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Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Waymo suspends all freeway rides over safety

Automotive / Automotive News /

LOS ANGELES — Waymo said it's pausing its robotaxi services on freeways in the U.S. as it updates its software to improve performance around construction zones and flooded roads.

Before the suspension, freeway operations were available in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Miami. The company said that street and other off-highway ...Read more

Henry Payne, The Detroit News/The Detroit News/TNS

From Ohio EV Hub to Indy 500, how Honda plans to right the ship

Automotive / Automotive News /

INDIANAPOLIS — It’s been a rough start to 2026 for Honda Motor Co. with its first financial loss in 70 years, an electric vehicle strategy in shambles, and its Formula One team mired at the back of the grid with engine issues.

The Indianapolis 500 is a great place to reset.

The brand is retooling its flexible Ohio factory to produce gas-...Read more

Robin Buckson/The Detroit News/TNS

Stellantis bets $70 billion on reshaped lineup to fuel turnaround

Automotive / Automotive News /

AUBURN HILLS, Michigan — Stellantis NV's five-year, nearly $70 billion business turnaround plans, which include new products for all four of its North American brands, could be a boon to its under-utilized U.S. plants, according to experts.

Antonio Filosa, CEO of the maker of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram, detailed the plans to investors on ...Read more

Robin Buckson/The Detroit News/TNS

Fain, UAW issue trade 'demands' ahead of US-Mexico talks next week

Automotive / Automotive News /

WASHINGTON — The United Auto Workers union on Thursday laid out its "demands" to the Trump administration ahead of trade negotiations between the United States and Mexico on May 25.

The talks will be part of a previously scheduled formal review of the United States-Canada-Mexico agreement, commonly known as USMCA. President Donald Trump ...Read more

Handout/KIA/TNS

Auto review: 2027 Kia Seltos Hybrid subcompact SUV offers Telluride-inspired style

Automotive / Automotive News /

There was a time when a man’s vehicle said something about him. A pickup truck meant you could haul lumber, tow a horse trailer, or help a friend move a couch without first checking whether the couch had Bluetooth compatibility. A sedan meant you had surrendered to adulthood, but could complain about fuel economy as though discussing the fall ...Read more

Marc Grasso/Boston Herald/TNS

Auto review: 2026 Lexus TX550h+ shines bright for upscale consumers

Automotive / Automotive News /

As Lexus continues to delve into its expansive consumer base’s wants and needs, the Lexus TX earned its nameplate with its expansive space and comfort.

The lower-priced three-row SUV doesn’t bring as great off-road capabilities to the table as the LX does, but it still can move people in comfort and style — just the ticket. The Lexus TX ...Read more

Henry Payne/The Detroit News/TNS

Auto review: Jeep Cherokee reborn with Wagoneer S style, hybrid practicality

Automotive / Automotive News /

WEST BLOOMFIELD, Michigan — I slipped into the comfortable leather seats of the 2026 Jeep Cherokee and pressed the elegant, bejeweled starter button on the console. Just like a Jeep Wagoneer S. I gripped the rectangular steering wheel to better view the big digital instrument display. Just like a Wagoneer S. Merging onto I-75, I nailed the ...Read more

Theaphotography/Dreamstime/TNS

Automatic retirement plans spread as states, cities push workers to build nest eggs

Automotive / Automotive News /

Philadelphia is poised to launch the nation’s first city-sponsored retirement plan for workers whose employers don’t offer them.

Voters on Tuesday sanctioned the city council’s PhillySaves program by adopting a change to the city charter. The move will require employers without retirement benefits to enroll their workers in the new plan. ...Read more

Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Waymo expands driverless service deeper into South Bay as East Bay plans remain in limbo

Automotive / Automotive News /

SAN JOSE — Waymo is rolling its driverless car service deeper into the South Bay.

On Wednesday, the Mountain View-based company, which was already serving central San Jose, started picking up riders in the San Jose neighborhoods of Willow Glen and Vista Park, as well as the West Valley cities of Campbell and Cupertino.

The expansion adds ...Read more

Henry Payne, The Detroit News/The Detroit News/TNS

Stellantis plans new models for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram

Automotive / Automotive News /

Stellantis NV CEO Antonio Filosa on Thursday morning was unveiling a new five-year, nearly $70 billion business turnaround plan for the struggling transatlantic automaker that will channel a bulk of its brand and product resources to four of the company's 14 nameplates: Jeep, Ram, Peugeot and Fiat.

