Ryan Beene Former Reporter [email protected] See All Staff Page Recent Stories White House to automakers: Back Trump emissions plan or face costly Calif. rules The White House has issued an us-vs.-them challenge to carmakers: Back an administration plan to roll back fuel-economy standards or risk the president's wrath by siding with California's stringent emissions requirements. U.S. traffic deaths exceed 40,000 for third straight year The 2018 total represents a decline of just 231 deaths — roughly 1 percent — from road deaths in 2017 but a 14 percent increase from just four years ago. Time running out for autonomous car bill sought by automakers A push on Capitol Hill to speed development of self-driving vehicles may not cross the finish line in time for this Congress — casting doubt on the future of unusually bipartisan legislation in Washington. Tesla's key statistic in Autopilot defense comes under scrutiny Tesla's ardent defense of its Autopilot system is getting heat from safety advocates who question a key data point the company has been citing to plead its case. Arizona emerged as self-driving hotbed before deadly Uber crash The technology behind autonomous vehicles has originated from coders in Silicon Valley, engineers in Detroit and academic researchers in Pittsburgh. Much of it eventually lands on the streets of Arizona. Advocates for blind join U.S. push for autonomous cars Advocates for the estimated 1.3 million legally blind people in the U.S., and millions more with other disabilities, have joined automakers and technology companies in lobbying Congress to help spur the roll out of self-driving vehicles. Calif. weighs making electric cars cheaper off the lot The federal tax credit for electric car purchases has an end in sight, but California doesn't want demand for the zero-emission vehicles to meet the same fate. Safety advocates want Congress to go slow on autonomous cars Basic rules of the road are needed before lawmakers allow companies to dramatically expand testing of self-driving cars, safety and consumer advocates told lawmakers Tuesday. Service adviser overtime case ain't over The Supreme Court stopped short of settling once and for all the broader question of whether exemptions in overtime rules should apply to dealership service advisers, leaving open the possibility that the dispute could surface again. Tesla case puts plant labor in spotlight Eisenmann Corp., a construction contractor at the center of a report about labor abuses and safety lapses at a Tesla plant, is investigating all supplier contracts, a probe that could touch other automakers. V2V rollout hits critical stage After more than a decade of r&d, vehicle-to-vehicle communications technology is reaching a key political juncture that could determine when and how “talking” cars appear on our roads. NHTSA tests just-in-time recalls NHTSA's new approach to Takata inflator recalls aims to anticipate defects and reduce the strain on parts suppliers. Motorcycle, auto stores ride in tandem By leveraging the market expertise and used sales operation of its Harley-Davidson dealership, Sheehy Auto Stores now has a more efficient way to handle motorcycle trade-ins. Overtime case goes from the service desk to high court A shorthanded U.S. Supreme Court this week will take up the case of five dealership service advisers who sought overtime pay for their 55-hour work weeks, a dispute that could have big implications for dealers and their compensation plans. Audi to focus on dealer profitability and an increased marketing spend Audi of America aims to boost sales and dealer profits and plans a major marketing boost to support key model launches in 2016. Load More