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GM lends millions to Lordstown Motors with an option to buy back plant
General Motors is making a $40 million loan available to Lordstown Motors Corp. to help the start-up buy GM's shuttered plant in Lordstown, Ohio, and start building electric trucks.
"The transaction was structured to support LMC's strategy to launch production of their Endurance pickup," GM spokesman Jim Cain said in an email to the Free Press....Read more
Tesla on auto-pilot collides with Connecticut state police cruiser
HARTFORD, Conn. -- A Tesla in auto-pilot mode collided with a Connecticut state police cruiser early Saturday morning as the trooper was assisting a disabled motor vehicle in the center lane of Interstate 95.
According to police, a pair of troopers responded to a disabled vehicle in the left center lane of northbound I-95 near exit 15 in ...Read more
Larry Printz: The least popular car in America is practical and affordable. So why isn't it selling?
Gym class can be the most traumatizing experience for those who don't like participatory sports. Inevitably, if you're not a particularly gifted athlete, you will be taunted or, even worse, chosen last for the junior high dodgeball team, a truly nasty game.
If this has happened to you, then you can sympathize with Fiat.
The Italian automaker ...Read more
Ford workers break their silence on faulty transmissions: 'Everybody knew'
DETROIT -- They knew the truth and kept quiet.
Their secret wasn't a secret at all in engineering, product development, research, design or manufacturing within Ford Motor Co., say seven current and former employees who worked to develop and launch the Fiesta and Focus cars that would become known for defective automatic transmissions.
"My ...Read more
New UAW deals keep status quo when big change was needed, experts say
DETROIT -- Nearly 12 weeks after the previous contracts expired between the UAW and the Detroit Three, including a 40-day nationwide strike against General Motors, work on a new deal is near the end.
But experts say it's just the beginning because the automakers face a difficult future that the new four-year union contracts fail to safeguard ...Read more
High-end buyers are changing what they want in a vehicle. Here's why automakers are complying
DETROIT -- What premium-vehicle buyers want is changing, and that's a big deal not just for luxury brands like Mercedes and Lexus, but Detroit 3 brands including Ford, Chevrolet and Jeep.
Premium vehicles -- including models like the Ford F-150 Platinum, GMC Yukon Denali and Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland -- account for just 13% of global sales, ...Read more
Auto review: Toyota's best-selling Corolla compact gets a makeover and a hybrid for 2020
After getting an all-new hatchback version for 2019, the Toyota Corolla debuts a redesigned sedan lineup for 2020, including the brand's first hybrid model.
The 12th-generation Corolla sedan carries forward much of the new exterior styling that made its debut earlier on the hatchback version.
For the new sedan, prices start at $19,600 (plus $...Read more
Mark Phelan: Lincoln's remaining sedans are doomed — but a new model could help brand
What does Ford Motor Co.'s decision to stop selling sedans in the United States mean to Lincoln's cars?
Nothing good. But, honestly, does it matter?
You -- and Ford -- might be surprised.
It's easy to make the case against Lincoln's cars. It sells just two -- the midsize MKZ and large Continental. Neither is a leader in its segment, and ...Read more
Under the Hood: What's causing shudder while braking?
Q: I'm feeling a shudder in the front of the car when I'm braking, more so near the bottom of a long hill. It seems to be getting worse. How serious a problem could this be?
-- Kelly
A. It sounds like your brakes, likely the fronts, are suffering from distorted brake rotors. Brake rotors are like very thick dinner plates, typically constructed...Read more
Auto review: Nissan Pathfinder remains a solid value, but that's about it
2019 Honda Passport Elite AWD vs. 2019 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek Edition: A little bit country.
This week: Nissan Pathfinder.
Price: $44,455 as tested.
Conventional wisdom: Car and Driver likes the "solid value in this class, cushy cabin experience, notable 6,000-pound towing capacity," but not that it "drives more boat-like than it should...Read more
GM to partner with LG Chem on a new Ohio factory for electric vehicle batteries
DETROIT -- General Motors said Thursday it is partnering with South Korea's LG Chem in a joint venture to build batteries for electric vehicles in a factory to be located near Lordstown, Ohio.
