Vice President Kamala Harris made a trip to Detroit bearing some big gifts on Monday, $100 million to help the Motor City’s automotive parts manufacturers upgrade operations to support the shift to battery-electric vehicles.
Regulatory
Angered by Tesla Supercharger Cuts – Competitors Look to Rival Ionna Network
Tesla delivered a shock this week when word leaked out CEO Elon Musk was effectively closing down several departments, including the one overseeing its Supercharger network. Set up in 2012, when the automaker launched its original Model S sedan, the charging system was meant to assure buyers they’d have a place to plug in. But with the Supercharger network now open to most competing EV manufacturers, the news has triggered concerns across the auto industry — and is leading Tesla rivals to put emphasis on the competing new Ionna charging network.
Biden Administration Doubles Down on Autonomous Emergency Braking
Automatic Emergency Braking has proven to be a game-changing feature in many new automobiles and the Department of Transportation is preparing to ensure that all Americans get access to the technology with new rules that makes it standard starting in 2029.
Toyota Highlander Set to Go All-Electric as Toyota Ramps Up EV Plans
Though it’s long emphasized hybrids, Toyota has plenty of battery-electric vehicles coming before the end of the decade and one of the most significant moves will see the automaker’s popular Highlander model go all-electric when the next-generation SUV comes out around 2027, Headlight.News reports.
NHTSA Opens Probe Into Ford’s BlueCruise Technology After Two Fatal Crashes
The National Highway Transportation Safety Agency announces new investigation into Ford’s BlueCruise technology after reports of collisions surface. Latest investigation follows ongoing probe into Tesla’s Autopilot technology
Tesla Recalling Virtually All Cybertrucks Because Sticky Pedals Could Cause Runaway Acceleration
Tesla on Friday ordered the recall of nearly all of its Cybertrucks because their throttle pedals could stick when fully depressed, leading to potential runaway acceleration. The recall comes about three weeks after the automaker first received notice of the defect which, so far, has not been blamed for any crashes.
Tesla’s Beginning to Cut Workers as Part of its Global Layoff
Shortly after telling Tesla workers the company would be cutting 10% of its workforce, the EV maker’s already swung into action. It filed paperwork showing it would layoff 14% of its employees at its New York plant. It also cut 300 subcontractors from its German operations. Get details at Headlight.News.
BMW Bringing Product Blitz in Bid to Lock Luxury Market Leadership
It was a good year for BMW, the automaker gaining traction in most global markets while setting an all-time record in the U.S. To keep the momentum going, the automaker is planning a product blitz that will see nearly 40 new models come to market over the next half-decade, including an assortment of battery-electric vehicles, EVs already generating about 13% of the Bavarian automakers U.S. sales.
Soaring Car Insurance Costs are Setting Fire to Inflation
Forget rising food costs and high interest rates. Soaring auto insurance costs have become a major contributor to resurgent inflation. March saw some of the biggest increases in premiums U.S. motorists have seen in a half century.
Showdown in Tennessee: VW Workers to Vote on the UAW
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.
Breathe Easy, San Francisco: Study Finds EVs are Cleaning the City’s Air
When the EPA locked down new vehicle emissions standards last month regulators promised it would yield significant improvements in air quality by requiring a significant increase in sales of battery-electric vehicles. That’s been a matter of debate – but a new study shows that, at least in San Francisco, with some of the highest EV adoption rates in the U.S., air quality already is improving.
Q&A: Toyota Brand Boss David Christ Talks the Future of Hybrids, Plug-Ins and BEVs
A quarter-century after launching the first Prius, Toyota Tuesday introduced its 19th hybrid, the 2025 4Runner. The automaker’s “portfolio approach,” offering a mix of hybrids, PHEVs, EVs and fuel-cell vehicles has become controversial — but may be vindicated by slowing growth in the EV market. In this Q&A, Toyota’s U.S. brand boss David Christ talks about why giving customers a choice makes sense — while also laying out plans for even more electrified models in the near future.