Tesla Model Y was the world's best-selling car in Q1

The premium midsize crossover beat the Toyota Corolla for the title with 267,171 Model Ys sold in the first quarter.

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Honda, Acura well positioned in 2023, says American Honda's Mamadou Diallo

Mamadou Diallo, American Honda Co.'s executive vice president of national operations, says Honda is on track to hit sales of 1.2 million in 2023 and Acura is aiming for 160,000 sales.

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Turkish court acquits 3 people in retrial over Ghosn escape, report says

Former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn fled to Lebanon in late 2019 while awaiting trial and has since been living as a fugitive.

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Biden withdraws nomination of official to head U.S. auto safety agency

The White House said on Tuesday that President Joe Biden is withdrawing the nomination of the acting head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the job.

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Stellantis designer Chris Benjamin joins Scout Motors

Veteran Stellantis designer Chris Benjamin joins Volkswagen Group's Scout Motors to lead design for the EV-focused brand that will specialize in utility vehicles and trucks.

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Dealer-backed VC fund raises $13 million, lower than target

Automotive Ventures had hoped to raise as much as $50 million for its DealerFund, but economic trends left investors more cautious.

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Musk echoes Apple, Mercedes CEOs on importance of China ties

Tesla's Elon Musk joined Apple's Tim Cook, Mercedes' Ola Källenius and other car and tech bosses in emphasizing the importance of maintaining ties with China in his first visit there since before the pandemic.

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Bentley names former Volvo exec head of design

Robin Page returns to the VW Group subsidiary after losing the top design job at the Swedish brand.

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Nvidia stock surge drives market value near $1 trillion

The company, which works with several global automakers such as BYD, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, saw its stock surge 24 percent on Thursday, adding $184 billion to its value. The surge continued Friday.

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Europe's consumers lose interest in family haulers, just like Americans did

Renault was the pioneer of European minivans. But its sixth-generation Espace has just transitioned from minivan to SUV as the old segment disappears.

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Musk: Running 3 companies at once is ‘quite painful'

He has just one part-time assistant and handles most of his own scheduling because "it's impossible for someone else to know what the priorities are."

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Hyundai takes next step in U.S. EV strategy with new Ga. battery plant

Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy's planned $4.3 billion battery plant will have an annual production capacity of 30GWh to supply batteries for 300,000 EVs annually.

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Tesla's charging pact with Ford could draw more automakers to Supercharger network

Tesla CEO Elon Musk says he wants to help rivals with the EV transition. Analysts say charging deals could also turn the Supercharger network into a business opportunity.

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EV battery leader CATL joins BYD, Tesla to tap solar’s boom

CATL said it is researching the development of perovskite cells, among the most promising methods to drive new improvements in solar panel performance.

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Stellantis CEO Tavares' relentlessness reemerges as car dynamics shift

Now that Stellantis is less overwhelmed firefighting its way through supply chain crises, CEO Carlos Tavares is returning to his modus operandi of relentlessly cutting costs and hunting for savings.

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Ford's Galhotra: ‘A lot of runway left' for ICEs

The president of the Ford Blue combustion vehicle business says he still sees growth ahead and that the company may transition to EVs slower than many rivals.

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Possible 'massive' Tesla data breach probed by European authorities

The files include tables containing more than 100,000 names of former and current employees, including the social security number of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, along with private email addresses, salaries of employees, bank details and production secrets, Handelsblatt reported.

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Ford EVs will connect to 12,000 Tesla superchargers

Starting in 2025, Ford EVs will be built with Tesla's North American Charging Standard ports, removing the need for an adapter.

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Multiple Stellantis dealerships and a Kia store sell in Q1, Q2 deals

Two auto retailers ranked among Automotive News' top 150 dealership groups completed second-quarter acquisitions, while a regional group and a pair of partners also expanded in deals this year.

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Michigan receives $9.6 million U.S. grant for connected vehicle research

The university's Transportation Research Institute will use the money to prepare the city's infrastructure for vehicle technology testing and deployment.

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VinFast recalls all 999 of its first vehicles shipped to the U.S.

