

Self-driving car industry needs better metrics, DOT official says

Autonomous vehicle manufacturers need a better yardstick to show that their products are safe, said Derek Kan, undersecretary for policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation. → Read More

EPA poised to side with automakers' calls to ease fuel rules, report says

The EPA has concluded that a landmark Obama-era effort to cut vehicle emissions is too aggressive and agrees with automakers that the standards should be revised, sources told Bloomberg. → Read More

VW Done With Diesel Push in U.S., Exec Says

Volkswagen will take a step back from the diesel powertrains that defined its U.S. vehicle lineup for the better part of a decade amid a repositioning of the brand in the aftermath of the automaker's emissions scandal, VW's top U.S. official says. Hinrich Woebcken, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, told Automotive News this week that VW won't relaunch "clean diesels" as a core element of its… → Read More

VW presentation described how to cheat emissions tests, report says

A Volkswagen PowerPoint presentation from 2006 described “in detail” how the German automaker could cheat on stringent U.S. emissions tests, the New York Times reported today. → Read More

Motorcycle, auto stores ride in tandem

By leveraging the market expertise and used sales operation of its Harley-Davidson dealership, Sheehy Auto Stores now has a more efficient way to handle motorcycle trade-ins. → Read More

VW dealers want remedy done right

Last week's agreement between VW and U.S. authorities provided the first clear indications of how the company will put its diesel emissions crisis to rest. But dealers are eager to know the full scope of their role in rebuilding trust with VW customers. → Read More

VW and U.S. government reach agreement in principle to settle diesel violations, judge says

Volkswagen Group reached an agreement in principle with U.S. authorities to address the roughly 482,000 2.0-liter diesel VW and Audi vehicles with software designed to mask excess emissions in lab tests. → Read More

Overtime case goes from the service desk to high court

A shorthanded U.S. Supreme Court this week will take up the case of five dealership service advisers who sought overtime pay for their 55-hour work weeks, a dispute that could have big implications for dealers and their compensation plans. → Read More

EPA drops proposed rule that could ban street-to-race car conversions

The EPA said it will drop controversial language from a proposed heavy- and medium-duty truck rule that had sparked fears of a new agency ban on street-to-race car conversions and recent scrutiny from Republican lawmakers. → Read More

Woebcken takes the reins of VW of America

The Volkswagen brand's recently appointed North America chief, Hinrich Woebcken, has been named CEO of the VW Group of America. Woebcken had been the group's interim chief executive since the abrupt departure of former chief and dealer favorite Michael Horn on March 9. → Read More

Airlines to share safety ideas with automakers

U.S. auto safety and aviation regulators have invited automakers to a joint summit in Washington on April 22 to examine whether airline industry safety practices can be adapted to help improve light-vehicle safety on the road. → Read More

Ford F-150 leads pickups in IIHS' corner crash tests

The 2016 Ford F-150 SuperCab was the only full-size pickup to take home a “good” rating among the nameplates tested in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's challenging small-overlap crash test. The truck earned the rating after receiving crashworthiness upgrades following a shaky performance last year. → Read More

What to make of VW's big make meeting

Attendees said VW brand chief Herbert Diess and other executives offered no details about technical fixes for the diesel crisis or compensation for consumers, citing a government gag order. → Read More

Dealer puts VW crisis on camera

Filmmaker Steve Kalafer, a three-time Oscar nominee, is at work on a documentary about Volkswagen's diesel emissions crisis, a project that's close to home. That's because he is also a Volkswagen dealer. → Read More

VW dealer defies council, sues factory for damages from diesel scandal

Three Volkswagen dealerships owned by the Illinois-based Napleton Automotive Group sued the automaker, defying a VW dealer council effort to dissuade retailers from using courts to tackle grievances caused by the automaker's diesel-emissions crisis. → Read More

VW puts 3-row crossover through the paces

Volkswagen is putting its much-anticipated midsize crossover -- billed as a savior for the beleaguered brand -- through the paces ahead of a U.S. launch in the first quarter of next year. → Read More

Carlson vows to press NADA's fight against regulation

Incoming NADA Chairman Jeff Carlson vowed to keep up the group's fight against government overreach and pledged to make the group more consumer-focused in 2016. → Read More

Diess says VW will 'redefine' brand in U.S.

VW brand chief Herbert Diess vowed to “redefine” VW's beleaguered brand identity in the U.S. market and pledged to boost production to support U.S. sales this year, but dealers say several issues remained unresolved. → Read More

VW dealers mobilize to head off lawsuits

Volkswagen retailers tapped a five-member committee to open settlement talks with the automaker aimed at recovering financial damages sustained by VW's 652 U.S. dealerships in the wake of the company's emissions crisis. → Read More

Audi plans big ad push for A4, Q7

Audi of America will spend more on marketing this year to support key model launches and maintain its record sales momentum. Scott Keogh, president of Audi of America, declined to quantify the increase but said the luxury brand's 2016 marketing budget is “tens of millions of more dollars” than its 2015 expenditures. → Read More