Hit by a perfect storm of politics, model-year changeovers and competition, Tesla sales have declined dramatically to open 2025.

The electric vehicle maker’s sales dropped by 13% in the first quarter according to Cox Automotive, even as the overall electric vehicle segment grew by 11%. The sales swoon — coupled with a 34% drop in Tesla’s ...Read more

Ever try to be something you’re not? There are SUVs like that. They sport some rugged outdoor name, and are festooned with durable-looking plastic body cladding. They play to the aspirations that someday you’ll conquer some rugged mountain pass. In reality, you might just be slogging through the rain on the way to the Piggly Wiggly, as said ...Read more

CARLSBAD, California — On April 14, San Diego County experienced an earthquake that made national news. It registered 5.2 on the Richter scale. Residents recounted hearing a rumble as loud as a freight train. Floors rattled. Vases fell off tables.

Riding on top of the smooth, adaptive suspension inside the whisper-quiet, three-row Lincoln ...Read more

Nissan enters Grasso’s Garage for the first time in 2025 with its entry-level, top of the line commuter SUV. Wrapped in two-tone Arctic Ice Blue, the redesigned 2025 Nissan Kicks SR is here with futuristic styling and design that proves Nissan is in it to win it.

With a $26,000 base price, the Kicks SR offers a 2.0-liter DOHC four-cylinder ...Read more

When Artie R. Williams decided it was time to kick his gas habit, he narrowed his search to three options: the Cadillac Optiq, a Porsche Macan EV and the Polestar 3. — none of which has been on the market for more than a few months.

Tesla wasn’t on the table.

“Nothing against Elon (Musk), but those vehicles have been out for so long,�...Read more

The Trump administration is considering reducing tariffs on auto parts ahead of a May 3 deadline that has drawn the ire of global carmakers, according to the Financial Times.

The proposal would exempt car parts from tariffs President Donald Trump has levied on imports from China to stop fentanyl production, people familiar with the plan told ...Read more

Ford Motor Co.'s director of electrified propulsion engineering on Wednesday hailed a "breakthrough" in battery chemistry from the Dearborn automaker's battery research and development center in Romulus.

Ford is working to scale lithium manganese-rich cell chemistry and integrate the batteries into Ford's lineup within this decade, Charles Poon...Read more

Tesla is off to a bumpy start this year.

The electric vehicle giant’s profit plunged 71% in the first quarter to $409 million as the company faced a flurry of setbacks, including looming tariffs and a brand crisis perpetuated by Chief Executive Elon Musk’s prominent role in the Trump administration.

The Austin, Texas-based company reported...Read more

Up to 100 workers at Volvo Group’s engine and transmission plant in Hagerstown will be part of hundreds of layoffs in three states amid market uncertainty and recent tariffs.

Volvo Group, a maker of heavy-duty trucks, plans to lay off as many as 800 people at facilities in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia, a spokesman said Tuesday.

“...Read more

Tesla Inc. rose in late trading after Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said he’s going to pull back “significantly” from his work with the U.S. government to focus on the EV maker.

Musk also said that he plans to keep advocating for President Donald Trump to pull back on tariffs, which have hit Tesla.

“I think starting probably next ...Read more

DETROIT — Smart roads that enable vehicles to communicate with traffic infrastructure could help goods and people travel faster and be the key to unlocking innovation to help the United States compete with China, one Bank of America automotive analyst is suggesting.

Worries about China's economic activity and research and development are ...Read more

Stellantis NV's Detroit Assembly Complex plants that build Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs will pause production next week, the latest of several plant cutbacks made by the automaker in recent weeks.

The Mack and Jefferson North facilities in east Detroit will halt production for the week of April 28, with Mack also scheduled to take...Read more

Tesla has settled a lawsuit by a worker in its Fremont electric car factory who claimed she was harassed and discriminated against because she is Black.

Raina Pierce sued the automaker in 2022, alleging that her manager referred to the facility as “the plantation” and the “slave house,” and that her supervisor called her a racial slur ...Read more

Q: Loved seeing your “glove box” item in my East Bay Times today. Glove box is what my mom called it. Dad said “jockey box." What can you tell us about jockey box history? I’m 78 so my parents are long gone, but I like to say jockey box when my grown grandkids are in the car, just to hear their reaction and so I can tell family stories. ...Read more

When Stellantis NV Chairman John Elkann this week explained his concerns with costly U.S. tariffs, he made sure to draw a comparison with growing automotive powerhouse China.

Both the American and European auto sectors are struggling to navigate "extreme" policy and regulatory pressures — including the new import tariffs — as China's ...Read more

Ford Motor Co. has adjusted shipments to China from the United States as a result of retaliatory tariffs, the Dearborn automaker confirmed.

Citing anonymous sources, The Wall Street Journal first reported the Blue Oval this week halted shipments completely of F-150 Raptor pickups, Mustang muscle cars and Bronco SUVs built in Michigan, as well ...Read more

ANZA-BORREGO DESERT, California — With all-terrain tires, all-wheel drive, seven driving modes and wireless navigation, the Ford Bronco Sport is a packhorse built for all seasons.

In southern California, those seasons can happen in one day.

The Bronco Sport — aka, Son of Bronco, Bronco Jr., Bronco Lite — is the entry-level sibling in ...Read more

Ford Motor Co. seems to have gone down a rabbit hole in recent years with EVs, spending tons of money and time on production and innovation. While the company's trusty old nameplates continue to be profitable and modern, Ford has left the Mustang untouched, and for good reason. In Grasso’s Garage today, we review the 2025 Intense Lime Yellow ...Read more