The recall comes after the automaker’s first U.S. vehicles garnered a number of bad reviews, with some saying they aren’t ready for deliveries.

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Hyundai, Kia still under legal pressure after settling lawsuit over car thefts

Despite Hyundai and Kia's agreement to a $200 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit, the automakers still face a heap of lawsuits and pressure from influential stakeholders.

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Ree Automotive looks to change EV truck architecture with 4-corner technology

Israeli startup Ree Automotive has an innovative drive-by-wire design that uses electric-powered wheel and steering modules.

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Waymo and Uber sign ride-hailing, delivery service deal

The multiyear partnership follows Waymo's early May move to expand its commercial driverless service in Phoenix and its coverage area in San Francisco.

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UAW president: Supplier strikes an 'inspiration' to rest of union

Shawn Fain, who took office in March, said the 560 striking workers at Clarios and Constellium are asking only for "a decent wage" and should hold their ground.

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Li-Metal claims a more efficient way of making a next-generation EV battery material

Li-Metal says it can make lithium metal from lithium carbonate, without an intermediary step that creates toxic byproducts. Profitability and scale are still works in progress.

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GM, Samsung win tax breaks for proposed $3.5B battery plant in Indiana

The project could move forward on the same site where GM had planned to build a fourth U.S. battery plant with previous partner LG.

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Inside Our Next Energy's new metro Detroit battery plants

Our Next Energy is scheduled to ship its first electric vehicle batteries, built on a small assembly line in metro Detroit, to customers this week.

By the end of the year, CEO Mujeeb Ijaz said the Novi-based LFP (lithium iron phosphate) battery startup will launch the first phase of its $1.6 billion plant being built in Van Buren Township.

Around 100 employees are expected to begin work at the plant later this year. At capacity, the plant is projected to run at 20 GWh and produce 200,000 units with 2,112 jobs by 2027.

As construction crews work to form up the footings for concrete at the future factory, the company's first batteries are being produced just down the road at a Piston Automotive plant. ONE tapped the Redford Township-based automotive supplier to contract manufacture its first batch of product on a roughly 18,000-square-foot assembly line.

"We came to really like this relationship because they have a depth and understanding of quality, supply chain management, inventory management," Ijaz said.

Those batteries, whose cells are being imported from China, will be supplied to commercial vehicle customers and serve as the first proof point of ONE's products.

Our Next Energy's value proposition for those batteries — and for the cells and packs it intends to produce at its own plant — is energy density. Specifically, the company wants to pack the most range into batteries with limited cobalt and nickel, which are in finite supply and often come from sources with poor human rights records.

ONE's Aries batteries boast 287 Wh/L and about 300 miles of range, compared with the Tesla Model 3's 232 Wh/L. ONE's goal is to eventually commercialize its Gemini battery, a dual chemistry architecture capable of more than 600 miles of range, Ijaz said.

ONE also sets itself apart as a U.S.-based battery maker in an industry dominated by Asia, said Glenn Stevens, executive director of MICHauto and vice president of mobility initiatives for the Detroit Regional Chamber.

"Our dependence on really three countries — China, Korea and Japan — is really not sustainable for our own supply chain and our own companies that want to design, engineer and manufacture vehicles for the future," Stevens said. "So ONE plays a really key role in developing a domestic supply chain with U.S. innovation."

At its line in the Piston plant, workers stuff proprietary, plasma-treated battery enclosures with battery cells, which are meticulously cleaned before being loaded into sequence. They are then bonded to the packs with epoxy. This process — part of ONE's secret sauce — differs from typical modular battery pack manufacturing.

"The battery enclosure is the heart and soul of our energy density," Ijaz said.

From there, the packs are compressed with end plates before going into busbar welding, the point at which the batteries go from being low voltage to "live." From here, the batteries cannot be disassembled or tampered with, only tested for quality and safety.

The internal battery management system — the brains of the battery — is the only serviceable part of the battery after production.

Ijaz said its battery management systems and trays are made by contract manufacturers in Michigan, but he declined to name his suppliers.

The plan is to bring all of the manufacturing together under one roof in ONE's plant. The long-term vision is to also refine battery materials in Michigan for a truly local supply chain, the CEO said.

