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Electric school bus maker Lion Electric suspends operations at Illinois plant
When electric school bus manufacturer Lion Electric opened its sprawling 900,000 square-foot factory in Joliet last year, Gov. JB Pritzker and both Illinois senators attended the ceremony.
The facility — the first new vehicle assembly plant to open in metropolitan Chicago since 1965 — was hailed as a source of good jobs and a step forward ...Read more
Stellantis financial chief explains Tavares departure, talks Trump tariffs
A senior Stellantis NV executive said Wednesday that CEO Carlos Tavares' recent departure from the automaker could be attributed to his disagreements with the company's board about short-term business tactics, as well as conflict over how to interact with outside stakeholders such as dealers, suppliers, unions and governments.
The business ...Read more
Ford posts strong November sales, hits monthly EV sales record
Ford Motor Co. said Wednesday it had its best November for U.S. sales since before the COVID-19 pandemic, achieving a 14% increase year-over-year and an all-time monthly electric vehicle sales record.
The Dearborn automaker sold 166,373 vehicles last month. That included 10,821 all-electric vehicles, representing 6.5% of sales that were up 21% ...Read more
GM to take $5 billion in charges for changes to China business
General Motors Co. will incur two noncash charges of more than $5 billion for recognizing the change in value of its joint-venture business in China and restructuring costs there, according to a Wednesday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
GM expects a $2.6 billion to $2.9 billion write-down, or reduction in value on its ...Read more
Once a must for wealthy Seattle liberals, Teslas feel an Elon backlash
For Tesla drivers in and around Seattle, the mood these days can feel a little charged.
In a metro area famous for its Democratic majorities, driving an electric vehicle whose maker, Elon Musk, just helped reelect Republican Donald Trump can earn its own special version of the Seattle freeze.
Parked Teslas have been spray-painted and smashed. ...Read more
UAW pushes for 2025 strike votes amid Stellantis plant chaos, CEO's resignation
After struggling to build momentum for factory walkouts this fall, the United Auto Workers is telling its Stellantis NV members that it now plans to organize strike authorization votes in early 2025.
The union wants to force Stellantis to follow through with investment pledges made in its 2023 contract. But those organizing efforts have been ...Read more
Jaguar transformed: Type 00 concept debuts a new breed of quiet, electric cat
The Jaguar Type 00 is a different kind of cat.
The big, battery-powered coupe concept introduced Monday in Miami marks a break for the Brit brand from a storied internal combustion-engine past that included a marriage with Ford Motor Co. from 1990-2008. Complete with all-new logos, the Type 00 showcases a sleek, two-door grand tourer in the ...Read more
Motormouth: Road noise and electric vehicles
Q: I am curious about whether the noise from roads will be quieter when there are more electric vehicles. That is, does the noise come from tire/road contact (so no change) or from the engines (great change)? Does the vehicle speed matter, as in highway noise vs. local connector road noise? Does size of vehicle factor into this discussion?
L.B....Read more
Stellantis names committee to run company after CEO Tavares leaves
Stellantis NV on Monday announced the formation of an "interim executive committee" that will be responsible for running the company while a new chief executive is found by the first half of 2025.
The Stellantis board moved quickly to form the interim committee for "direction and oversight of the company" after CEO Carlos Tavares resigned over ...Read more
GM sells stake in Ultium Lansing battery plant to partner LG Energy Solution
General Motors Co. is selling its stake in the Ultium Cells LLC battery plant planned for Lansing, Michigan, to its joint-venture partner LG Energy Solution, the automaker said Monday.
GM, which expects to recoup $1 billion from the investment, made the announcement amid a push by executives to be more capital-efficient and make its electric ...Read more
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares resigns amid 'different views' with board
Stellantis NV CEO Carlos Tavares resigned Sunday amid the automaker's recent declining profits, sharply falling sales this year in the United States and mounting criticism from dealers and unions in recent months.
