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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
Can Trump end California's autos emission rule supremacy?
WASHINGTON — Environmental groups and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, still under the control of President Joe Biden, are bracing to protect California’s central role in regulating vehicle emissions against what could be a formidable deregulatory push from President-elect Donald Trump.
The lame-duck Biden administration has not ...Read more
California to offer EV rebates if Trump kills $7,500 tax credit, Newsom says
California is prepared to offer state tax rebates for electric vehicle purchases if the incoming Trump administration scuttles the federal EV tax credit, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“We will intervene if the Trump Administration eliminates the federal tax credit, doubling down on our commitment to clean air and green jobs in California,�...Read more
Motormouth: Defroster disrupts radio
Q: I purchased a 2011 Corolla in June. It had a gaping hole for the radio, which the dealer then installed. It is just recently that I have had to use the rear defroster, and I found out that it cuts out my FM radio station while it is on. I have been gathering as much info on this as I can, and it's definitely "a thing" out there. I only have ...Read more
LA Auto Show: North American Car, Truck, Utility of the Year finalists unveiled
LOS ANGELES — And then there were nine.
Finalists for 2025 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) were announced Thursday to kick off the Los Angeles Auto Show. In a variety pack of nominees, Detroit brands scored four nominations.
Car of the Year finalists are the $29,845 Honda Civic Hybrid, $23,145 Kia K4 and $...Read more
Auto review: 2024 Lincoln Nautilus boasts big style and design
As Ford Motor Co.’s upscale brand has had some hurdles in recent years, recently with new releases and lackluster profits, the Lincoln Nautilus arrives in Grasso’s Garage with a bang. Wrapped in beautiful Blue Panther Metallic paint, our Nautilus AWD Black Label tester was appealing to onlookers and riders alike.
On the inside, the Nautilus...Read more
Auto review: GMC Sierra Denali EV goes toe-to-V8 with heavyweight champ, Sierra Denali ICE
Woodside, California — Forget Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul. The heavyweight fight to watch is GMC Sierra Denali Ultimate vs GMC Sierra Denali EV.
That's right, the gold-studded GMC brothers are facing off in a V-8 vs. battery death match.
Along with Honda, General Motors Co. is the most committed legacy automaker to an electric future. It even ...Read more
Auto review: 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid a true Jekyll/Hyde SUV
If you live in Florida, California, New York, Texas or Georgia, you’ll particularly appreciate the 2025 Hyundai Tucson. These states lead the nation in plastic surgeries, accounting for 92% of procedures, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. So if you live there, odds are better that you’ve had work done. So ...Read more
Hyundai unveils upscale, electric, three-row Ioniq 9 at LA Auto Show
LOS ANGELES — While other manufacturers have moved away from auto show reveals in recent years, Hyundai Motor Co. has embraced the big tent. That includes the Los Angeles Auto Show, where the brand has pulled the sheets off a parade of new vehicles in the last four years including the gas-powered Palisade and Santa Fe SUVs and the battery-...Read more
This is how GM, Ford executives are thinking about the incoming Trump administration
General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. are emphasizing their ability to be flexible in responding to consumer demand in light of potential policy changes under President-elect Donald Trump's administration.
The incoming administration could see the elimination of the Inflation Reduction Act's tax credit of up to $7,500 on plug-in vehicles, ...Read more
Ford to reassign 400 Bronco plant workers, cut 4,000 jobs in Europe
Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday said it's reassigning about 400 workers to other southeast Michigan plants for reduced production at its Bronco plant in Wayne, Michigan, and is reducing its workforce by 4,000 in Europe by the end of 2027.
Although Bronco SUV sales were up 105% year-over-year in October, deliveries are down 10% overall in 2024. The ...Read more
Trump team targets auto mileage rules he blasted as 'EV mandate'
President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration is looking to slash fuel-efficiency requirements for new cars and light trucks as part of plans to unwind Biden policies he’s blasted as an “EV mandate,” according to people familiar with the matter.
Trump advisers plan to reexamine fuel economy requirements that were finalized in ...Read more