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With EV batteries in demand, some in GOP say 'no' to China
Two senior Republicans in Congress, Rep. Frank D. Lucas of Oklahoma and Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, criticized the Energy Department in December after it awarded $200 million in grant funding to Microvast, a Texas-based lithium battery company with links to China, to build a new battery manufacturing plant in Tennessee.
And this month, ...Read more
GM hires former Tesla leader for executive post
General Motors Co. has hired Zach Kirkman as vice president of corporate development and global mergers and acquisitions, GM CFO Paul Jacobson announced in a LinkedIn post Monday.
Kirkman previously served as head of corporate development, mergers and acquisitions at Tesla Inc. and "brings an extensive background assessing and executing M&A, ...Read more

GM launches production of Hummer EV SUV
General Motors Co. began production of the 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV on Monday and customers will start to receive deliveries at the end of the first quarter, the brand said.
The Hummer SUV will be built alongside the pickup version at GM's Factory Zero Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center. Production at the plant was halted for several weeks last ...Read more

Musk faces SEC probe for role in Tesla self-driving claims
U.S. regulators are investigating Elon Musk’s role in shaping Tesla Inc.’s self-driving car claims, the latest effort by watchdogs to scrutinize the actions of the world’s second-richest person.
The review is part of an ongoing Securities and Exchange Commission probe of the company’s statements about its Autopilot driver-assistance ...Read more

Full Size Mazda CX-9 delivers for the consumer
In Grasso’s Garage this week, it’s Mazda back and better than ever. Their full size SUV, the 2023 CX-9 is exactly how they keep consumers and families coming back for more, and for good reason.
Whether price is your top priority, or dependability or appearance, Mazda really delivers. Its shark-like front fascia and outstanding reliability ...Read more

Auto review: A bit of good news courtesy of the 2023 Mazda CX-5
How rarely do we genuinely hear good news? It seems that most news sources delight in torturing their readers or viewers with journalism sure to outrage, titillate, disgust, annoy or anger their readers. I don’t know about you, but I am ready to hear something happy.
So, it’s with great delight that I can report that for 2023, the Mazda CX-...Read more

Henry Payne: Nissan Ariya EV turns over a new Leaf with silky style
FARMINGTON HILLS, Michigan — Like the Kardashians on a budget, Nissan is a value brand with a taste for high fashion. Go to a Nissan dealership to buy a $25K Sentra loaded with standard goodies — auto high beams, adaptive cruise control, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto — but be sure to wander over to the $45K Murano Platinum SUV and ...Read more

Ford's BlueCruise automated driving system tops Consumer Reports study
Ford Motor Co.'s BlueCruise active driving assistance (ADA) system has surpassed General Motors Co.'s SuperCruise and Tesla Inc.'s Autopilot to achieve the top spot in a Consumer Reports' study of 12 of the ADA systems released Wednesday.
Consumer Reports tested the systems at its 327-acre Auto Test Center in Connecticut and on a 50-mile public...Read more

Manchin pushes stricter electric vehicle credit rules
Sen. Joe Manchin III and the auto industry are pushing for diverging interpretations of tax breaks in Democrats’ climate and health care budget package enacted last year that defray the cost of buying electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Manchin, who demanded strict sourcing rules to boost domestic manufacturing and energy security before ...Read more

Motormouth: Mice in the car
Q: We have a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica minivan. It is parked inside where there are mice. Within the last two weeks we have found evidence of mice in the cabin. No serious damage to date, just tissue and the like destroyed. I changed the cabin air filter thinking they were gaining access there but there was no evidence. We had the in-dash computer ...Read more
LG gets extension on Michigan battery plant expansion as plans with GM stall
LG Energy Solution is getting an extension on formally entering into an agreement with Michigan's quasi-governmental economic engine to quintuple the size of its Holland, Michigan, electric-vehicle battery plant just days after it first was reported that the company won't be building a fourth battery plant with General Motors Co.
The governing ...Read more

Major insurance companies halt new policies for Kias, Hyundais amid St. Louis-area theft surge
ST. LOUIS — Two major insurance companies have refused to issue new policies on some Kias and Hyundais in the St. Louis region as theft rates of those vehicles remain high following last year's surge.
In a seemingly unprecedented move, insurance behemoths such as Progressive and State Farm are declining to open new policies on Kias and ...Read more

Auto review: Volvo's XC60 Recharge marries power and restraint in elegant hybrid
Being first doesn’t always mean much. Consider gas-electric hybrid automobiles. Toyota and Honda have been selling them for decades. But how serious were they, really? For 2023, there’s only one automaker selling cars that are purely mild hybrid, hybrid or electric in the United States, and it’s not from Japan.
Of course, you’d never ...Read more

Auto review: Audi RS is back, e-tron GT style
In Grasso’s Garage, it’s all about comfort, style and power. As you know, my avid readers also enjoy knowing about the most popular, most attractive and newest to the market vehicles that fit their needs and price category. But when it comes to EVs, readers enjoy what it’s all about to make their own decision on the future of automobiles. ...Read more

Auto review: Return of the compact truck: Maverick small on stature, big on versatility
For those who miss the older, smaller Ford Ranger pickup, it's back — except it's called a Maverick now. And it has some nifty tricks within its 4.5-foot cargo bed, plus a versatile tailgate. Oh, and the base version comes standard as a hybrid.
Would-be truck buyers apparently have been hungry for a compact pickup truck like this Maverick, ...Read more

Buyer beware: All those cars damaged in California's floods could be coming to a dealer near you
LOS ANGELES — It's the smell that'll give it away.
"You had better get your face close to carpet," urged Ivan Drury of Edmunds, the automotive information service.
Now take a whiff.
"That gross, musty smell," said Drury, "that's a big red flag."
It means the vehicle most probably has been in a flood. Soon, these may be the perils of ...Read more

Auto review: Chevy unleashes first all-wheel-drive, hybrid, 655-hp Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette turned 70 years old Tuesday, and in celebration the iconic supercar showcased its first hybrid, all-wheel-drive model.
The $104,295, 2024 Corvette E-Ray expands the mid-engine, C8 model’s offering with a grand touring version to complement its ferocious, rear-wheel-drive, $109,295 Z06 performance model and standard, $65...Read more
Stellantis signs nickel sulphate deal for EV batteries
The maker of Jeep SUVs, Ram pickup trucks and other vehicles on Wednesday said it has signed a supply agreement to secure nickel sulphate for electric vehicle batteries.
Finland-based Terrafame Ltd. will begin supplying Stellantis NV the minerals in 2025 for the five-year term of the agreement. In a news release, the automaker said the deal "...Read more

Motormouth: Battery packs are a great investment
Q: Are jumper packs a good investment? The idea of jumping your car battery without having to find someone to help is very appealing, especially if you are on your own. Prices vary widely. Any thoughts or recommendations?
N.D. Hometown, Illinois
A: About the size of a small loaf of bread, those battery packs can be lifesavers. Also known as ...Read more

Tesla engineer testifies 2016 self-driving video was staged
A 2016 video that purported to show the self-driving capabilities of a Tesla car was staged, a senior engineer testified.
Ashok Elluswamy, the company’s director of autopilot software, testified in July that the video showed the Model X performing actions it was not programmed to perform, like stopping at red lights and accelerating at green ...Read more
Popular Stories
- Major insurance companies halt new policies for Kias, Hyundais amid St. Louis-area theft surge
- With EV batteries in demand, some in GOP say 'no' to China
- GM hires former Tesla leader for executive post
- GM launches production of Hummer EV SUV
- Auto review: Volvo's XC60 Recharge marries power and restraint in elegant hybrid