"We have not yet built any supply chain for processing raw materials," he said. "ONE plans to work with our partners to build those local supply chains that don't exist yet."

Ijaz said the company remains on track to meet the deadlines and fulfill the promises he made last year to the state, which blessed his battery plant with $237 million of state incentives. Chief among those commitments was to begin producing battery cells at the new Van Buren Township factory by the end of the year.

As planned, the company will make that happen by launching the factory in phases, Ijaz said. The first phase will be a line running at 10 MWh, producing early samples of battery cells and packs. Equipment, sourced from South Korea, will be brought in by July and running by the end of the year, and 100 employees are expected at the plant within that time.

At capacity, the plant is expected to produce at 20 GWh, or 200,000 units per year by 2027. Ijaz said the incremental launch of the plant will allow the company to train workers on the line before production kicks into high gear and let the company distribute samples to its customer base to drum up business.

"We'll have a one-year runway," Ijaz said. "For the purpose of being able to do workforce development, getting our product into validation, getting the experience we need with our suppliers before the rest of the equipment comes to kick off the gigafactory."

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BMW electrifies 5 Series with powerful i5 electric sedan

The i5 will compete against premium battery-electric large cars including the Mercedes EQE. It was unveiled Wednesday alongside a combustion engine sibling, the new 5 Series. U.S. sales begin in October.

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California seeks U.S. approval to end gas-only new vehicle sales by 2035

The California Air Resources Board, which approved the plan in August, asked the Environmental Protection Agency on Monday to approve a waiver under the Clean Air Act to implement its new rules.

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Ford to keep tuning into AM radio for 2024

The company will restore AM radio service on all 2024 Ford and Lincoln models and restore it on two electric vehicles via an over-the-air software update, CEO Jim Farley pledged.

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Mercedes-Benz shows off 8 new vehicles to dealers; electric CLA and GLC coming to U.S. in 2024

Fresh product and improved supply should lift Mercedes U.S. sales by 5 to 10 percent this year.

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Auto supplier Gentex hit by ransomware attack

Company says it "is aware of the data breach that occurred several months ago, and we have communicated to all affected parties. It's important to note that the breach has not had an impact on our operations."

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Automotive talent war escalates in South Carolina

Volkswagen's planned 4,000-employee Scout Motors factory in Blythewood, S.C., could put the work force squeeze on BMW's nearby crossover plant.

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Federal judge throws out shareholder lawsuit against Elon Musk over Twitter buyout

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco said plaintiff William Heresniak lacked standing to sue because he challenged "wrongs associated with" Musk's buyout, not the fairness of the buyout itself.

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EV charging equity, infrastructure, battery recycling key topics at Forth Roadmap mobility conference

The mobility conference will move to Detroit next year after a decade in Portland.

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Ford expects internal combustion engine volume, profits to grow through 2025

Although electric vehicles are expected to eat into combustion vehicle sales eventually, a top Ford executive projected "strong U.S. ICE and hybrid sales well into the next decade."

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Toyota's ads drive Hispanic loyalty

The automaker began working with a Hispanic advertising agency in 1987 and has been No. 1 among buyers from the fast-growing ethnic group for 19 straight years.

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Ford signs deal with Nemaska Lithium in push to boost EV output

The deal with the Canadian lithium company comes as North American automakers race to secure supplies of battery materials to boost EV output.

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The latest numbers on the microchip shortage: More cuts in every region

About 1.23 million vehicles have been axed worldwide so far this year because of the microchip shortage.

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U.S. consumers want EVs, but cost and range remain issues, survey finds

About half of U.S. consumers who own gas or diesel vehicles are considering a hybrid or electric vehicle and many hope to buy one within the next two years. Affordability and range remain obstacles for many would-be buyers, however.

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Vroom's Tom Shortt: Growth had to slow in 2022

Shortt said the company didn't set a target for sales in 2023, instead focusing on buying vehicles, selling them while reducing costs in several areas.