The companies said they will invest up to a total of $2.3 billion through a new, equally owned joint venture. The JV will establish a battery cell ...Read more
McDonald's and Ford writing a new punchline: Coffee so strong … you can build car parts out of it
CHICAGO -- McDonald's coffee bean remnants are getting a second purpose in life in the form of car parts.
Researchers from Ford, the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker, are using McDonald's coffee chaff -- the waste left over after the roasting process -- to make headlamp housings and other auto components.
Ford started production this month ...Read more
Rory Gamble picked as UAW president, will serve until 2022
DETROIT -- Rory Gamble will remain at the head of the UAW.
Gamble, who had been tapped as acting president in the wake of Gary Jones' resignation in disgrace, was picked Thursday as the permanent replacement to fill the remainder of Jones' term, which ends in 2022. Gamble, who makes history as the union's first African-American president, has ...Read more
Trump asks court to toss California auto emissions lawsuit
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump's administration asked a federal judge to throw out California's lawsuit seeking to preserve its power to regulate tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions, saying Washington has the last word in setting fuel economy standards.
In court papers dated Oct. 15 but made public Tuesday, Justice Department lawyers told U...Read more
US Attorney paints portrait of greed among UAW leaders involved in corruption scandal
DETROIT -- For U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider, the corruption allegations against UAW brass at a time rank-and-file union members were living off strike pay on the picket lines was hard to stomach.
It's a theme of greed he mentioned more than once Monday during a sit-down with reporters at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit.
"It was really...Read more
UAW and FCA reach proposed tentative agreement; company to add $4.5 billion in US investment
DETROIT -- The UAW and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles have reached a proposed tentative agreement that adds nearly 8,000 jobs over the life of the deal. The agreement potentially starts the last lap of months of union and automaker contract wrangling.
The announcement of an agreement came Saturday morning following meetings at FCA's Conner Center in...Read more
Ex-UAW president Gary Jones resigns from union in 'unprecedented' move
DETROIT -- Gary Jones is out.
The disgraced former UAW president quit his affiliation with the union brothers and sisters he took an oath to represent with honor and dignity. He has been a member of the union since 1975.
"Jones had faced internal UAW Article 30 charges that would have removed him from office and from his membership," a ...Read more
Larry Printz: Don't look now, but there might be a turkey in your garage
Thanksgiving is over, and you've no doubt had your fill of turkey, but what about the kind that you might have driven? Yes, there are a number of four-wheeled turkeys. Give this list a look, and then give thanks that these turkeys have passed from new car showrooms.
Acura ZDX
(2010-2013)
Why it's foul: While many German automakers have ...Read more
Kia Telluride mixes fun with practicality
2020 Kia Telluride: $47,310 as tested. $210 for floor mats, $115 for cargo mat, and $450 for interior lighting.
Conventional wisdom: Motor Trend says, "The rest of the midsize crossover segment better look out."
Marketer's pitch: "No holding back."
Reality: On the down side, it's not as beefy as the others, but on the plus side, it's not as ...Read more
Under the Hood: Shudder likely indicates need for new brake pads and rotors
Q: I'm feeling a shudder in the front of the car when I'm braking, more so near the bottom of a long hill. It seems to be getting worse. How serious a problem could this be?
-- Kelly
A: It sounds like your brakes, likely the fronts, are suffering from distorted brake rotors. Brake rotors are like very thick dinner plates, typically constructed...Read more
Popular Stories
- Under the Hood: Shudder likely indicates need for new brake pads and rotors
- Auto review: Toyota's best-selling Corolla compact gets a makeover and a hybrid for 2020
- Larry Printz: The least popular car in America is practical and affordable. So why isn't it selling?
- Ford workers break their silence on faulty transmissions: 'Everybody knew'
- New UAW deals keep status quo when big change was needed, experts say
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