News
U.S. import investigation borders on 'provocation,' German trade group says
May 24A U.S. decision to launch a national security investigation into car imports borders on provocation, and marks a further low point in business ties with Europe that will hit both manufacturers and consumers, Germany's DIHK Chambers of Industries and Commerce said.
Big U.S. dealership groups have significant import exposure
May 24Several U.S. auto dealership groups derive a significant portion of their revenue from imported vehicles, which could be affected if tariffs are imposed on auto imports.
Musk tweet violates U.S. labor law, UAW alleges
May 24In a complaint, the UAW alleges that Tesla CEO Elon Musk violated the National Labor Relations Act by threatening to take away employee stock options in retaliation for engaging in protected union activity.
Laugh test, flimsy logic, law of power, higher prices: Probe draws widespread condemnation
May 24President Donald Trump has drawn swift and widespread condemnation for his potential crackdown on U.S. light-vehicle imports.
UAW president shows support for U.S. plan to explore import duties
May 24UAW President Dennis Williams is supportive of the Trump administration's efforts to launch a national security investigation into car and truck imports that could lead to new U.S. tariffs.
Novelis expands in China amid trade friction
May 24Novelis is investing about $180 million to double its automotive aluminum body sheet capacity in China, as it seeks to tap demand from the country's growing electric vehicle market.
AutoNews Now: Uber AV failed to identify pedestrian- NTSB
May 24Uber AV failed to identify pedestrian- NTSB; Mexico would take hardest tariff hit; EPA official: VW story 'not over'; UAW accuses Musk; Penske, Roush in NASCAR Hall of Fame.
First Shift: U.S. mulls new auto-import tariffs
May 24U.S. mulls new auto-import tariffs; Musk vs. the media; Report: Apple to convert VW vans into AVs; Volvo to make more XC40s; Startup to make EVs at old Mitsubishi plant.
Elon Musk, in latest Tweet storm, channels Caesar, Soviet era media
May 24Elon Musk, barely a month after his behavior on an earnings call shook investor confidence, hit out on Twitter with a series of combative posts this week, leaving many scratching their heads at best and prompting scrutiny from labor regulators at worst.
VW Group's new CEO Diess may have too much power
May 24Former BMW executive Herbert Diess now heads both VW Group and its core VW brand, which may be concentrating too much authority in a single manager.
California's top air regulator takes swipe at Trump
May 24California's top air-quality official disputed the Trump administration's description of a meeting about the future of fuel economy standards, suggesting it was actually a dud.
Uber self-driving car failed to recognize pedestrian, brake in Ariz. fatality, U.S. finds
May 24An Uber autonomous vehicle that struck and killed a woman in Arizona in March failed to identify the pedestrian or to brake, raising serious questions about its performance, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report released Thursday.
EPA, U.S. monitor rap pace of culture change at VW
May 24A top EPA official says he is not satisfied with Volkswagen AG's efforts to improve accountability after the company's sweeping diesel emissions fraud and violations, a German newspaper reported Thursday.
Republicans in Congress slam Trump plan for auto imports
May 24Some of President Trump's fellow Republicans in Congress say the administration's national security investigation of car and truck imports amid a trade spat with China is being pursued under false pretenses and could hurt U.S. consumers.
Toyota will build fuel cell stack plant in Japan
May 24Toyota plans to build a plant to manufacture hydrogen fuel cell stacks, a key component of fuel cell vehicles, as it seeks to increase global annual sales of the vehicles to at least 30,000 from 3,000 now.
PointPredictive launches tools to combat identity fraud
May 23PointPredictive is rolling out products to help lenders catch fake identities and learn from the fraud experiences of their peers.
Musk's stock option tweet may invite U.S. labor board complaint
May 23The UAW has been Elon Musk's target for days of derision on Twitter, and his posts may open Tesla up to trouble with federal labor regulators
Donald Trump does a favor for BMW and Mercedes
May 23The biggest beneficiaries of President Donald Trump's drive to get China to "play fair" on trade are automakers such as BMW and Mercedes, which export expensive sedans and SUVs from Germany and the U.S. to wealthy customers in the world's biggest market.
Wells Fargo to boost auto lending
May 23Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan said the banking giant is ready to increase lending for car sales after pulling back last year. Wells Fargo decided to rein in car financing in mid-2017 and tighten underwriting standards.
Carmakers' captives show reasons to be fearful
May 23Bets on the world's biggest car companies look a bit less safe as the U.S. market confronts slowing sales, an obsession with trucks and ballooning numbers of used cars.
Apple to use VW self-driving vans for employees
May 23Apple and Volkswagen struck a deal that let the technology giant equip VW vans with self-driving technology to transport Apple employees between offices, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Separate financial literacy messages from social media clutter
May 23How can auto lenders and dealers explain the ins and outs of vehicle financing to younger buyers? Meet them where they are.
Safety-minded Volvo takes some chances
May 23Volvo hopes so as it takes bold steps to re-establish itself as more than a niche brand for staid college professors and safety-obsessed parents.