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Bosch crash detection algorithm speeds up safety system deployment without adding more sensors

Bosch's off-zone crash detection system allows for faster deployment of safety systems, such as airbags or seat belt tensioners, in a vehicle when a collision takes place, all without more sensors.

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11 charged with stealing cars from 26 dealerships in Ohio

At one dealership, prosecutors said, some of the suspects gave a salesperson their real names while casing the showroom before stealing from it the same night.

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Tesla offering discounts of over $1,300 on some U.S. Model 3 cars

Facing economic headwinds and mounting competition, Tesla this year has aggressively cut vehicle prices in several regions and is resorting to the traditional automakers' tactic of offering incentives to clear inventory, analysts said.

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Police: Former AutoNation staffer took more than $100K from customers, never delivered vehicles

AutoNation Honda Miami Lakes general manager Armando Ibanez said the Florida dealership has been investigating customer complaints related to former finance manager Carlos Ravelo as well, according to police.

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Geely-backed ECARX plans a North American push

Geely-backed automotive tech startup ECARX's sole focus on the auto industry will give it an advantage over its larger competitors, according to its CFO.

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Tekion's big dealership experiment is a big win

Tekion, in an unusual move, purchased two Gilroy, Calif., dealerships in 2020 and used them to test its dealership management system and iron out any kinks. Executives say the plan succeeded beyond expectations.

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Fleet-focused Chevy Silverado EV to debut with 450-mile range

Rory Harvey, GM's incoming North American president, said the 2024 Chevy Silverado EV work truck will have an EPA range of 450 miles on a full charge, up from the 400 miles GM previously estimated.

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6 key things about the 2024 Toyota Tacoma

Here are six key things about the redesigned 2024 Toyota Tacoma.

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Canada's Unifor contract talks with Detroit 3 will target pensions, wages and EVs

Pensions, wages, transition plans to electric vehicle production and new investment emerged as Unifor’s bargaining priorities in upcoming negotiations with the Detroit 3 automakers.

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North Carolina's Leith group recruits techs at Cars and Coffee event

Cars and Coffee Morrisville draws auto enthusiasts from around the state. Leith Automotive Group is using the event to hire badly needed technicians and other workers.

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GM recalls 668,000 Chevrolet, GMC vehicles for faulty child seat anchors

The recall affects Equinox and Terrain compact crossovers from the 2020-23 model years.

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Kia eyes Mexico factory expansion to build EVs, Nuevo León Governor says

The governor of Nuevo León, Mexico, claims Kia will invest $1 billion to upgrade its factory near Monterrey for production of two new EVs.

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VW brand boss plans efficiency drive to boost margins

VW brand chief Thomas Schaefer said the automaker needs to take action to increase efficiency and returns.

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U.S. lawmakers want to bar automakers from eliminating AM radio in new vehicles

The bill would direct NHTSA to issue regulations to mandate AM radio in new vehicles without additional charge.
 

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GMC to reveal 2024 Canyon AT4X AEV in July

The midsize pickup will get additional off-road capability in partnership with American Expedition Vehicles.

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EV maker Fisker is exploring collaboration with other companies, CEO says

Fisker said eventually the company plans to have production capacity in Europe, China, the United States and India. 

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Ineos Grenadier priced from $73,100; U.S. deliveries start in Q4

The base Grenadier SUV will be priced at $73,100 -- just over $10,000 more than its chief rival, the Land Rover Defender 110. Grenadier Trialmaster and Fieldmaster will start at $80,790.

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Used-car demand stays strong in spring but headwinds remain

Caution is the word on the used-vehicle side. Though demand was healthy through the 2023 spring selling season, gone is the level it was at in 2021.

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Musk commits to remaining Tesla CEO, touts Cybertruck and artificial intelligence

Musk says CEO post is important to oversee development of artificial intelligence for products such as Full Self-Driving software and Optimus humanoid robot.

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Musk reverses course and says Tesla will advertise its cars

Musk has for years resisted the idea of advertising Tesla cars, tweeting in 2019 that he "hates advertising" and "We use that money to make the product great."

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Polestar, Smart open the door to tech and investment partnerships

Smart is launching two new EVs in Europe, China and other markets. Separately, Polestar CEO Dennis Nobelius said the EV maker is open to partnerships to tackle the challenges of decarbonising the supply chain.
 

