News

Rivian Automotive Inc., the EV startup backed by Amazon.com Inc. and Ford Motor Co., is in talks with the U.K. government on building its first manufacturing plant outside the U.S. near the English city of Bristol, Sky News reported. The investment would probably include a large state-support package, but the U.K. faces competition from Germany

Dana Inc. and American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc., two of the world’s largest axle suppliers, reported on Friday multiple gains in the second quarter as the industry continues the long haul of recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Dana said its performance in the second quarter benefited from ongoing strong demand across its three business

Nissan Motor Co. aims to boost the percentage of women in management by 2023 to a level that stands out within Japan’s male-dominated auto industry, though its chief sustainability officer said there’s still far more room for improvement. The Japanese carmaker said Friday it’s seeking to increase its ratio of women managers in Japan to

Ford Motor Co. said Thursday it will reinstate a mask mandate for workers at facilities in Kentucky, two days after making a similar announcement for workers in Missouri and Florida. The automaker informed workers the mandate will go into effect Saturday. Ford has two assembly plants in the state: Kentucky Truck Plant, where workers build

NEW YORK — Trevor Milton, the founder of electric truck maker Nikola Corp., has been indicted on charges of making false and misleading statements to investors, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Thursday. The indictment said that, from November 2019 to September 2020, Milton schemed to defraud investors into buying Nikola shares through statements

The auto industry’s tight new-vehicle supplies and strong retail demand could extend almost another year because of ongoing inventory shortages and strong economic conditions, Toyota Motor North America executives said Wednesday. A chronic shortage of microchips and other supply-chain disruptions that have forced automakers to idle assembly plants — in some cases for months —

DETROIT — The UAW received $1.1 million for the purchase of a controversial lakefront house in northern Michigan built for former President Dennis Williams, The Associated Press reported this week. Williams in May was sentenced to 21 months in prison for being a key ringleader in the union’s embezzlement scandal along with his successor, Gary

WASHINGTON/DETROIT — Electric vehicle producer Rivian plans to invest $5 billion initially in its second U.S. assembly plant, according to a company document shared with state economic development officials. The plant, dubbed “Project Tera,” requires an estimated 10,000 acres of land according to a revised economic development document seen by Reuters, but economic development officials

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. on Tuesday said its Ion Park battery lab, first revealed in April, will be based in Romulus, Mich., a suburb southwest of Detroit. The automaker on Tuesday received approval from the Michigan Strategic Fund to transfer an existing Renaissance Zone tax incentive to help establish the 200,000-square-foot facility, which Ford

Tesla Inc. on Monday posted its largest-ever quarterly profit — $1.14 billion — as it delivered a record number of vehicles in the second quarter despite a global semiconductor shortage that has hampered much of the auto industry. Revenue during the quarter nearly doubled to $11.9 billion, with automotive gross margins hitting 28 percent, the

Zeigler Auto Group plans to close Monday on the acquisition of four dealerships in Wisconsin, marking its first stores in the state and first Toyota and Hyundai outlets. The growing retailer will buy Racine Honda, Racine Toyota and Racine Hyundai, all in Mount Pleasant, and Kenosha Subaru from Home Run Auto Group of Janesville, Wis.

LOS ANGELES — HAAH Automotive Holdings’ decision to give up trying to import Chinese cars to U.S. showrooms is the latest in a history of would-be distributors that have underestimated the difficulty of such an endeavor. But HAAH’s failure also is likely to dampen future attempts by others — at least in the current political

A Tesla Inc. factory to produce cars in India is “quite likely” if the electric automaker can first begin sales with imported vehicles, according to Elon Musk. The California-based EV producer is currently lobbying for lower taxes on imports as it considers plans to expand into India, one of the world’s biggest emerging car markets,

When Nick Anderson isn’t working as general manager of Chuck Anderson Ford, he’s often at a nearby track racing his Dodge Viper Competition Coupe. In both roles, he’s learned speed is key. Anderson knew he could squeeze more profit out of the Excelsior Springs, Mo., store’s used-vehicle operations if he could quicken the pace at

DETROIT — General Motors and its Cruise automated driving subsidiary said early Saturday they have asked a U.S. federal court to stop Ford Motor Co. from using the name “BlueCruise” to market its hands-free driving technology. In a statement and documents released shortly after midnight, GM said Ford’s use of the BlueCruise name infringed on

