Government

Tesla Motors may repay U.S. loan by Wednesday, Musk says

10:41 pm U.S. ET | May 20, 2013
Tesla Motors may repay its federal Department of Energy loan as early as Wednesday, CEO Elon Musk said in a message on Twitter on Monday.... Read More »

 

Industry: EU trade deal would lift exports

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013
U.S. auto exports to Europe could quadruple within 15 years if regulators get rid of tariffs and adopt standard vehicle-safety rules, automaker associations say.... Read More »

 

Cost is key to fate of talking cars

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013
Cars that communicate with each other to avoid crashes or traffic jams will save lives, but the cost of the systems will determine consumers' acceptance, the U.S. transportation secretary said last week.... Read More »

 

Hyundai, Kia losing ground to luxury imports at home as tariffs fall

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 19, 2013
Foreign brands have seen their share of South Korea's market for premium vehicles surge to 41 percent from 28 percent in the past two years, according to Korean industry groups, as lower tariffs make their cars cheaper and local buyers abandon a decades-long preference for domestic brands.... Read More »

 

GM shares return to $33 IPO price on optimism for truck sales

10:19 am U.S. ET | May 17, 2013
Shares in GM topped its $33 initial public offering price for the first time in more than two years as the automaker prepares to introduce redesigned full-sized pickups.... Read More »

 

MARK RECHTIN

The death of driving? Don't make any funeral plans

11:29 am U.S. ET | May 17, 2013
You know that study that just came out declaring “the end of the driving boom,” because Gen Y supposedly doesn't care about cars? Ignore it.... Read More »

 

Europe car sales rise for first time in 19 months

May 17, 2013 08:34 CET
European car sales rose for the first time in 19 months on strong demand in the UK and a rebound in Germany. Registrations in April increased 2 percent to 1.08 million vehicles from 1.06 million cars a year earlier, industry association ACEA said.... Read More »

 

Subaru, Mitsubishi small crossovers top new crash test

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 16, 2013
The Subaru Forester and Mitsubishi Outlander Sport have won top honors from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, becoming the only small SUVs to ace the group's new "small overlap" crash test.... Read More »

 

In boost to EVs, report sees surge in charging outlets worldwide

2:42 pm U.S. ET | May 16, 2013
The steady growth in sales of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles, along with public and private investment, is expected to drive a sharp rise in the number of charging stations worldwide by 2020, a new study says.... Read More »

 

Tesla issuing stock, debt to accelerate repayment of U.S. loan

5:34 pm U.S. ET | May 15, 2013
Tesla Motors plans to issue 2.7 million new shares and debt to repay its U.S. Energy Department loan faster than a five-year plan.... Read More »

 

NHTSA confirms new deputy, considers push for automatic braking

3:51 pm U.S. ET | May 15, 2013
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has confirmed David Friedman, previously a transportation analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists, as its new deputy administrator.... Read More »

 

U.S. to monitor cybersecurity risks as car connectivity grows

3:04 pm U.S. ET | May 15, 2013
Rising cybersecurity risks to drivers as their cars become increasingly powered by and connected to computers have prompted federal auto safety regulators to start a new office focusing on the threat.... Read More »

 

Detroit 3 research group targets next-gen hybrid, EV batteries

3:46 pm U.S. ET | May 15, 2013
With the U.S. Department of Energy's help, a research group managed by the Detroit 3 is launching a drive to speed development of next-generation battery technologies for hybrids and electric vehicles, the department said today.... Read More »

 

Ford aid from Spain probed by EU antitrust regulators

May 15, 2013 12:19 CET
European Union antitrust regulators will investigate whether a 25.2 million euro ($32.71 million) grant given by Spanish authorities to Ford's factory in Valencia breached EU state aid rules.... Read More »

 

Americans, especially young, continue to drive less, report says

5:36 pm U.S. ET | May 14, 2013
Americans, in a worrisome sign for automakers, continue to drive less, with more and more younger people choosing to forgo a driver's license altogether, a major new study released Tuesday found.... Read More »

 

Cost to be big factor in 'talking' cars acceptance, LaHood says

3:51 pm U.S. ET | May 14, 2013
Cars that "talk" to each other to avoid crashes or traffic jams, like those being tested here, will save lives but the cost of the systems will determine consumers' acceptance of such technology, the transportation secretary said today.... Read More »

 

LINDSAY CHAPPELL

The auto boom -- without new jobs

2:49 pm U.S. ET | May 14, 2013
Bill Strauss has some very good news for the American auto industry. Or he has some very bad news. You can take your pick.... Read More »

 

BMW CEO raps EU calls for stiffer car emissions goals

May 14, 2013 13:25 CET
BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer criticized calls by European Union lawmakers for tougher fuel efficiency goals by 2025, warning their demands would hurt the European industry in competition with the United States and China.... Read More »

 

Report: Vehicles sold in Brazil lack safety features

1:10 pm U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Automakers are having widespread success selling vehicles in Brazil, but thousands of Brazilians are dying each year in auto accidents that experts blame on a combination of unsafe vehicles and often dangerous driving conditions, according to an Associated Press report.... Read More »

 

GABE NELSON

Why Wednesday hearing could be connected cars' moment of truth

4:12 pm U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
In the software industry, people talk about vaporware -- products that are heavily promoted but never seem to go on sale. Automakers are at the point that they must prove that connected cars, which talk to each other over Wi-Fi to stay out of fender-benders, are more than just vaporware.... Read More »

 

Manufacturers could challenge Colo. franchise bill

3:42 pm U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers could challenge dealer-backed franchise legislation that passed the Colorado Legislature earlier this month. Alliance spokesman Dan Gage said the association has yet to make a final determination on whether to file a lawsuit to try to overturn the measure.... Read More »

 

Toyota puts high beams on headlight regulation

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
With a recent petition, Toyota has intensified the pressure on safety regulators to approve new headlights currently forbidden on U.S. roads. The headlights use cameras to detect other cars and automatically dim the portions of the high beam that would shine in other drivers' eyes.... Read More »

 

NHTSA looks into Chrysler Group, Mazda vehicles

11:17 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said today it is checking into 2006 Chrysler Group and 2009 Mazda vehicles in response to complaints about engine stalls and doors that fail to properly close.... Read More »

 

Falling yen lifts outlook for Japanese

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
For five years, a rising yen undermined Japanese automakers' profits. Now the currency's sudden weakening has delivered dramatic gains, especially in the January-March quarter.... Read More »

 

EDITORIAL

NHTSA must see the light on safety updates

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration needs to review its process for allowing automakers to introduce advances in lighting technology.... Read More »