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Thomas Szlosek named AutoNation CFO; Joe Lower takes another role

This is the second major executive change announced this month at the nation's second largest auto retailer.

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Woman charged with embezzlement from Miss. dealership

Latisha Jones Smith, 50, is also facing of felony embezzlement in Neshoba County, Miss., where Doc's Toyota is now located.

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Stellantis to buy one-third stake in fuel cell system maker Symbio

Stellantis will pay $163 million to Faurecia as part of the deal for a share of Symbio, a hydrogen fuel cell joint venture that also includes Michelin.

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Tesla succession planning, demand in focus ahead of shareholder meeting

Investors are set to vote on a shareholder proposal for the company to publish a report on "Key-Person Risk," reflecting concerns that the carmaker relies too heavily on Elon Musk's leadership.

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Former FCA boss Sergio Marchionne saved Italy's auto industry, Elkann says

Stellantis, formed from the merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Group, is the evolution of Sergio Marchionne's vision to build a global leader strong enough to survive the industry's disruption, John Elkann said.

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Stellantis stops construction of Canada EV battery module plant over federal funds

Stellantis and LG Energy ceased some construction of its planned EV battery factory in Windsor, Ontario, as it continues to spar with the federal government over financial assistance.

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Elon Musk to meet President Macron, other leaders at France conference

Elon Musk will meet Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire to discuss newly announced tax credits for green investments that have been unveiled to rival the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act.

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Stellantis, LG Energy implementing 'contingency plans' for EV battery plant in Canada

The Canadian government has not delivered on its promises, a Stellantis spokesperson said.

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Leslie Doggett Industries' automotive retail arm expands in Texas

Leslie Doggett Industries has expanded its auto retailing division, Doggett Automotive Group, with the purchase of three dealerships in Texas.

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Ford to cut 1,300 jobs in China, reports say

Ford’s sales in China fell below half a million units for the first time in a decade in 2022.

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Alfa Romeo, Fiat output in Italy slowed by protest over working conditions

Production of Alfa Romeo Tonales and Fiat Panda models has been hit by a protest at the Pomigliano plant in Italy over unsanitary toilets, a lack of work gear and insufficient heating.

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The latest numbers on the microchip shortage: Europe hit hardest

Tens of thousands of vehicles continue to be cut each week because of the semiconductor shortage, even as microchip capacity improves.

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Survey: Most dealerships have no EVs and some don't want any

Two-thirds of dealerships said they didn't have any EVs in stock. Of those stores, 45 percent said they wouldn't sell EVs even if they could get some.

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Automotive tech billionaire Austin Russell acquires majority stake in Forbes magazine

Russell, the 28-year-old CEO of Luminar Technologies, plans to serve as a visionary for Forbes brand and won’t be involved in day-to-day operations.

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Energy Department plans $362 million loan for EV wiring startup CelLink

The Department of Energy on Friday said it plans to loan $362 million to help California wiring components startup CelLink open a new factory in Texas, where it plans to build advanced wiring harnesses for EVs.

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Linda Yaccarino is ‘officially’ Elon Musk's next Twitter CEO

On Friday, a person with direct knowledge of the arrangement confirmed Yaccarino would lead Twitter.

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VW explores plug-in hybrid for U.S. as EV transition unfolds

Volkswagen Group of America's CEO says the company is looking hard at adding a plug-in hybrid to the VW lineup as interim step to a full EV lineup. Such a move would borrow technology from Audi.

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UAW strike at battery supplier to GM, Ford goes to court in 5th day

Clarios is hoping a court injunction will help clear the plant entrance and ultimately resume production at a battery plant in Holland, Ohio, where UAW workers have been on strike since Monday. The case was scheduled to be heard this morning.

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Tesla recalls 1.1 million EVs over braking defect

The automaker will deploy an over-the-air software fix to more than 1.1 million vehicles produced in Shanghai from January 2019 to April this year, plus some models imported into China.

