After winning a historic vote at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga last month, the United Auto Workers Union takes aim at a repeat victory as workers at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa cast their ballots. But the UAW faces strong local opposition from, among others, Gov. Kay Ivey who declared “Alabama is not Michigan,” as she signed a bill to discourage future union efforts.
President Joe Biden raised tariffs on an assortment of Chinese-made goods, including the battery-electric vehicles manufacturers like BYD, Geely and Great Wall have been hoping to start selling in the U.S. The threat of these inexpensive EVs – some starting at barely $10,000 – has sent shivers through the American auto industry, one trade group warning their arrival poses an “extinction-level event.” Headlight.News explains why.
Bentley’s Batur Convertible is the final swan song for Bentley’s twin-turbocharged W12 engine. Sleek droptop will be limited to 16 units and helps conclude an era of performance for both Bentley and Volkswagen.
UAW achieves key victory in the Southern U.S. with historic membership vote at VW’s Chattanooga, Tennessee assembly plant. This vote could give the union more momentum in its push to expand representation in hotly contested region
Barely a week from now the 4,000 workers at the Volkswagen of America plant in Chattanooga will begin voting on whether they want to join the United Auto Workers in the first test of the UAW’s effort to sign up workers at the foreign-owned automotive plants that have popped up across the United States over the last four decades.
Tesla pulled the plug on a program aimed at developing a $25,000 EV, even as Chinese automakers led by BYD double down on bringing to market all-electric vehicles affordable often to reach mainstream buyers. According to Reuters, Tesla CEO Elon Musk now wants to focus on self-driving robocabs.
It’s become something of conventional wisdom that the EV market is slowing down. And there’s no question that, on a percentage basis, the growth rate for battery-electric vehicles has slowed over the last 12 months. But the market does continue to grow, Kia’s EV sales jumping 151% in March. Ironically, it was the 800-pound gorilla of the battery-electric market, Tesla, where sales fell well short of expectations.
In what could be a critical development for the United Auto Workers Union, employees at the Mercedes-Benz assembly plant in Alabama are expected to file the paperwork needed to set up a vote aimed at organizing the factory. Workers at the Volkswagen plant in Tennessee made a similar move last month.
The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is attempting to inject more fun and vigor into Atlas model lineup with sportier styling inside and out. But does it succeed in checking all the boxes for SUV buyers looking for more flair in their daily commute?Â
It’s been three years since Volkswagen introduced the ID.4, its first long-range all-electric model to reach U.S. showrooms. Since then, it has rolled out a number of variants, including the latest, the all-wheel-drive Pro S Plus. While not the fastest EV in its class, it is quicker than earlier ID.4 packages and has a number of other pluses that could broaden the EV’s appeal. Find out more in our review at Headlight.News.
It’s already announced plans to bring the long-dormant Scout brand back to life. Now, Volkswagen will introduce its European-based Cupra, to the U.S. market, the performance division’s CEO says. It will debut later this decade with two all-electric utility vehicles.
The United Auto Workers is asking the National Labor Relations Board to schedule a vote on union representation among workers at the Volkswagen assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Get the story at Headlight.News.