After decisive loss at Alabama Mercedes plants, powerful auto union vows to return and win

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — A decisive vote against the United Auto Workers union at two Mercedes factories in Alabama on Friday sidetracked the UAW's grand plan to sign up workers at nonunion plants mainly in the South.

But newly elected President Shawn Fain said the union will return to Mercedes and will press on with efforts to organize about 150,000 workers at more than a dozen auto factories across the nation.

Employees at Mercedes battery and assembly plants near Tuscaloosa voted 56% against the union in an election run by the National Labor Relations Board.

The vote count handed the union a serious setback a month after the UAW scored a breakthrough victory at Volkswagen’s 4,300-worker assembly factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Japanese automaker Honda revs up on EVs, aiming for lucrative US, China markets

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automaker Honda reaffirmed its commitment to electric vehicles Thursday, saying it will invest 10 trillion yen ($65 billion) through fiscal 2031 to deliver EV models around the world, including the U.S. and China. “Honda has not changed its belief that EVs are the most effective solution in the area of small mobility products such as motorcycles and automobiles,” the Tokyo-based company said in a statement. By 2030, battery EVs and fuel cell EVs will make up 40% of Honda Motor Co.’s global auto sales, and it will have global production capacity for more than 2 million […]

Edmunds: The five things you need to know before buying your first used Tesla

It’s a good time to be in the market for a used Tesla. Tesla’s significant price cuts over the past year on its new cars have caused the prices of used Teslas to drop significantly. But buying a used Tesla isn’t as straightforward as buying a used Toyota, especially if you’ve never owned one. The car experts at Edmunds outline five general tips for car shoppers who are in the market for a used Tesla. PICK THE RIGHT TESLA FOR YOU Most shoppers looking for a used Tesla choose between the brand’s two sedans and two SUVs. The Model 3 […]

Feds urge people not to put decals on steering wheels after a driver is hurt by flying metal pieces

DETROIT (AP) — Federal auto safety regulators are warning people not to stick decals on their steering wheels because they can be hurled at drivers if the air bags inflate in a crash.

The warning from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration comes after another driver was severely hurt by a flying emblem during a crash. The air bag inflated and sent two pieces of metal from an aftermarket decal into the driver's face and neck.

The agency said it couldn't say where or when the injury occurred. But it said the injury was the second it is aware of involving an aftermarket decal. In the previous case the driver lost sight in one eye after being hit by a rhinestone-adorned decal that hit them in the face, NHTSA said in a statement Tuesday.

The decals usually have an adhesive on the back and cover the vehicle's logo in the middle of the steering wheel. But the agency says any alterations to the air bag or its cover can cause malfunctions.

Chevrolet Malibu heads for the junkyard as GM shifts focus to electric vehicles

DETROIT (AP) — The Chevrolet Malibu, the last midsize car made by a Detroit automaker, is heading for the junkyard. General Motors confirmed Thursday that it will stop making the car introduced in 1964 as the company focuses more on electric vehicles. The midsize sedan was once the top-selling segment in the U.S., a stalwart of family garages nationwide. But its sales started to decline in the early 2000s as the SUV became more prominent and pickup truck sales grew. FILE - A Chevrolet logo is shown at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Sept. 13, 2023. The […]

Feds have ‘significant safety concerns’ about Ford fuel leak recall and demand answers about the fix

DETROIT (AP) — Federal investigators say they have “significant safety concerns” about a Ford SUV recall repair that doesn’t fix gasoline leaks that can cause engine fires. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is demanding volumes of information from the automaker as it investigates the fix in a March 8 recall of nearly 43,000 Bronco Sport SUVs from the 2022 and 2023 model years, and Escape SUVs from 2022. All have 1.5-liter engines. Ford says the SUVs have fuel injectors that will crack, allowing gas or vapor to leak near hot engine parts that can cause fires, fuel odors […]

US loosens some electric vehicle battery rules, potentially making more EVs eligible for tax credits

DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. government on Friday loosened some rules governing electric vehicle tax credits, potentially making more EVs eligible for credits of up to $7,500 but leading critics to accuse the Biden administration of helping China. The Treasury Department announced final regulations for the credits under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, giving automakers more time to comply with some provisions about where battery minerals can come from. The credits range from $3,750 to $7,500 for new EVs. There’s also a $4,000 credit for used ones. They’re aimed at juicing demand for EVs in an effort to reach a […]

Driver of electric Ford SUV was using automated system before fatal Texas crash, investigators say

DETROIT (AP) — The driver of a Ford electric SUV involved in a February fatal crash in Texas was using the company's partially automated driving system before the wreck, federal investigators said Thursday.

