Volkswagen warned on Monday that it would consider closing factories in Germany for the first time in its 87-year history and end a decades-old guarantee of job security for workers, as it faces profitability problems amid increasing pressure from Asian competitors. The company said in a statement that the measures were meant to shore up… Continue reading Volkswagen Considers Closing Plants in Germany
Author: New York Times Online News
A Mercedes-Benz Fire Jolts South Korea’s E.V. Transition
The flames and smoke from a burning Mercedes-Benz electric sedan spread rapidly through the underground parking lot of an apartment complex in South Korea this month. The fire damaged almost 900 cars, and 23 people suffered smoke inhalation. It took firefighters more than eight hours to put out the blaze, which reached temperatures above 1,500… Continue reading A Mercedes-Benz Fire Jolts South Korea’s E.V. Transition
Tesla Chargers Are Still Closed to Most Electric Cars
Scarce and finicky public chargers are among the biggest reasons people hesitate to buy electric cars. So when Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla, agreed last year to open the company’s well-regarded Supercharger network to vehicles from other carmakers, many drivers and industry experts celebrated the decision. But more than 12 months later, Tesla’s… Continue reading Tesla Chargers Are Still Closed to Most Electric Cars
A Mercedes-Benz Fire Jolts South Korea’s E.V. Transition
The flames and smoke from a burning Mercedes-Benz electric sedan spread rapidly through the underground parking lot of an apartment complex in South Korea this month. The fire damaged almost 900 cars, and 23 people suffered smoke inhalation. It took firefighters more than eight hours to put out the blaze, which reached temperatures above 1,500… Continue reading A Mercedes-Benz Fire Jolts South Korea’s E.V. Transition
To Stay Relevant, a Spanish Energy Giant Turns to Waste
In a narrow valley with steep sides near the ancient city of Cartagena, Spain, a team of 150 engineers has just finished building a plant that could be a game changer for Repsol, the Spanish energy company, and a bellwether for the transportation industry. Emilio Mayoral, who manages the unit, said his colleagues were in… Continue reading To Stay Relevant, a Spanish Energy Giant Turns to Waste
Canada Will Impose 100% Tariffs on Chinese Electric Vehicles
In a significant escalation of trade tensions between Western countries and China, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday that Canada would impose 100 percent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, joining the United States and the European Union in protecting domestic car production. The move aligns Canada’s automotive policy with that of the United States,… Continue reading Canada Will Impose 100% Tariffs on Chinese Electric Vehicles
NASCAR Pit Crews Are Recruiting College Football Players
D.J. Twitty was taking it all in: the jackmen lifting the racecars, the whizzing of air guns screwing in lug nuts, the slinging of 50-pound wheels. For a South Carolina native like the 24-year-old Twitty, the cacophonous scene was just this side of paradise. “I’m ready to make this my home,” Twitty said. He was… Continue reading NASCAR Pit Crews Are Recruiting College Football Players
Texas Sues General Motors for Collecting and Selling Driver Data
The state of Texas sued General Motors on Tuesday, accusing the automaker of collecting detailed driving data on 16 million drivers and selling it to insurance companies without their consent. “Millions of American drivers wanted to buy a car, not a comprehensive surveillance system that unlawfully records information about every drive they take and sells… Continue reading Texas Sues General Motors for Collecting and Selling Driver Data
Stellantis to Lay Off Up to 2,450 at Ram Truck Plant in Warren, Michigan
Stellantis announced plans on Friday to lay off as many as 2,450 workers later this year at a pickup truck plant near Detroit, the latest sign of trouble for the trans-Atlantic automaker. The layoffs are expected to begin as early as Oct. 8 at the Ram truck plant in Warren, Mich., where production will be… Continue reading Stellantis to Lay Off Up to 2,450 at Ram Truck Plant in Warren, Michigan
Elon Musk Says Robotaxis Are Tesla’s Future. Experts Have Doubts.
As sales of its electric cars have fallen, Tesla and its chief executive, Elon Musk, have sought to convince Wall Street that the company’s future lies not in the grinding business of making and selling cars but in the far more exciting world of artificial intelligence. In Mr. Musk’s telling, one of Tesla’s main A.I.-based… Continue reading Elon Musk Says Robotaxis Are Tesla’s Future. Experts Have Doubts.