Detroit

Dec. 15, 2023 11:00 pm ETListen to article(2 minutes)At a 2018 meeting with a senior General Motors team, Chief Executive Mary Barrastunned the room with a sharp U-turn. She killed plans for a new high-end Cadillac that already had gushing reviews from the automotive press. Her reason: the car’s gas-guzzling V-8 engine. Barra, deep into her quest to turn GM into an electric-car powerhouse, decided it would send the wrong message to showcase another splashy Cadillac—the GM brand known for innovation—that leans on…

DETROIT — General Motors' plans to diversify its business through trendy industries such as ridesharing and other "mobility" ventures or startups have largely fallen flat since the automaker started investing in such growth areas in 2016.Cruise, its majority-owned autonomous vehicle subsidiary, is increasingly looking like it might be next.The unit has quickly gone from one of GM's greatest business opportunities to a growing liability. Cruise, of which GM owns more than 80%, has confronted a wave of problems and…

UAW Local 5960 member Kimberly Fuhr inspects a Chevrolet Bolt EV during vehicle production on May 6, 2021, at the General Motors Orion Assembly Plant in Orion Township, Michigan.Steve Fecht for ChevroletDETROIT – General Motors plans to lay off about 1,300 workers in Michigan starting early next year due to vehicles they produce ending production, the company disclosed in state documents.The largest of the layoffs were expected. They include 945 workers at Orion Assembly who build Chevrolet Bolt models, which are ending…

2026 Cadillac Vistiq EVCadillacDETROIT – Cadillac plans to round out its upcoming lineup of all-electric SUVs with a three-row vehicle called the Vistiq, a replacement for its current gas-powered XT6.The General Motors luxury brand on Thursday released images of the Vistiq, which is expected to be its fifth EV, and slot between the company's current all-electric Lyriq and upcoming Escalade IQ.Cadillac declined to disclose pricing, availability and other specifics of the 2026 Vistiq, which is expected to go on sale in the…

Ford workers produce the electric F-150 Lightning pickup at the automaker's Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center on Dec. 13, 2022.Michael Wayland | CNBCDETROIT — Ford Motor will cut planned production of its all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup roughly in half next year, marking a major reversal after the automaker significantly increased plant capacity for the electric vehicle in 2023.The new production plans call for average volume of around 1,600 F-150 Lightnings a week at Ford's Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn,…

United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain during an online broadcast updating union members on negotiations with the Detroit automakers on Oct. 6, 2023.ScreenshotDETROIT – The United Auto Workers has filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board against Honda Motor, Hyundai Motor and Volkswagen, accusing the automakers of unlawfully interfering with worker organizing, the union said Monday.UAW alleges management at facilities for Honda in Greensburg, Indiana; Hyundai in Montgomery, Alabama;…

2023 Prius Prime on display, April 6, 2023.Scott Mlyn | CNBCDETROIT – As sales of all-electric vehicles grow more slowly than expected, major automakers are increasingly meeting their customers in the middle.More and more companies are reconsidering the viability of hybrid cars and trucks to appease consumer demand and avoid costly penalties related to federal fuel economy and emissions standards.The shifting strategies run counterintuitively to industry-wide EV messaging of recent years. Many auto companies have begun to…

The 2024 Fiat 500e.StellantisDETROIT — Stellantis is resurrecting the all-electric Fiat 500e for the U.S. market, as the automaker begins to release electric vehicles domestically to meet tightening fuel economy regulations.The small city car is expected to first go on sale as a special edition "(500e)RED" model early next year, starting at $34,095, Stellantis said Tuesday. It's not immediately clear whether the vehicle will qualify for any federal EV subsidies or tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act outside of…

Crews have installed what's billed as the first wireless-charging public roadway in the U.S. for electric vehicles.It's beneath a street just west of downtown Detroit.Copper inductive charging coils allow vehicles equipped with receivers to charge up their batteries while driving, idling or parking above the coils.The segment of 14th Street will be used to test and perfect the technology ahead of making it available to the public within a few years, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.Demonstrations…

Soon, EV drivers can recharge their cars, while they drive them, by drawing power from the streets they are driving on. The city of Detroit, US, is trying out a novel wireless charger and receiver that can draw power through a network of charging coils, placed under the street surface…