Data from the 2022 Mustang Mach E SUV showed that Ford's “Blue Cruise” driver-assist system was in use ahead of the Feb. 24 crash, according to a preliminary report released Thursday by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The crash is one of two recent fatal wrecks involving Ford Mustang Mach Es that are under investigation by the NTSB and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which often send teams to probe incidents involving automated technology.

The NTSB can only make recommendations, but NHTSA has the authority to take action including seeking recalls for safety issues.

Ford recalls nearly 43,000 SUVs due to gas leaks that can cause fires, but remedy won’t fix leaks

DETROIT (AP) — Ford is recalling nearly 43,000 small SUVs because gasoline can leak from the fuel injectors onto hot engine surfaces, increasing the risk of fires. But the recall remedy does not include repairing the fuel leaks.

The recall covers certain Bronco Sport SUVs from the 2022 and 2023 model years, as well as Escape SUVs from 2022. All have 1.5-liter engines.

Ford says in documents filed with U.S. safety regulators that fuel injectors can crack, and gasoline or vapor can accumulate near ignition sources, possibly touching off fires.

Dealers will install a tube to let gasoline flow away from hot surfaces to the ground below the vehicle. They’ll also update engine control software to detect a pressure drop in the fuel injection system. If that happens, the software will disable the high pressure fuel pump, reduce engine power and cut temperatures in the engine compartment, according to documents posted Wednesday on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.

Toyota will oversee model certification at subsidiary Daihatsu after safety testing scandal

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automaker Toyota will oversee model certification at its subsidiary Daihatsu to regain trust among dealers, customers and workers after a safety testing scandal, Daihatsu’s new president said Monday. Toyota Motor Corp. will take a leadership role in various areas, including product development and procurement, said Masahiro Inoue, who took the helm of Daihatsu in March. “I have been spending each and every day, vowing to revive Daihatsu,” said Inoue, who previously oversaw Toyota’s business in South America. Daihatsu President Masahiro Inoue speaks during a press conference in Tokyo Monday, April 8, 2024. Daihatsu, the Japanese automaker […]

US probes complaints that Ford pickups can downshift without warning, increasing the risk of a crash

DETROIT (AP) — U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating complaints that more than 540,000 Ford pickup trucks can abruptly downshift to a lower gear and increase the risk of a crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents posted on its website Friday that it opened the investigation this week after receiving 86 consumer complaints about the problem with the trucks’ automatic transmissions. Investigation documents say the probe covers F-150s from the 2014 model year. The agency is looking into whether those trucks should have been included in previous recalls for the problem. FILE - Clouds are reflected […]

EPA sets strict emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks and buses in bid to fight climate change

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday set strict emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks, buses and other large vehicles, an action that officials said will help clean up some of the nation’s largest sources of planet-warming greenhouse gases. The new rules, which take effect for model years 2027 through 2032, will avoid up to 1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the next three decades and provide $13 billion in net benefits in the form of fewer hospital visits, lost work days and deaths, the EPA said. The new standards will especially benefit an estimated 72 million […]

Federal EV charging stations are key to Biden’s climate agenda, yet only 4 states have them

LONDON, Ohio (AP) — Within 24 hours of buying his red Ford Mustang Mach-E, Liam Sawyer set off on a camping trip. Sawyer, who bought the electric SUV “because I think the technology is cool and the range is just long enough,” searched ahead of time for convenient charging stations between his home in Indianapolis and Allegheny National Forest in western Pennsylvania. About 175 miles (282 kilometers) into his journey, he stopped at a new public charging station at the Pilot Travel Center along Interstate 70 outside Columbus, Ohio. The station, which opened in London, Ohio, in December with four […]

China’s latest EV is a ‘connected’ car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi

BEIJING (AP) — Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country’s booming but crowded market for electric cars with a sporty high-tech sedan. The tech company began accepting orders in China via an app on Thursday night, after founder Lei Jun wrapped up a more than two-hour presentation on the SU7 car by announcing the much-awaited price range: 215,900 yuan to 299,900 yuan (about $30,000 to $40,000). Xiaomi said that it received 50,000 orders for the SU7 in the first 27 minutes after sales opened at 10 p.m. Beijing time (1400 GMT). Visitors to […]