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Honda, Nissan deal may be key in fight against China's BYD
Honda Motor Co. absorbing Nissan Motor Co. could give the two struggling Japanese brands the scale they need to take on China’s BYD Co., sales figures released Wednesday show.
Honda, which earlier this week sketched out plans for a deal that amounts to an acquisition of Nissan, sold 3.43 million cars globally in the first 11 months of 2024. ...Read more
The Crucial Role of Safety Features When Buying a New Car
When it comes to purchasing a new car, the focus often lands on style, performance, or fuel efficiency. However, safety features should be a top priority for any buyer. Advanced safety technology not only protects drivers and passengers but can also save lives in critical situations. Here’s why safety features are essential and how you can ...Read more
Why automakers seek partnerships to reduce costs, advance tech faster
In the increasingly competitive automotive market, General Motors Co. and rival automakers have realized pairing up is not only beneficial but necessary for cost reduction and quicker technological advancement.
GM has long understood the benefits of partnerships. The Detroit automaker, for example, has a longstanding partnership with Japanese ...Read more
Ford to give $1 million for Trump inauguration
WASHINGTON — Ford Motor Co. will contribute $1 million and a fleet of vehicles for President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration in January, a company spokesperson told The Detroit News.
The company did not reveal what kinds of vehicles it would provide, but the Dearborn automaker joins a growing list of major businesses pitching in for Trump's...Read more
Motormouth: EV battery life
Q: What happens to an electric motor power source battery in an EV, plug-in hybrid or hybrid if it is not used for 6 months or more at a time? I am familiar with putting a gasoline engine battery on a maintainer. Related question, what happens to an electric motor battery, in each type of electric vehicle, if it loses all charge in normal use?
...Read more
Federal regulators propose new plan for evaluating self-driving vehicle tech
WASHINGTON — Federal regulators on Friday announced plans to further evaluate the safety of vehicles equipped with automated driving systems, a potential precursor to nationwide standards for rapidly advancing self-driving technology.
The ADS-equipped Vehicle Safety, Transparency, and Evaluation Program, known as AV STEP, would create a ...Read more
Why it's impossible to make a car without China, regardless of tariffs
WASHINGTON — Even as the Trump and Biden administrations have taken and maintained aggressive stances on reducing China's role in major U.S. manufacturing sectors, auto industry veterans say it remains impossible to build cars and trucks without help from the Far East.
That will likely stay true even if Republican President-elect Donald Trump...Read more
Racy Honda Prelude coupe returns to US as a hybrid
The sporty Honda Prelude is back.
The Japanese automaker announced the return of the iconic two-door coupe to North America with a concept that closely resembles production plans. The Prelude is scheduled to join the brand’s lineup late next year as a 2026 model. Prelude first washed up on U.S. shores in 1979 and was discontinued in 2001 ...Read more
2024 Mercedes Benz E-class has the appeal sedan lovers demand
With the 2024 models phasing out of the review fleet and 2025s arriving daily, Mercedes made a special request to get the E450 in for a classic luxury review. We enjoyed it very much.
Put your seat back and imagine the year is 1965, with big-body muscle cars all the rage while the length and engine combination demanded ultra plush comfort. We ...Read more
Auto review: A New battery-electric flagship for Volvo -- the 2025 EX90
Designers always spend the most time working on exterior car designs to attract buyers, sometimes with disastrous results. But it’s the interior that matters more, as that’s what any car owner and their family and friends is going to look at the most. That dichotomy comes into play on the 2025 Volvo EX90, Volvo’s new battery-electric ...Read more
UAW reaches secret deal with Rivian to make unionizing easier
In recent months, the United Auto Workers reached an agreement with Rivian Automotive Inc. that would make it easier to unionize the company’s workforce — contingent on the electric-vehicle maker ever reaching profitability.
Under Rivian and the UAW’s confidential pact, the automaker would adopt a neutral stance toward efforts to organize...Read more
GM, ChargePoint partner to install up to 500 ultra-fast charging ports in US
General Motors Co. and ChargePoint, a leading charging company, are partnering to install up to 500 ultra-fast charging ports in the United States, the companies said Wednesday.
The companies didn't specify where the stations will be but said they would go in "strategic locations." The locations should be open and available to the public before...Read more
Biden administration grants key waiver for California auto rules, EV mandate
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration finalized a decision Wednesday allowing California to enact influential and long-planned vehicle emissions regulations that set an effective 100% electric vehicle requirement for one-third of the U.S. auto market by 2035.
The regulations — if they survive the significant administrative and legal ...Read more
Biden administration grants key waiver for California auto rules, EV mandate
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration finalized a decision Wednesday allowing California to enact influential and long-planned vehicle emissions regulations that set an effective 100% electric vehicle requirement for one-third of the U.S. auto market by 2035.
The regulations — if they survive the significant administrative and legal ...Read more
Late surge will lift 2024 auto sales to five-year high, Cox projects
Analysts at Cox Automotive, an automotive services company, expect new vehicle sales in the United States for 2024 will come in at just over 15.8 million, beating a previous forecast and marking the best year since 2019.
After a strong fourth quarter, automakers are expected to post sales of 15.85 million in 2024, up 2.3% from 2023's 15.55 ...Read more
Waymo says it's bringing its fully driverless robotaxis to Miami. But are they safe?
Waymo, the self-driving vehicle company owned by Google parent Alphabet, has announced it’s bringing its driverless robotaxis to Miami amid wide-ranging questions about their safety and an ongoing federal investigation into collisions involving its cars in cities where the service is already operating.
In a statement, the company said it will...Read more
Judge orders UAW officials to produce records sought in Shawn Fain corruption probe
A federal judge Monday ordered United Auto Workers officials to stop withholding documents sought by a watchdog investigating claims of wrongdoing by President Shawn Fain and other senior leaders.
U.S. District Judge David Lawson issued the order three weeks after hearing arguments amid a dispute that has delayed by months attempts by the ...Read more
Motormouth: Problem may stem from a weak or dying battery
Q: My 2023 GV80 has a lot of bells and whistles and one of them is the engine turning off at stop lights to save gas. I noticed that the feature had stopped working so I took the vehicle back to the dealership. Two hours after my appointment time, it was returned to me with the statement that there was no error code and there were many things ...Read more
What GM's exit from robotaxi space says about limits in race for AV leadership
Supremacy in the race to self-drive an electrified auto industry is harder than the masters of Detroit and Silicon Valley figured, proving that what players do is far more important than what they say.
General Motors Co. showed as much this week with confirmation it’s quitting Cruise LLC's robotaxi program after pumping $10 billion into it ...Read more
Auto review: Green and mean: the subversive 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona EV
Feast your eyes on the only new full-size coupe offered for sale in America, the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona. Its bodyshell will be offered with four doors next year. Until then, it will only have two. But here’s the thing. While the 2024 Charger Daytona replaces the 2023 Charger and Challenger in Dodge showrooms, it comes purely as a battery ...Read more