Crain's Staff Ryan Beene Former Reporter [email protected] See All Staff Page Recent Stories Mobility Report 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. Regulation & Safety 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. Mobility Report 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. Mobility Report 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. Mobility Report 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. Mobility Report 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. Dealers 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. Manufacturing 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. Cars & Concepts 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. Regulation & Safety 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. Best Practices 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. Dealers 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. NADA Show 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. NADA Show What to make of VW's big make meeting Attendees said VW brand chief Herbert Diess and other executives offered no details about technical fixes for the diesel crisis or compensation for consumers, citing a government gag order. Marketing Dealer puts VW crisis on camera Filmmaker Steve Kalafer, a three-time Oscar nominee, is at work on a documentary about Volkswagen's diesel emissions crisis, a project that's close to home. That's because he is also a Volkswagen dealer. Load More
