Americas

VW's $229M settlement with owners of 3.0-liter diesels cleared by Canada judge
April 20An Ontario judge approved a settlement worth up to $229 million with about 20,000 owners of 3.0-liter VW, Audi and Porsche diesel vehicles in Canada affected by VW's emissions violations.

Tesla faces workplace safety probe at Calif. plant
April 18California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health opened a new investigation into Tesla following a report about worker protections at the company's plant in Fremont, Calif.
Maryland sends recall reminders to 40,000 drivers
April 18Under a new initiative, the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration has reminded 40,000 motorists that their vehicles have been recalled for safety defects and should be taken to a franchised dealership to be fixed at no charge.

GM offers in-dash fuel payments in 3-city pilot program
April 18The feature is being piloted in roughly 1 million Chevrolet vehicles at select Shell stations in the Detroit, Seattle and Houston metropolitan areas.
Lexus' next-gen ES sports new contours, tweaked spindle grille
April 18The next-generation Lexus ES sedan, which debuts at the Beijing auto show next week, will feature a more stylized body with a prominent version of the brand's polarizing spindle grille.

VW diesel lawsuits in Fla., Utah dismissed by federal judge
April 17A U.S. judge dismissed environmental lawsuits filed against Volkswagen over excess diesel emissions by Salt Lake County and Hillsborough County, Fla.

China to scrap foreign ownership caps on automakers by 2022
April 17The move is a major policy shift that will open the market wider to automakers such as Nissan and Tesla. It comes amid a trade standoff between Washington and Beijing, and signals the end of a 1994 rule in the biggest auto market that limits foreign automakers to a 50 percent share of any local venture.

Washington state tax incentive for EVs to expire
April 16Washington's electric vehicle sales tax exemption will expire at the end of May, earlier than expected, adding to headwinds faced by automakers.
Trump push for quick NAFTA deal slowed by division on top issues
April 16President Donald Trump's push for a quick resolution to NAFTA talks is being stymied by persistent differences over a handful of the make-or-break issues.

VW CEO's sights set squarely on U.S.
April 16Elevated to the top job at Volkswagen Group last week, Herbert Diess has a reputation for delivering on his restructuring targets — and high on his to-do list is ending the string of losses in the United States.

VW's new way to sell Jetta: More car for less money
April 15With the new Jetta, Volkswagen is moving away from the brand's traditional premium pricing in the compact sedan segment.

CARB's Nichols isn't going to stop for Trump
April 12Mary Nichols, California's top air regulator, is gearing up for a battle with the Trump administration over the future of auto pollution standards in the United States.