Renault-Nissan invests in China, U.S., French startups
May 23The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance's new venture capital fund is backing autonomous driving, artificial intelligence and solid-state battery startups.
GST AutoLeather emerges from bankruptcy with new owner, leadership
May 23Car seat leather supplier GST AutoLeather emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy under new private equity ownership and leadership.
Toyota raises dealer reserve cap following early release from consent order
May 23Toyota Motor Credit has raised its dealer reserve cap after satisfying terms of a 2016 consent order set by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection and the Department of Justice that required the lender to pay a hefty fine and limit dealer reserve.
Pittsburgh lukewarm on Uber's plan to restart autonomous testing
May 23Uber is navigating fraught political waters as it attempts to get its autonomous vehicles back on other roads in the coming months following a fatal collision under investigaton in Arizona.
JLR to spend $5.3 billion on new models, tech
May 23Jaguar Land Rover will spend about $6 billion in the current financial year on new models and technologies as the luxury carmaker looks to spur sales that grew at a slower pace.
Trump's 'big news' for U.S. auto workers is China cut in tariffs
May 23President Donald Trump's tweet that “big news” is on the way for American auto workers refers to China's plans to slash tariffs on imported passenger cars, according to an aide.
Startup aims to eliminate need to visit dealership to buy new, used cars nationwide
May 23Joydrive wants to become the first nationwide platform that allows buyers to complete their transactions without setting foot in a dealership -- for new and used cars.
Study: New-vehicle buyers downplay fuel prices
May 23Most new-vehicle buyers say the recent fuel price surges will unlikely influence their vehicle purchasing decision, a new study indicates.
Tesla trims up to $14,000 off Model X in China after tariff cuts
May 23Tesla has cut the price of the Model X in China by up to $14,000 after Beijing announced tariff cuts for imported cars.
Nissan parents to benefit from Milk Stork partnership
May 23The automaker is offering a shipping benefit for employees working and traveling in North America with Milk Stork, the only breast milk shipping company in the United States.
In Trump vs. California, Mary Nichols unlike any other negotiator
May 23As the head of CARB, Mary Nichols is arguably California's most powerful weapon in its war with President Donald Trump over the state's plan to combat climate change and have automakers toe the California line.
Roger Penske, Jack Roush named to NASCAR Hall of Fame
May 23Longtime race team owners Jack Roush and Roger Penske have been elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame's Class of 2019.
Trump, automakers reaffirm national mpg goals
May 23California's top air-quality official on Wednesday held a series of meetings with auto industry and federal officials in Washington, who reaffirmed a desire to maintain a single national standard for auto efficiency.
Uber shutters self-driving program in Arizona
May 23Uber said it shut down its self-driving car operations in Arizona two months after a fatal crash involving one of its vehicles.
Tesla slammed over 'deceptive' Autopilot name in letter to U.S. regulators
May 23Two consumer advocacy groups urged the FTC to investigate what they called Tesla's "deceptive and misleading" use of the name Autopilot for its assisted-driving technology.
Fifth Third Bancorp pays $4.7 billion for MB Financial's Chicago muscle
May 23Fifth Third Bancorp, a major regional auto lender in the U.S., agreed to buy smaller rival MB Financial in a stock-and-cash deal valued at about $4.7 billion, as it looks to expand in Chicago and broaden its middle market customer base.
U.S. launches controversial probe to weigh tariffs on vehicle imports
May 23The Trump administration started a controversial investigation into whether car and light-truck imports threaten national security, a move that could lead to new U.S. tariffs on foreign vehicles similar to those proposed for imported steel and aluminum in March.
AutoNews Now: Uber ends autonomous vehicle program in Ariz.
May 23Two months after fatality, Uber ends AV program in Ariz.; Barra: 'Just open up the markets and let us compete'; 'Autopilot' name deceptive, groups say; German city bans old diesels.
First Shift: Auto shows still a good marketing bet?
May 23Auto shows still a good marketing bet? Kia, Acura execs weigh in; Tesla slashing prices as China prepares to ease tariffs; Ghosn: No quick merger deal; FCA media agency review.
Print paperwork in front of the customer
May 23Don't print any paperwork before the customer is in the office, suggests Dan Mason, platform finance director at Brandon Steven Motors. Do it while the customer is there, he says. Customers are conditioned to think, “When the printer starts printing, it's almost over," he says. The sound of the printer "actually puts the customer at ease."
Ghosn: It'll take time to get Renault-Nissan deal right
May 23Carlos Ghosn tamped down expectations of a quick deal to combine Nissan and Renault, saying the specter of failed mergers in his industry loomed large.
BMW envisions its iNext as an SUV
May 23BMW looks likely to follow Audi's e-tron and Mercedes's EQC with its own battery-powered full-size SUV, the heart of the premium EV market.
GM's Barra on China's tariffs: Level playing fields or 'open up the markets'
May 23General Motors CEO Mary Barra wants China to further reduce its protective tariffs. "I'd like to see it be level," she told Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein during an event in New York.
