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The struggling battery factory behind GM's electric vehicle problems

Automotive / Automotive News /

General Motors Co. is racing to fix problems in its electric vehicle business to make good on promises Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra made five years ago. It still has a long way to go.

Fresh off exiting major markets like Europe and India, Barra told GM employees in the spring of 2019 that the company was pivoting its strategy to bet ...Read more

DREAMSTIME/TNS

Motormouth: Steering strain?

Automotive / Automotive News /

Q: Before power steering was regularly supplied, drivers needed strong arms, especially on heavy trucks, because it was harder to turn the steering wheel as vehicle weight increased and when the vehicle was not moving. So today, drivers are insulated from the fact that, when they are stopped and turn the steering wheel, they are actually...Read more

Friso Gentsch/Volkswagen/Zuma Press/TNS

UAW files for election to organize VW's Tennessee plant

Automotive / Automotive News /

Workers at Volkswagen AG’s Tennessee plant will again try to organize with the United Auto Workers after filing with the National Labor Relations Board to have a union election, the Detroit union said Monday.

This is not the first time the UAW has pursued an organizing drive at the plant. In 2019, VW workers at the plant voted 51.8% against ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

China urges EV makers to buy local chips as US clash deepens

Automotive / Automotive News /

The Chinese government has quietly asked electric-vehicle makers from BYD Co. to Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. to sharply increase their purchases from local auto chipmakers, part of a campaign to reduce reliance on Western imports and boost China’s domestic semiconductor industry.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology asked ...Read more

Stellantis/TNS/TNS

Fiat CEO says new 500e is 'right tool' for big-city drivers. Can this small EV compete?

Automotive / Automotive News /

The little Fiat 500e — Stellantis NV’s first foray into the U.S. electric vehicle market — is by no means a Swiss Army knife of a car, the brand’s CEO Olivier François says.

“It’s really the right tool for the job,” he told The Detroit News this week, “and the job is urban mobility, and making urban mobility as ethical as you ...Read more

Ford Motor Company/Ford Motor Company/TNS

Auto review: Redesigned 2024 Lincoln Nautilus' game-changing interior

Automotive / Automotive News /

There’s a difference between a one-night stand, a moment that’s a passing fancy, and true love, which is something deeper, where you can experience a person’s inner being. It’s not so much different when it comes to a new SUV. A flashy exterior may catch your eye, and it might provide an afternoon’s worth of fun. But is it a worthwhile...Read more

Marc Grasso/Boston Herald/TNS

Auto review: 2024 Silverado 2500HD ZR2 is diesel lovers heaven

Automotive / Automotive News /

As Chevrolet continues to keep up with the trends of the American truck competition, the release of the 2024 Silverado 2500HD ZR2 was very anticipated. As the brother brand, GMC, has released the AT4 in prior years, Chevrolet’s version is just as big and brawny as can be.

Powered with the ever-reliable Duramax 6.6-liter turbo-diesel, ...Read more

Dylan Stewart/Image of Sports/Newscom via ZUMA/TNS

Vietnamese EV maker rapidly expanding network in the US. Experts say don't sleep on this

Automotive / Automotive News /

As the domestic and longstanding foreign automakers work to launch more electric and hybrid options for would-be American buyers, Vietnamese automaker VinFast Auto Ltd. is rapidly expanding its U.S. dealer network to sell its EVs.

VinFast in November announced its expansion across the country with plans to have “hundreds” of points of sale ...Read more

GMC/TNS/TNS

GM optimistic about EVs, despite $150 million hiccup and return of hybrids

Automotive / Automotive News /

WASHINGTON — General Motors Co. built 20,000 electric vehicles earlier this year that did not qualify for the federal EV tax credit, Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson said Tuesday.

That could cost the automaker $150 million, thanks to the company’s Ultium Promise program which will pay out a $7,500 credit to all customers anyway.

“Us...Read more

Gene Blevins/ZUMA Press Wire/TNS

Biden delivers road map to electrify long-haul trucking routes

Automotive / Automotive News /

The Biden administration is rolling out its plan for deploying electric vehicle charging and hydrogen fueling infrastructure on the nation’s freight corridors — part of a bid to decarbonize U.S. supply chains and accelerate the adoption of emission-free big rigs.

