Larry P. Vellequette Reporter covering Toyota and Volkswagen for Automotive News [email protected] 313-446-0478 See All Staff Page Recent Stories Lamborghini: Electrified but no full EV Lamborghini is reengineering across the board to bring hybrid powertrains to its portfolio. But a full EV is still under development. Bentley takes its first crack at EVs in 2026 Bentley's push for full electrification by 2030 will result in its first full EV in the U.S. market in 2026. Calif. plant signals Toyota's path in fight against carbon Toyota is a key player in a pilot project that uses biogas to produce clean electricity, hydrogen and water for use by the automaker for vehicles coming off ships from Japan. Column: ‘Historic' UAW strike, indeed — Jeep workers strike in Toledo is somehow a first After more than a century of automaking and 90 years of UAW representation, the "stand-up strike" appears to be Toledo Jeep's first walkout as part of a national contract dispute. Autonomous driving legal landscape 'a hot mess,' panel says Numerous challenges remain in defining who is responsible for collisions when they inevitably occur, said a panel on the legal landscape of driver assistance and autonomous driving technologies at the Automotive News Congress. Money for startups tighter, but still room for quality investments A panel of venture capitalists at the Automotive News Congress on Tuesday said that the easy funding for startups prevalent just two years ago has dried up, but that money was still available for promising technologies with good founders. Toyota will keep passenger cars in U.S. lineup, says brand chief Ahead of the annual Toyota dealer meeting in Las Vegas this week, brand head Dave Christ says the brand won't just focus on trucks and that incentives are likely to rebound as dealer inventories recover. VW looks to diversify its work force, leadership Volkswagen of America is working to diversify its work force and its future leadership with a commitment to hiring candidates today from a broad background. Volkswagen is moving into action on new EV models After a long wait, VW is ready to unleash the ID Buzz EV, with other new electric models to follow. Toyota dealers: Room in lineup for a Ford Maverick fighter As they prepare to meet Sept. 12-14 in Las Vegas, Toyota dealers say there is room in their lineup for a compact pickup that draws on the brand's small pickup heritage and would be a Ford Maverick fighter. New-vehicle inventories top 2 million for first time since April 2021 New-vehicle inventories topped 2 million vehicles last month for the first time since April 2021, in a further sign that the industry is moving past the production disruptions that have plagued it since the earliest days of the pandemic. VW: New rear-drive unit in 2024 ID4 will boost power, range VW said it will upgrade the rear-drive electric motor in the 2024 ID4 compact BEV crossover, delivering more power and improved range on its upper trim levels, though full specs won't be available until closer to launch. Audi names Emilie Cotter as new CMO Audi of America has named its current chief communications officer, Emilie Cotter, to a new, reorganized role running both marketing and communications for the German premium brand. Subaru will get a leg up from Toyota on new EVs Subaru will introduce new EV models, but it might have to shuffle factory plans to make it possible. Toyota, Ford, Honda sales rise as market rebounds 17% in August Analysts expect U.S. new light-vehicle sales to rise between 15 and 20 percent in August, helped by strong fleet shipments, and rising stockpiles and deals that are drawing consumers back to showrooms, even amid higher interest rates. Load More
Larry P. Vellequette Reporter covering Toyota and Volkswagen for Automotive News [email protected] 313-446-0478 See All Staff Page