Filosa and other executives were detailing the...Read more

General Motors/General Motors/TNS

General Motors pauses EV battery plant in Indiana

Automotive / Automotive News /

Completion of a planned $3.5 billion General Motors Co. battery plant in Indiana has been paused as the Detroit automaker and partner Samsung SDI adjust to lower-than-expected demand for electric vehicles.

GM aims to finish construction of the exterior of the New Carlisle, Indiana, plant as soon as possible. After that, it's unclear what will ...Read more

Robin Buckson/The Detroit News/TNS

Bezos-backed EV maker Slate gets $5M from Michigan to expand HQ

Automotive / Automotive News /

Michigan is set to give as much as $5 million to help Jeff Bezos-backed electric vehicle startup Slate Auto expand its Troy headquarters.

A state economic development board on Tuesday approved the taxpayer-funded grant for the Michigan company, which is ramping up toward production of its mid-$20,000 battery powered pickup trucks by the end of ...Read more

Daniel Mears/The Detroit News/TNS

Business fuel-saving efforts give automakers software opportunities

Automotive / Automotive News /

DETROIT — Businesses and commercial fleet operators are seeking ways to reduce fuel costs as prices spike, but unlike previous hikes, software technologies offer a greater opportunity for automakers to capitalize on those needs.

Fuel costs for some companies have close to doubled over the past couple of months amid the blockage of the Strait ...Read more

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America/TNS

US House proposes sweeping EV fee, adding to existing state charges

Automotive / Automotive News /

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House has proposed an annual, nationwide registration fee of $130 for electric vehicles to help address weakening reserves for federal road maintenance.

The fee would eventually rise by $5 every two years beginning in 2029, with a maximum fee of $150. The proposal also calls for a $35 fee on plug-in hybrid models, to be ...Read more

BlueOval/TNS

Ford Energy announces first customer for stationary energy storage

Automotive / Automotive News /

Ford Motor Co.'s stationary battery energy storage business has announced a five-year framework agreement with its first customer: a developer of energy facilities.

EDF power solutions North America, a subsidiary of France's EDF Group, will have the ability to procure up to 4 gigawatt hours of battery energy storage systems annually from Ford ...Read more

Ford/Ford/TNS

Ford Europe plans five new vehicles to turn around passenger business

Automotive / Automotive News /

Ford Motor Co. will launch five all-new “multi-energy” passenger vehicles in Europe by the end of 2029 as it seeks to grow its retail share.

The Dearborn automaker has faced challenges across the pond. Although it has leadership in commercial vehicles on the continent, the Blue Oval has struggled with market share in the retail space. The ...Read more

Marc Grasso/Boston Herald/TNS

Auto review: Refreshed 2026 VW Tiguan finally checks all marks

Automotive / Automotive News /

For some time we've felt the midsize Volkswagen Tiguan needed a refresh, and we're happy to report that it finally arrived in Grasso's Garage. What a pleasure it was to drive and ride.

Volkswagen kept the 2026 Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo simple, priced it right and didn’t go over the top, earning top marks. Similar to the Honda CR-V in size and ...Read more

Mercedes-Benz AG/Mercedes-Benz AG/TNS

Mercedes-Benz is playing both sides of the EV revolution, and it just might work

Automotive / Automotive News /

Mercedes-Benz is reaching for an increasingly familiar playbook in the luxury auto market: evolve aggressively without starting over. The automaker recently unveiled a new round of updates to its midsize GLE and flagship GLS sport-utility vehicles at its sprawling plant near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, underscoring a strategy increasingly common ...Read more

TNS

Auto review: Lexus RX 450h+ plug-in hybrid crossover dishes style and luxury no matter where you roam

Automotive / Automotive News /

My mother-in-law took quite a journey to find her latest ride. She considered the Toyota Prius, impressed by its sleek style, utility and hybrid fuel economy. She liked the much larger Toyota Crown hybrid even more. But what she really wanted was legit luxury, and she found her vibe with the Lexus RX 350 crossover.

It was an excellent choice, ...Read more

Henry Payne/The Detroit News/TNS

Auto review: Mazda fixed the CX-5. Except for the turbo-4

Automotive / Automotive News /

SOUTHFIELD, Michigan — Rarely do I attack a 180-degree cloverleaf with an SUV. Exiting I-75 in the all-new 2026 Mazda CX-5, I activated SPORT mode, stabbed the brakes, then rotated the 3,856-pound ute into the looooong turn, hugging the apex until the all-season tires screamed in protest. The CX-5 stayed true.

Yep, the CX-5’s poised ...Read more