Author: Detroit Free Press Online

GM to build some pickups, SUVs without Automatic Stop/Start feature during chip shortage

General Motors will start building some of its most profitable and in-demand 2021 full-size, light-duty pickups and SUVs without the Automatic Stop/Start feature because of a global shortage in semiconductor chips.  The automaker is also making upgrades to its full-size pickup plant near Fort Wayne, Indiana. to speed up final assembly of tens of thousands of incomplete pickups parked and awaiting chip… Continue reading GM to build some pickups, SUVs without Automatic Stop/Start feature during chip shortage

Ford aims to create new pickup fans with the new roomy hybrid 2022 Maverick

Ford bet big on its ability to change Americans’ driving habits with the 2022 Maverick compact pickup Tuesday. Attractively priced, with a 40-mpg hybrid starting at $19,995 and going on sale this fall, the Maverick is intended to get a whole new class of customers into pickups, marketing boss Trevor Scott told me in an… Continue reading Ford aims to create new pickup fans with the new roomy hybrid 2022 Maverick

GM offers OnStar service to drivers of any vehicle in US, Canada

Drivers of vehicles other than those made by General Motors now have access to OnStar’s emergency advisers and additional services. OnStar, the GM subsidiary that offers subscription-based services such as communications with trained advisers, in-vehicle security, emergency and roadside help, is making its OnStar Guardian mobile app available to anyone in the United States and Canada with a compatible Apple or… Continue reading GM offers OnStar service to drivers of any vehicle in US, Canada

Byline backstory: Phoebe Wall Howard covers cars for the Free Press by seeking humanity

As part of our expanding coverage at the Free Press, we’re adding a new feature, Byline Backstories. They are short interviews with various Free Press staff that you can listen to online or, if you prefer, read an edited transcript here. The interviews are on Amazon Echo, Google Assistant, Apple podcasts and freep.com. They aim to reveal more about the… Continue reading Byline backstory: Phoebe Wall Howard covers cars for the Free Press by seeking humanity

Henry Ford’s short trip in his first vehicle 125 years ago changed our lives forever

On this date 125 years ago, Henry Ford finished building his first four-wheeled vehicle and drove it on the streets of Detroit. It was called the Quadricycle.  “And the rest, as they say, is history,” wrote a Ford retiree to the Free Press on Friday. In the early morning of June 4, 1896, just before his 33rd… Continue reading Henry Ford’s short trip in his first vehicle 125 years ago changed our lives forever

Stellantis touts $1M neighborhood effort on Detroit’s east side but protesters say it’s not enough

Stellantis planned the kickoff for its “Greenest Initiative” Thursday to showcase a three-year, $1 million effort to support the east-side neighborhoods around its Detroit Assembly Complex, but protesters, doing their best to drown out the assembled speakers, criticized the world’s No. 4 automaker for “environmental racism.” The contrast highlighted conflicting views around a development touted… Continue reading Stellantis touts $1M neighborhood effort on Detroit’s east side but protesters say it’s not enough

Ford could face $1B federal penalty after years-long dispute over Transit Connect vans

This is a story about a backseat and lots of money. So sit down and get comfortable because the detail reads like a film script. Ford Motor Co. could face up to $1.3 billion in import penalties on its Ford Transit Connect vans, according to a document the automaker filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on… Continue reading Ford could face $1B federal penalty after years-long dispute over Transit Connect vans