The maker of Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Ram, Fiat and many other brands said in the surprise afternoon announcement that the company's ...Read more
California's 1st EV-charging roadway planned for UCLA ahead of Olympics
LOS ANGELES — The state's first electric-vehicle-charging roadway is expected to debut by the 2028 Olympics after a multimillion-dollar grant to UCLA — the site of Los Angeles's Olympic Village.
Nearly $20 million will go to electrify the university's BruinBus fleet and install underground charging for shuttles and buses along a route that ...Read more
Auto review: Dirt fight, Ford Ranger Raptor vs. Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro
HOLLY, Mich. — The North American Truck of the Year contest this year featured an impressive variety of pickups that included the GMC Sierra EV, Rivian R1T and Ram 1500.
But the marquee matchup is a fight between two midsize truck icons: the Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma.
The titans have both completely redesigned their vehicles for this ...Read more
Auto review: 2024 BMW 5-series is beyond run of the mill
As manufacturers continue to keep a close eye on sedan sales volumes, in Grasso’s Garage, they have huge purpose and need. Consumers abound have stuck fast to the sedan market and boycotted brands who have further extinct the “car” and moved into the SUV only market.
For BMW, we expect nothing less than a midsized rightly priced ...Read more
Auto review: Enjoy the charging in roomy, award-winning Kia EV9
Hooked to a super-fast charger, Kia’s all-new, all-electric EV9 can recapture an 80-percent charge in just 24 minutes. But what’s the rush?
You’ll be stretched out in the ultra-cushy three-row SUV, front seat reclined and power leg-rests deployed, while the Ergo Motion system performs a soothing massage. Might as well do the slow charger ...Read more
The plan for EV maker Rivian to emerge from its 'awkward teenage years'
Lars Dennert paid $100,000 for a forest green Rivian R1S, an electric SUV he enjoys driving on family road trips to the beach, snow and desert.
This year, he raised his wager on Rivian’s future, spending at least $10,000 on Rivian stock, which has hardly been a winner.
“I’m hoping for another Tesla, that down the road [Rivian] will ...Read more
Auto review: 2025 Mini Countryman is full of fun and functionality that belies its size
In a world where people convert shipping containers into homes, the idea seems to be emerging that bigger isn’t always better. The same thing could be said of SUVs. Consider the 2025 Mini Countryman. It’s smaller than a Toyota Corolla Cross or a Chevrolet Trax. Yet compared with Mini’s other models, it’s positively huge.
Offered in S ...Read more
Auto industry, Michigan brace for turmoil from Trump's promised tariffs
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump's latest promise to immediately place 25% tariffs on “ALL” imports from Canada and Mexico once he takes office would dramatically impact Michigan and the U.S. auto industry, which has built its business and supply chain around trilateral agreements for decades.
Longtime Michigan politicians and ...Read more
Rivian receives conditional $6.6-billion federal loan for plant, new models
California-based electric vehicle maker Rivian has received conditional approval for a federal loan of up to $6.6 billion that would help fund construction of a Georgia plant where it could manufacture smaller and more affordable SUVs.
The company said late Monday that the loan from the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Technology Vehicle ...Read more
Feds reject auto industry plea, keep automatic emergency braking rule intact
WASHINGTON — A new federal regulation requiring automakers to install automatic emergency braking technology in all new consumer vehicles by 2029 will remain in place despite complaints from the auto industry.
The National Traffic Highway Safety Administration said Monday it would make minor changes to the AEB rule, which was finalized in ...Read more
Popular Stories
- Once a must for wealthy Seattle liberals, Teslas feel an Elon backlash
- UAW pushes for 2025 strike votes amid Stellantis plant chaos, CEO's resignation
- GM to take $5 billion in charges for changes to China business
- Stellantis financial chief explains Tavares departure, talks Trump tariffs
- The plan for EV maker Rivian to emerge from its 'awkward teenage years'