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Honda, Subaru airlifting parts to bypass port labor diputes

It should be abundantly obvious that a vital element in building cars is actually having the components on hand to assemble them. A labor dispute on the West Coast between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and management is not making that quite so easy for some Japanese automakers. Work slowdowns at the ports have pushed Honda and Subaru parent Fuji Heavy Industries into flying some parts into the country. The two automakers began shipping by airplane late last month to avoid production delays, according to Bloomberg, but it has been an expensive solution. Subaru's chief financial officer said the decision cost around $60 million more per month than sending components by cargo ship. They aren't the only companies dealing with the problem, either. Toyota reportedly stopped overtime assembly at some of its factories here because of the delays in getting parts, according to Bloomberg. The dockworkers have been negotiating on a new contract since May 2014, and the current offer on the table to them has offered a 3 percent raise, according to Bloomberg. Although, the union is reportedly considering another slowdown at 29 ports along the West Coast in the coming days. News Source: BloombergImage Credit: Nick Ut / AP Photo Auto News UAW/Unions Honda Subaru Toyota shipping port labor dispute

2015 Fit Kit is the perfect DIY car from Honda

Ah... let the April Fools' Day automotive jokes begin. Honda is kicking things off, following up on last year's Honda Hair joke with a prank video featuring the 2015 Honda Fit.
It's called the Fit Kit, and as you might guess, it's a way to build your own version of the redesigned hatchback. There are 180,000 mechanical parts in the kit - some delivered by drone - but that doesn't seem at all daunting to the pair of obnoxious, self-described tinkerers that star in the Fit Kit ad.
Honestly, the video is pretty entertaining, with some biting satire of the DIY movement and its attendant cadre of mustachioed hipsters. Scroll down and have a look at both the video and the Fit Kit press release from Honda.

Driving the Lotus Emira and Nissan Sakura | Autoblog Podcast #805

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Electric, John Beltz Snyder and Associate Editor Byron Hurd. This week we've got a handful of cars to review, like the Lotus Emira, Jaguar F-Type, Honda Accord Hybrid, Mini Cooper SE and Nissan Sakura. There's a new Autoblog T-shirt available through a collaboration with Blipshift (read more here, and buy yours here). Could there be a new, midsize Ram pickup set for U.S. production? Nissan is considering an affordable, electrified small pickup for America. The VW ID.7 Tourer electric wagon has been revealed, and we consider whether it should come here, too. John talks about the energy of the exhibition halls at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, and our hosts talk highlights from SEMA 2023. Finally, we open some listener mail to help choose a fun convertible rental for a trip to Phoenix in this week's "Spend My Money" segment. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #805 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving 2023 Lotus Emira First Edition 2024 Jaguar F-Type R75 Convertible 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid 2024 Mini Cooper SE 2024 Nissan Sakura Blipshift's 'Automn 2023' sale is here and it includes a brand new Autoblog T-shirt Stellantis-UAW agreement brings new (Ram?) midsize truck to Illinois Nissan exploring electrified and affordable small pickup for U.S. market Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer previewed as the brand's first electric wagon — should it come to the U.S.? 2023 Japan Mobility Show: the feel from the show floor SEMA 2023 recap Spend My Money: Renting a fun convertible through Turo Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: Green Podcasts SEMA Show Tokyo Motor Show Honda Jaguar Lotus MINI Nissan Convertible Coupe Hatchback Economy Cars Electric Hybrid Lightweight Vehicles Luxury Performance Sedan