Tag Archives: automakers

Senators Seek FTC Probe Into Tesla’s “Autopilot” Costs

The Verge reports: Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) have asked new Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan to investigate Tesla’s marketing of its advanced driver assistance system, Autopilot. The Senators are particularly concerned with how Tesla has been charging customers thousands of dollars for what it refers to as “Full Self-Driving capability,” despite the fact that buying …

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Feds Probe Tesla After Series Of “Autopilot” Crashes

The Wall Street Journal reports: U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating Tesla Inc.’s advanced driver-assistance system known as Autopilot after a series of crashes involving emergency vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a document made public Monday that it had identified 11 crashes since early 2018 in which a Tesla vehicle using the company’s driver-assistance system struck …

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NY International Auto Show Canceled For Second Year

The Verge reports: The 2021 New York International Auto Show has been canceled as the delta variant of COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the United States. The show was supposed to run from August 20th to August 29th at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City. The show’s organizers announced the cancellation Wednesday “with great disappointment,” according to …

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VW Accidentally Posts New Name In US: “Voltswagen”

USA Today reports: Volkswagen’s American division appears poised to change its name to “Voltswagen,” switching the “k” to a “t” in a nod toward the automaker’s investment in electric vehicles. The German automaker’s announcement on the change appeared briefly on its media site Monday before it was removed, having apparently been released before it was ready for an official rollout. …

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Automaker: Jaguar Line Will Be Fully Electric By 2025

The Associated Press reports: Struggling luxury car brand Jaguar will be fully electric by 2025, the British company said Monday as it outlined a plan to phase out internal combustion engines. Jaguar Land Rover, which is owned by Indian conglomerate Tata Motors, hopes the move will help turn around the fortunes of the 86-year-old Jaguar brand, which for many epitomizes …

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GM Drops Support For Trump’s Climate Rollbacks

The New York Times reports: General Motors abandoned President Trump’s battle to nullify California’s fuel economy rules meant to curb global warming, the strongest sign yet that corporate America is moving on from Mr. Trump and adapting to an incoming Democratic administration. The company also signaled that it was ready to work with President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr., who has …

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Investors Rush To Online Car Sellers Due To Lockdown

Reuters reports: After years of being part of a future that never quite arrived, the coronavirus pandemic has put U.S. online car sellers on the map. Investors are buying in. Vroom’s shares are now trading at more than double their $22 launch price on June 8. Carvana’s market value is near that of No. 2 U.S. automaker Ford Motor Co. …

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Feds Arrest Ex-Green Beret In Escape Of Ex-Nissan CEO

Reuters reports: U.S. authorities on Wednesday arrested a former Special Forces soldier and another man wanted by Japan on charges that they enabled the escape of former Nissan Motor Co boss Carlos Ghosn out of the country. Federal prosecutors in Massachusetts said that former U.S. Green Beret Michael Taylor, 59, and his son, Peter Taylor, 27, helped Ghosn last year …

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Tesla To Unveil Breakthrough “Million Mile” Battery

Reuters reports: Electric car maker Tesla plans to introduce a new low-cost, long-life battery in its Model 3 sedan in China later this year or early next that it expects will bring the cost of electric vehicles in line with gasoline models, and allow EV batteries to have second and third lives in the electric power grid. For months, Tesla …

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Musk Vows To Move Tesla To TX Over CA Lockdown

The Hill reports: Elon Musk threatened to move Tesla out of California Saturday over a lingering stay-at-home county order preventing the company from restarting business until June 1. On Saturday, the Tesla CEO dangled an impending lawsuit via Twitter, accusing the Alameda County’s health officer of infringing on Constitutional freedoms. “Tesla is filing a lawsuit against Alameda County immediately. The …

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CLOSING: Shopping Malls, Auto Factories, Ikea, Macy’s

CNBC reports: The biggest mall owner in the U.S., Simon Property Group, announced it will be closing all of its malls and outlet centers in the country, effective at 7 p.m. until March 29. “The health and safety of our shoppers, retailers and employees is of paramount importance,” CEO David Simon said in a statement. Simon is the first U.S. …

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UPS Signs Deal For 10,000 Electric Delivery Trucks

Engadget reports: Delivery giant UPS has ordered 10,000 electric trucks from Arrival, a technology company based in the UK. Some of the vehicles will be trialed in London and Paris later this year, building on a similar experiment that was run by the two companies in 2018. The pair then hope to deploy the trucks across Europe and North America …

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Automaker Unveils Driverless Electric Group Taxi

TechCrunch reports: Cruise unveiled Tuesday evening a “production ready” driverless vehicle called Origin, the product of a multi-year collaboration with parent company GM and investor Honda that is designed for a ride-sharing service. The shuttle-like vehicle — branded with Cruise’s trademark orange and black colors — has no steering wheel or pedals and is designed to travel at highway speeds. …

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Ex-Nissan Boss: I Fled Japan’s Injustice, Discrimination

The Associated Press reports: Nissan’s former Chairman Carlos Ghosn said Tuesday from Lebanon that he was not fleeing justice but instead left Japan to avoid “injustice and political persecution” over financial misconduct allegations during his tenure leading the automaker. “I am now in Lebanon and will no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is …

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Ex-Nissan Chief Flees Japan House Arrest For Lebanon

CNBC reports: Carlos Ghosn, the ousted boss of the Renault-Nissan carmaking alliance who was awaiting trial in Japan, flew into Lebanon on Monday evening, France’s Les Echos newspaper reported. It was unclear how Ghosn, who holds both French and Lebanese citizenship, would have been able to leave Japan, where he has been under strict court-imposed restrictions on his movements. Reuters …

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Tesla Claims 146,000 Preorders For Cybertruck (BUT)

The Washington Post reports: Tesla has received 146,000 preorders for its all-electric Cybertruck, chief executive Elon Musk said Saturday, two days after the futuristic vehicle’s grand reveal went viral when its supposedly unbreakable windows shattered onstage. With an angular design, a stainless steel “exoskeleton” and an overall look that some fans have called “post apocalyptic,” the Cybertruck stands out from …

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Tesla “Cybertruck” Launch Event Goes Badly [VIDEO]

CNBC reports: Tesla unveiled its futuristic pickup truck at a promotional event in Los Angeles, but when it came to showing off the vehicle’s durability, things didn’t quite go as planned. CEO Elon Musk claimed the car was “bulletproof” against a 9mm handgun. But when he got Tesla’s chief designer to throw a metal ball at one of its armored …

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Ford Gambles Big With All-Electric Mustang [VIDEO]

Yahoo Finance reports: Ford took its time. But for its first electric vehicle, the 116-year old automaker did something a little controversial. The Mustang Mach-E is an all-new, fully-electric crossover that Ford says is part of the “Mustang family.” That means it has some styling cues from the famous pony car, but that’s about it. It’s not a coupe, convertible, …

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Trump Vows Cars Will Be Safer And Far Less Expensive Because He Banned California’s Emissions Standards

NBC News reports: President Donald Trump said Wednesday that his administration is barring California from setting its own auto emissions standards, setting up a fresh struggle over the president’s push to unravel restrictions on businesses. In tweets announcing the move, the president said the White House “is revoking” a federal waiver that allowed the state to craft its own rules …

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United Auto Workers Begin Strike Against GM [VIDEO]

CNN reports: The United Auto Workers union went out on strike against General Motors Sunday night, the first work stoppage in the US auto industry in 12 years. The union’s 48,000 hourly workers walked out at 31 GM factories and 21 other facilities, spread across nine states, mostly in the center of the country. It’s the largest strike by any …

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