The road map released Tuesday is designed to focus what could be billions of ...Read more

Typhoonski/Dreamstime/TNS

Motormouth: Squeaky brakes

Automotive / Automotive News /

Q: I have a 2017 Toyota RAV4. Each time I back out of the garage, the rear brakes squeal. I took it to a mechanic, who took the brakes apart, shaved some rust off the discs and cleaned and lubed the other parts. I still have the same problem. When I drive and stop for a red light or stop sign, there is no noise. I drove a couple miles, pulled ...Read more

Katy Kildee/The Detroit News/TNS

Stellantis temp workers thought they had secured full-time careers. Now many are jobless

Automotive / Automotive News /

When Ashley Wilmoth was hired at Stellantis NV's Warren (Michigan) Truck Assembly Plant last April, she made just $15.78 an hour but figured she would soon work her way into a full-time role with better pay and benefits.

The 28-year-old was even more confident after the new contract between Stellantis and the United Auto Workers was ratified ...Read more

Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Before pausing Georgia factory, Rivian struggled to meet expectations

Automotive / Automotive News /

Electric vehicle startup Rivian on Thursday introduced its R2 crossover, the mass market EV the company for years said would be built at a new Georgia factory the company as recently as last month said would open in 2026.

The expected landmark moment for Georgia’s emerging EV sector instead turned into disappointment.

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe ...Read more

Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Tesla's next major growth phase may be years away, Evercore warns

Automotive / Automotive News /

Tesla Inc. is likely years away from fully ramping a new lower-cost model, which will take the company longer than Wall Street is assuming, Evercore analysts said after touring the carmaker’s Texas factory.

“Tesla increasingly is a ‘2027 story,’ ” Evercore analysts led by Chris McNally wrote in a report Monday. He questioned whether ...Read more

Arvin Temkar/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS

Rivian pauses Georgia plant plans, leaving massive site's fate uncertain

Automotive / Automotive News /

The $5 billion factory automaker Rivian has planned to build since late 2021 in rural east Georgia was expected to bring thousands of jobs and seismic change to a part of the state known more for farms and pine forests than electric vehicles.

Now, those plans — and the fate of the roughly 2,000-acre site state and local development ...Read more

Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS

What does the future of driverless taxi service in Los Angeles look like? It's already here

Automotive / Automotive News /

Driverless taxis may soon become a more common sight on Los Angeles County streets.

On March 1, state regulators gave Waymo, the self-driving taxi company owned by Google's parent, Alphabet, the green light to expand its robotaxi service to Los Angeles County, clearing the way for the company's expansion into one of the biggest markets in the ...Read more

Marc Grasso/Boston Herald/TNS

Auto review: 2024 Chevrolet Suburban keeps getting better

Automotive / Automotive News /

With people moving at the top of peoples want lists in today’s consumer market, Chevrolet brings out its best in the 2024 Suburban High Country. Our Midnight Blue Metallic tester stood out beautifully as blue is always the primary favorite in Grasso’s Garage. With plenty of space and comfort, the Suburban High Country comes with a 3-liter ...Read more

TESLA/TNS

Auto review: Behind the (stalkless) wheel of the redesigned Tesla Model 3

Automotive / Automotive News /

TROY, Michigan — The 2024 Tesla Model 3 is the sedan’s first major update and you have questions.

Did it get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto? Nope.

Sirius XM? Nope.

AM radio? Nope.

A head-up display? Nah.

More rear legroom? Nada.

A glovebox button? Negative.

Plastic surgery so its Lord Voldemort face doesn’t keep you up at night? Yup...Read more

General Motors/General Motors/TNS

As automakers transition to EVs, can old brands learn new tricks?

Automotive / Automotive News /

Facebook is littered with memes blasting the Chevy Blazer, a full-size crossover that’s nothing like the original off-roader of the same name. It’s often contrasted unfavorably with the hyper-masculine Ford Bronco, another OG of the sport-utility class but one whose brand image has been burnished and reinforced of late.

As if that's not ...Read more

KIA/TNS

The rocky EV transition and why I rented a gas car from Hertz in Florida

Automotive / Automotive News /

NAPLES, Florida — As automakers transition to electric vehicles over the next few years under U.S. government mandates, rental lots offer a microcosm of what the market impact may look like.

So far it’s been a rocky road.

I own a Tesla Model 3, but when it came to renting a car from Hertz while on vacation in Florida this winter, I chose a...Read more