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More than 2M Toyota users face risk of vehicle data leak in Japan

Toyota said the vehicle data was left publicly available in Japan for about a decade from November 2013 to mid-April of this year.

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Elon Musk says he has found new Twitter CEO

Elon Musk said he has found a new chief executive for Twitter without naming the person and that he will transition to the role of chief technology officer of the social media platform.

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Nissan sees North America leading global sales surge after profits rise 52%

Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida forecasts a robust rebound in global sales, as Nissan reports a 52 percent increase in operating profit in the just-ended fiscal year.

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Honda sees full-year profit rising 19% this fiscal year after operating income slipped 3.7% last year

Honda forecasts full-year operating profit rising to $7.40 billion as the automaker benefits from a strengthening supply chain.

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Two people dead in Mercedes factory shooting in Germany

The shooting took place in Sindelfingen, where Mercedes builds the S-Class and EQS flagship cars.

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Subaru plans 4 crossover EVs, 400,000 output in dramatic ramp up

Subaru plans a four EV lineup by the end of 2026 and will add capacity to build 400,000 full-electric cars in Japan from around 2028. Operating profits nearly tripled in the company’s fiscal year ended March 31.

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GM Envolve aims to make fleet business easier, more profitable

GM Envolve will give business customers a dedicated sales account executive who can reach across divisions, whether they're buying vehicles or need help with energy management.

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CarGurus Q1 net income down; digital wholesale revenue nose-dives

The company's digital wholesale division, which includes trading platform CarOffer, saw a higher loss and a major drop in revenue, but CarGurus CEO Jason Trevisan said executives have taken steps to stabilize the business.

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Panasonic delays production of new Tesla battery to improve performance

Panasonic said that it will delay the commercial production of its 4680 battery cells and begin operations during the April to September period in 2024, later than previously scheduled, as the company aims to improve their performance.

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Nikola pivots toward hydrogen for North American market

Amid its pivot, Nikola is losing upward of $150 million per quarter and holds about $150 million in cash and receivables on its balance sheet.

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Alpine A290 Beta concept redefines hot hatch for EV era

Renault's Alpine brand unveiled the A290 Beta electric hatchback based on the coming Renault 5, as it expands its lineup and aims at U.S. launch.

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VW annual meeting rocked by protests on China record

VW's Xinjiang plant in China has become a focus for human rights activists and a few shareholders, with some protestors claiming that the automaker's vehicles were built with forced labor.

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UAW workers on strike at Clarios battery plant

Workers at a Clarios battery plant in Holland, Ohio began striking Monday after voting down a contract negotiation proposal that would have reduced overtime pay. The plant produces up to 150,000 batteries each week for Ford and GM.

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Rivian Q1 loss narrows to $1.35 billion

The company expects production ramp-up of its in-house Enduro powertrains to help offset parts supply issues in the second half of the year, enabling it to meet its smaller-than-estimated target of manufacturing 50,000 units.

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Ford, Stellantis and GM car dealerships sell in Iowa and Arizona

Stores in Iowa and Winslow, Ariz., a town immortalized by the Eagles hit "Take It Easy," sell in 2022 deals.

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Iveco to fully own venture with Nikola on electric, hydrogen trucks

As part of the agreement, Iveco will focus on Europe for its own battery electric and fuel cell trucks, while Nikola will concentrate its operations in North America.

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Rebounding Mitsubishi expects North American profitability to surge

Rebounding Mitsubishi Motors expects North America to emerge at the Japanese carmaker's top profit center and second-biggest global market in the current fiscal year as it reins in incentive spending and gets traction from the Outlander PHEV crossover.

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Fisker's debut SUV delayed by lingering software problems, report says

Fisker has already delivered its first European-built Ocean SUV in Denmark, but the car has been returned as unusable, Bloomberg reported.

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Qualcomm to acquire Israeli auto-chip maker Autotalks

Qualcomm did not disclose the terms of the deal but said Autotalk's technology would be incorporated into its assisted and autonomous driving product, called Snapdragon Digital Chassis.

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2024 Toyota Tacoma leaks on website for enthusiasts

An enthusiast apparently opened an online back door on Toyota's web presence for the upcoming 2024 Toyota Tacoma midsize pickup and on Saturday shared an image of the vehicle in an online forum.

