Industry
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As negotiations resume between the UAW and GM, electric vehicles and plans for an electric pickup are part of the talks.
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Porsche CEO: EVs are the future, but they won't completely replace combustion engines
Klaus Zellmer, the CEO of Porsche Cars North America, has presented a nuanced view on electric cars: They're the future, but not all of it.
Aaron Cole -
Fiat Chrysler submits offer for Renault merger, could jump-start electric car development
Renault could give FCA the boost it needs in EV development, which it has largely ignored so far.
Aaron Cole -
BMW posts a smart sendoff for longtime Mercedes chief
With a lookalike actor, BMW applies a German sense of humor to a video that congratulates outgoing Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche on his retirement.
Bengt Halvorson -
Possible retrofits in Germany for dirtiest diesels could cost carmakers more
These are not good times for the makers or owners of diesel cars, particularly in their European stronghold, where on average half of all new vehicles had been sold with diesel engines. Strict new real-world emission tests have proven hard to meet, consumers are starting to shy away from buying new...
John Voelcker -
More sedan, smaller, entry models bite the dust in Detroit
Two years ago this month, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles essentially threw in the towel on the "automobiles" part of its name. Canceling the compact Dodge Dart and the mid-size Chrysler 200 sedans, the company doubled down on the pickup trucks and utility vehicles that had long been its profit centers...
John Voelcker -
Predictions range all over the map on when electric-car sales are going to take off, depending on whether you're talking to a Wall Street bull or bear, what happens to gas prices, and even who's in office. With that in mind, we thought we'd ask our Twitter followers with an interest in electric cars how soon they think electric cars might become mainstream. Perhaps predictably, a majority of participants thought that electric cars are likely to come faster than most people think. LEARN MORE: Plug-in electric car sales fall in Jan after year-end surge Only a little more than a quarter of poll...
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McKinsey summarizes state of the art, latest trends in electric cars
Over the seven years modern, mass-priced electric cars have been on sale, various bits of wisdom have emerged among their fans, advocates, and owners. One might be how much battery range is "enough" to prevent drivers from worrying constantly about whether they need to charge. Another might be...
John Voelcker -
8 things you should know about EPA plan to let cars emit more (cutting fuel economy as well)
EPA administrator Scott Pruitt said yesterday the agency plans to modify rules limiting carbon-dioxide emissions for light-duty vehicles in model years 2022 through 2025. The agency, he said, had reached a determination that the limits put in place in 2012 under the Obama administration were...
John Voelcker -
What if car buyers aren't ready for electric cars, even in California?
It's accepted wisdom among electric-car fans and advocates that within a few years, mass-market car buyers will start snapping up battery-electric cars. First, battery prices have to come down to the point that electric vehicles aren't much pricier than comparable models with gasoline engines. But...
John Voelcker -
Dealers start to worry about ebbing repair income from electric cars
The average vehicle on U.S. roads these days is more than 10 years old, despite three successive years of record new-vehicle sales. That's a result not only of the 2008-2010 recession but also vastly more durable and reliable vehicles compared to those of previous decades. All of those vehicles...
John Voelcker -
How many billions are going into electric cars, globally? Guess the number...
Countries around the world—especially China, France, the U.K., and Norway—are aiming to phase out the sale of new fossil-fuel vehicles entirely between 2025 and 2040. So it's in automakers' best interests to begin planning and investing now in vehicle lineups that will comply with that...
Mark Stevenson -
For a century, the U.S. auto industry was the world's largest. That ended in 2009, when China's sales of 13.5 million new vehicles surpassed a recession-slammed U.S. total of 10.4 million. Last year, U.S. drivers bought 17.5 million new vehicles—against more than 30 million sales in China. DON'T MISS: Why China will beat U.S. in electric-car battle: urgency, regulations The U.S. still has arguably the most demanding and most highly regulated new-vehicle market in the world. But a growing chorus of industry and business analysts worry that complacent U.S. car companies, lulled by record...
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CAFE proposal coming March 30: automakers hope national rules survive
It's been hanging out there in limbo for more than six months: the answer to the question of what happens to gas-mileage rules under Trump. Given the daily political turmoil emanating from Washington, D.C., the fate of corporate average fuel economy rules may have gotten lost in the noise. But for...
John Voelcker -
Electric cars are 'historic opportunity' for US carmakers: Autonation CEO
Unlike many auto dealers and dealership groups that see selling electric vehicles as a necessary burden, AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson believes electric vehicles offer a "historic opportunity" for the industry Speaking at the Automotive News World Congress, Jackson recognized the challenges...
Mark Stevenson -
GM promises it can make money on all-electric cars by 2021
Radically new powertrains are widely assumed to lose money for the companies that launch them. Toyota's hybrid-electric system, launched in Japan in 1997, likely didn't break even until sometime after the 2004 launch of the second-generation Prius. Long-range battery-electric vehicles are the same...
John Voelcker -
Electric cars will fail, but we'll build them anyway, say global auto execs: KPMG
Juxtaposed against a growing electric-vehicle market in China and increasingly stringent global carbon-emission limits, a survey by KPMG has revealed a majority of global auto executives believe electric vehicles are a fool's errand. Those executives believe electric cars will eventually be...
Mark Stevenson -
Automaker push to delay, modify, or kill CAFE is nothing new
As automakers yet again lobby Washington to roll back planned fuel-economy targets for 2025, they've employed some familiar tactics to drive the point home to lawmakers. It cannot be done. It will cost too much. It will destroy the industry and kill jobs. Consumers do not want this. The science is...
Mark Stevenson -
The most important green-car story of 2017 came on September 10, in a report by the Associated Press that covered articles in two Chinese state media outlets on a statement by a deputy industry minister. Speaking at "an auto industry forum," the AP wrote, Xin Guobin said his ministry has begun "research on formulating a timetable to stop production and sales of traditional energy vehicles," as he noted "some countries" have already done. The statements were published by the state Xinhua News Agency and the Communist Party newspaper People's Daily, meaning they represented official government...
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Why China will beat U.S. in electric-car battle: urgency, regulations
As the electric-vehicle market matures and more global automakers commit to building battery-powered cars, one driving force has emerged to lead the pack. With apologies to the title of a comedy from half a century ago ... The Chinese Are Coming. That's the assertion made by old China hand Michael...
Mark Stevenson -
Tesla Semi, new Roadster distract from Model 3 production problems
Never let it be said that Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his event producers are not masters of showmanship. Last night's launch of the Tesla Semi heavy-duty commercial truck tractor came with a surprise: a new Tesla Roadster emerged from the back of the trailer. The wow factor was ... high. DON'T MISS...
John Voelcker -
Odds for auto startups are incredibly high; can Tesla beat them?
Much of the energy and growth in the U.S. economy comes not from large corporations but from small startup companies, as economic data shows. By now, the model of a young, energetic entrepreneur with a bright idea who turns it into a world-changing business is well established. Think Facebook or...
John Voelcker -
Could automotive subscription services boost electric-car use?
As automakers commit to more electric and electrified cars in the near future, many hurdles remain that can make owning an electric car more difficult than a conventional vehicle. Meanwhile, as electrified cars become more common, automakers and brands will also continue to introduce new models for...
Sean Szymkowski -
Ford to cut engine funding by one third, invest in electrics, autonomy
When Ford fired Mark Fields in May, it was widely seen as a rebuke to the CEO's inability to offer a convincing argument about how Ford would handle the future. Every car company is attempting to figure out that future, in which electrified vehicles, increasing autonomy, pervasive connectivity, and...
John Voelcker