Lithia Motors Inc. is shuffling its executive marketing positions as it brought back a former executive and media expert as the new leader of the department. The dealership group hired Marguerite Celeste as the company’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer effective immediately, according to a government filing. Celeste held positions at NBC Universal,

DETROIT — Automakers and battery manufacturers are racing to develop new electric-vehicle batteries that can reinforce body structures and open the door to breakthroughs in driving range. What engineers call structural batteries hold the promise of lighter weight and greater energy efficiency — resulting in driving ranges between charges that are nearly double the 326

The Biden administration is laying the groundwork to spend roughly $52 billion on semiconductor research and manufacturing even as it’s awaiting congressional approval of the funding, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said. “We’re putting plans in place right now already on the team to invest the $52 billion,” she said Thursday during a White House press

Congress must act quickly to bolster semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S., according to a letter from several trade groups and unions delivered to House and Senate leaders on Thursday. “Strengthening the U.S. position in semiconductor research, design, and manufacturing is a national priority,” reads the letter, organized by the Semiconductor Industry Association. “While the governments

LOS ANGELES — The founder and CEO of HAAH Automotive Holdings, Duke Hale, has formed a new company that intends to make a bid for ailing Korean automaker SsangYong Motor Co., Hale told Automotive News. HAAH this week announced that it had abandoned plans to import Chinese cars to the U.S. and would file for

Lithia Motors Inc.’s revenue and earnings per share reached second-quarter records as net income jumped nearly fourfold on soaring new- and used-vehicle sales, higher gross vehicle profits and improved finance and insurance profits. Net income totaled $304.9 million, up from $77.7 million in the same 2020 quarter that saw showrooms temporarily close and business slow

Biden administration officials say they’re starting to see signs of relief for the global semiconductor supply shortage, including commitments from manufacturers to make more automotive-grade chips for car companies that have had to idle production. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, who has led President Joe Biden’s efforts on chip supply, has brokered a series of

Tesla Inc. saw registrations of its Chinese-made cars climb again last month as promotions toward the quarter-end helped offset a string of negative press around customer complaints and quality concerns. Registrations of Model 3 sedans and Model Y crossovers made at Tesla’s Shanghai factory totaled 28,508 units in June, a 29 percent increase from May

DETROIT — GMC will join the electric pickup fray, executives said Monday. Duncan Aldred, vice president of global Buick and GMC, told reporters a full-size electric pickup would arrive in “due course.” Aldred declined to say whether the pickup would share the Sierra name with its gasoline-powered counterpart. GMC’s confirmation of an electric pickup follows

TOKYO — Tokyo 2020 sponsor Toyota will not run Olympics-related TV commercials amid lackluster public support for the Olympics, with two-thirds of Japanese doubting organizers can keep the games safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a local media poll. Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda and other executives will not attend the opening ceremony

A Pacific Northwest dealership group acquired a store with two brands, while a used-only dealership group bought its first franchised store in two deals that closed at the end of the second quarter. Here’s a quick look at the transactions involving domestic- and import-brand stores. Kendall Automotive Group on June 30 purchased a Subaru-Chevrolet dealership

TOKYO — Toyota Motor Corp., sometimes branded as too slow and cautious in the self-driving vehicle race, is finally mapping out a faster track into automated driving technologies. Through the acquisition of the U.S. high-tech mapping company Carmera Inc., the world’s largest automaker expects to get a boost in its pursuit of higher-level autonomous capabilities

School buses may be America’s most ubiquitous and underappreciated transportation resource. From rural roads to urban centers, more than 10,000 school districts rely upon approximately 480,000 school buses to carry 24 million students twice a day. By comparison, that’s more than eight times the number of domestic air passengers who fly each day. Someday soon,

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. is reestablishing itself in the industry’s largest segment, compact crossovers, after years of declining share with a pair of small utility vehicles aimed at different buyers: the Escape and Bronco Sport. More than two-thirds of the Bronco Sport’s 60,514 sales so far this year come from buyers new to Ford,

The U.S. is clashing with Mexico and Canada over rules for cars shipped across regional borders, with automakers and governments telling the Biden administration that it’s imperiling the success of their new trade pact. The dispute focuses on how to calculate the percentage of a vehicle that comes collectively from the three countries under the