Craig Breedlove, 86, Once the Fastest Man on Earth, Dies

Craig Breedlove, the first person to set land-speed records at 400, 500 and 600 miles per hour, died on Tuesday at his home in Rio Vista, Calif. He was 86. The cause was cancer, his wife, Yadira Breedlove, said. Mr. Breedlove was something of a cross between Neil Armstrong and Evel Knievel — an American… Continue reading Craig Breedlove, 86, Once the Fastest Man on Earth, Dies

In Ohio, Electric Cars Are Starting to Reshape Jobs and Companies

Erick Belmer has seen how tough the car business can be. He was working at a General Motors plant in Lordstown, Ohio, when it shut down in 2019, devastating the community. Mr. Belmer, an industrial mechanic, got another job at a G.M. transmission factory in Toledo, but his commute is now 140 miles each way.… Continue reading In Ohio, Electric Cars Are Starting to Reshape Jobs and Companies

Jury Says Tesla Must Pay Worker $3.2 Million Over Racist Treatment

A federal jury in San Francisco ordered Tesla on Monday to pay about $3.2 million to a Black man who had accused the carmaker of ignoring racial abuse he faced while working at its California factory. The award was far less than the $137 million that a different jury awarded two years ago, mostly in… Continue reading Jury Says Tesla Must Pay Worker $3.2 Million Over Racist Treatment

Auto Sales Withstand Higher Interest Rates, So Far

Automakers have mostly overcome the supply-chain challenges that upended production early in the pandemic. Now they are trying to weather a new challenge: higher borrowing costs for their customers. General Motors and several other automakers reported on Monday that new-vehicle sales increased substantially in the first three months of the year, thanks to improved supplies… Continue reading Auto Sales Withstand Higher Interest Rates, So Far

Tesla Sales Rose in the First Quarter

Tesla sales rose 5 percent in the first three months of the year after it cut prices on its electric cars, helping to compensate for slowing economic growth and rising interest rates. Tesla said Sunday that it delivered nearly 423,000 vehicles from January through March, up from 405,000 in the last quarter of 2022. The… Continue reading Tesla Sales Rose in the First Quarter

President Is Ousted in United Auto Workers Election

An insurgent candidate has won the presidency of the United Auto Workers union, potentially setting the organization on a more confrontational path as it heads into contract talks this year with the three Detroit automakers. Shawn Fain, a 54-year-old electrician who has been a member of the union for almost three decades, defeated the incumbent,… Continue reading President Is Ousted in United Auto Workers Election

LG Will Spend $5.5 Billion on a Battery Factory in Arizona

A South Korean battery manufacturer said it would quadruple its planned investment in a new factory in Arizona to meet growing demand from automakers that are trying to ramp up production of electric cars and trucks. The company, LG Energy Solution, said it would invest $5.5 billion to build the complex near Phoenix, where it… Continue reading LG Will Spend $5.5 Billion on a Battery Factory in Arizona

Falling Lithium Prices Are Making Electric Cars More Affordable

Lithium, the common ingredient in almost all electric-car batteries, has become so precious that it is often called white gold. But something surprising has happened recently: The metal’s price has fallen, helping to make electric vehicles more affordable. Since January, the price of lithium has dropped nearly 20 percent, according to Benchmark Minerals, even as… Continue reading Falling Lithium Prices Are Making Electric Cars More Affordable

Volkswagen Will Invest $193 Billion in Electric Cars and Software

Volkswagen said on Tuesday that it would spend $193 billion on software, battery factories and other investments as it aimed to make every fifth vehicle it sold electric by 2025. The automaker, the world’s second biggest after Toyota, will also focus on expanding its presence in North America, where it has struggled for years, and… Continue reading Volkswagen Will Invest $193 Billion in Electric Cars and Software

Tesla Could Start Making Cars in Mexico Next Year, Governor Says

Tesla’s new factory in the Mexican state of Nuevo León will cost $5 billion, will employ up to 7,000 people and could start churning out cars as early as next year, the state’s governor said on Friday. Tesla announced this week that it planned an assembly plant in Mexico — its fifth worldwide — but… Continue reading Tesla Could Start Making Cars in Mexico Next Year, Governor Says