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Bentley production chief to lead Volkswagen's software overhaul

Sources said Volkswagen will announce the removal of leadership at its troubled software arm Cariad and the appointment of Bentley production chief Peter Bosch to take the unit's helm.

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For first time, VW names a design chief dedicated to the Americas

Jose Carlos "JC" Pavone has been named head of design for VW of America, giving him design responsibilities over North and South America. The native of Brazil has been with VW since 2002.

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Rivian Q1 earnings to reflect factory downtime

Rivian delivered fewer vehicles in the January-March period than in the previous quarter as it upgraded its commercial van line. That will weigh on Tuesday's earnings report.

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The latest numbers on the microchip shortage: Cuts continue but output improves

Assembly plant output is improving as microchip supply rebounds and automakers learn how to better manage the semiconductor shortage.

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Outgoing Dodge models buck Stellantis sales slump

Vehicles being killed off, such as the Dodge Charger and Challenger, are seeing strong demand as buyers get off the fence before it's too late.

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VW to fire top executives at software unit Cariad, report says

The software unit has exceeded its budget, failed to meet goals and delayed new Porsche and Audi electric cars.

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Bosch to revamp mobility unit with goal of $88B in revenue by 2030

The new Bosch Mobility unit will focus on software as a growth driver. Current mobility chairman Markus Heyn will lead it.

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Gates dealership group gets boost from brand awareness

Gates Automotive Group in South Bend, Ind., combines social media engagement, collaboration with local athletes and business leaders, and in-person giveaways and meet-and-greet events.

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NHTSA opens probe into fatal fire in 2009 Dodge Journey

A possible electrical issue in 2009 Dodge Journey may have resulted in the death of a woman who became trapped in her vehicle while it burned in December.

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Lyft concerns Wall Street with margin sacrifice in race with Uber

Lyft gave a disappointing adjusted core earnings forecast for the second quarter on Thursday as efforts to add more riders with price cuts take a toll on profitability.

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In California, the specter of self-driving trucks brings a backlash

California, the birthplace and epicenter of the self-driving industry, could soon put the brakes on autonomous trucking.

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Wheel supplier Superior Industries swings to $4 million net loss

Wheel supplier Superior Industries reported a first-quarter loss of $4 million on Thursday.

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BorgWarner Q1 profits take a hit from electrification R&D, inflation

BorgWarner Inc. executives are expecting a boom in the electrification business but not before e-products put some strain on its profitability.

The supplier saw first-quarter sales of $4.2 billion, up 8 percent from a year ago, and net earnings of $230 million, about flat with last year, according to its earnings report Thursday.

While the company increased its sales and earnings projections for the full year, its first-quarter profit results came in just shy of Wall Street expectations, due to inflated costs, high R&D spending on electrification and sagging sales in China, which is also hurting other suppliers with high exposure to the Far East.

"We outperformed the market both in Europe and North America," CEO Frederic Lissalde said on a call with investment analysts. "As we expected going into the quarter, our margin performance was negatively impacted by our planned e-R&D investment, net inflationary costs and the impact of low production in China."

BorgWarner, known for its turbochargers, has been working the last few years to shed ties to the internal combustion engine and recast itself as a leading supplier of inverters, batteries and other EV components. To that end, the spin-off of its fuel systems and aftermarket segments — to be renamed Phinia — is expected to be complete by the end of the third quarter.

The supplier expects EV-related sales in 2023 to double from last year with between $1.5 billion and $1.8 billion in revenue.

Its adjusted net earnings were $1.09 per diluted share, 2 cents off analysts' mark.

BorgWarner shares (NYSE: BWA) slipped 7.9 percent to close at $42.80 on Thursday.

The company generated $278 million of capital expenditures for the quarter, compared with $177 million the year prior, according to its 8-K quarterly report to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In addition to R&D expenditure and the sluggish performance of one of its primary markets, increased costs dragged down the bottom line. BorgWarner reported about $28 million of inflationary costs in the first quarter and said it expects a $65 million costs headwind for the full year.

On its path to generate $4 billion of EV sales by 2025, BorgWarner has made significant capital expenses related to its EV business in the past few months. In April, it announced a $42 million expansion of its Seneca, S.C., battery plant., and a month before that, the company said it would invest $20.6 million and create 186 jobs in metro Detroit.

BorgWarner, based in suburban Detroit, is projecting full-year sales of between $17.1 billion and $17.9 billion, slightly higher than its prior guidance and up from the $15.8 billion it made in 2022.

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Workers at Missouri Yanfeng plant join UAW

Workers at a Yanfeng facility in Riverside, Mo., voted to join the UAW this week, citing low pay and poor labor practices.

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BMW's car business gets Q1 earnings boost from price hikes

BMW expects slight growth in Europe, robust sales in the U.S., and a stabilizing economy in China.

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VW boosts Q1 revenue as U.S., Europe offset China slide

VW expects higher competition as supply chain bottlenecks ease and China's electric car market heats up but the company says it puts margins over volume even as it fights to maintain market share.

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Trucking event will provide independent Tesla Semi performance data

PepsiCo confirmed Wednesday it would enter at least one of the Tesla Semis it operates in the Run On Less trucking industry event later this year.

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Learn about PACEpilot on May 16 in Detroit

Join Automotive News Executive Editor Jamie Butters, program judges, a past honoree and others for a free informational discussion about the PACEpilot program.

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Adient's Q2 revenue grows, but headwinds hurt profits

The automotive seating supplier saw revenue rise 11 percent year over year to $3.9 billion, though it finished the quarter $15 million in the red.

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Porsche will raise prices to combat higher costs

The company is still seeing issues with the supply of semiconductors and parts for the electric Taycan's high voltage heating system, Chief Financial Officer Lutz Meschke said.

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Ford swings to $1.8 billion in Q1 net income as sales, pricing rise

Ford's adjusted earnings before interest and taxes rose 45 percent to $3.4 billion. A majority of that — $2.6 billion — came from Ford Blue, the company's gasoline-powered business.

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Japan's automakers have a made-in-China sales crisis

Japan's automakers are facing a sales crisis in China, data shows, as a rapid shift to electric vehicles (EVs) has upended the world's largest auto market and led to a plunge in purchases of gasoline-powered cars.

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Toyota investment fund, Nvidia among backers of Israeli software startup

Foretellix plans to use the funding to expand its product portfolio, expand to new countries and work with Toyota and Nvidia on Level 4 vehicle automation.

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Mercedes taps F1 team to keep up with Tesla in race for efficient EVs

Mercedes' F1 team is working on new projects developing parts for mass-market EVs, that include batteries, inverters and new generations of motors.

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Credit Acceptance net income drops 54% in Q1, but loan volume up

Credit Acceptance Corp. took on 89,821 auto loans from car dealerships during the first quarter of 2023, up 23 percent from a year earlier.

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Hyundai, Kia rack up double-digit U.S. sales gains in April

Analysts estimate the overall U.S. new light-vehicle market expanded up to 5.7 percent in April, with fleet driving most of the gain, as inventories continue to recover.

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GM cuts several hundred full-time contract workers

General Motors Co said it had cut several hundred full-time contract workers over the weekend including at its engineering hub in suburban Detroit, the latest effort by the automaker to streamline operations.

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Lordstown Motors warns of bankruptcy as Foxconn deal unravels

The EV startup said its deal with Foxconn could unravel after the large Taiwanese company threatened to withhold funding, something that could force Lordstown into insolvency.

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Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant road-tests a new quality strategy

Halting the assembly line rather than building trucks and fixing them later was just one element of a new approach to attacking quality problems that Ford is road-testing with the launch of the redesigned Super Duty trucks.

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GMC adds off-road muscle to 2024 Sierra HD with AT4X trim

GMC also teamed up with American Expedition Vehicles on a Sierra HD AT4X AEV edition.

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Mercedes CEO says cutting ties with China is 'unthinkable'

Decoupling from China, the world's second largest economy, is "unthinkable for almost all of German industry," Mercedes CEO Ola Kallenius said.

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