Industry

Automatic emergency braking has a lot of room for improvement. That’s the conclusion of a study released Thursday by AAA, which crash-tested four models with the feature from four automakers: the 2022 Chevrolet Equinox LT, 2022 Ford Explorer XLT, 2022 Honda CR-V and 2022 Toyota RAV4 LE. Rear-end crash performance, a test in which vehicles

DENVER — More than a decade ago, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen famously claimed, “Software is eating the world.” That trend certainly is reverberating through the automotive world. What was once a primarily atoms-focused hardware business is increasingly morphing into a bits-driven software and services one. Powertrain electrification and in-vehicle connectivity have turned cars into computers

General Motors is getting into the business of grocery store carts, but not the usual kind with that one squeaky, wobbly wheel. GM’s BrightDrop unit has signed Kroger, the nation’s largest supermarket chain, to be the first customer for its new temperature-controlled Trace Grocery “eCart” for online order fulfillment starting later this year. BrightDrop, which

Kittyhawk, the air-taxi company backed by billionaire Google co-founder Larry Page, will be closing down, dealing a setback to the long-elusive dream of developing flying cars. “We’re still working on the details of what’s next,” the company said on Twitter last week. The company’s technology is expected to live on in the form of its

Bridgestone has partnered with Teledyne Brown Engineering to design and build a crewed lunar terrain vehicle. The Japanese tire manufacturer is teaming up with automaker Nissan North America to offer NASA, a vehicle capable of navigating the moon’s harsh terrain. Commercial space company Sierra Space and aircraft producer Textron are also joining Bridgestone, Nissan and

NEW YORK — Qualcomm projects that its automotive contracts will generate $30 billion in sales, up from about $19 billion only two months ago, the company said Thursday. The fast-growing figure reflects Qualcomm’s efforts to become a prominent automotive presence, CEO Cristiano Amon said during the company’s first automotive investor day. At the core of

GRAND RAPIDS — Economic developers confirmed Friday that electric vehicle battery maker Gotion Inc. is planning a nearly $2.4 billion factory near Big Rapids, aiming to create 2,350 jobs in the next decade. An application submitted to the state Thursday by The Right Place — West Michigan’s economic development agency — seeks approval for a

Electric vehicle startup Bollinger Motors said it’s developing an electrified refrigerated truck with trailer and truck body manufacturer Wabash. The companies announced Wednesday that Wabash’s lightweight composite technology, called EcoNex Technology, will be combined with Bollinger’s electric chassis cab to create a Class 4 refrigerated truck. EcoNex reduces the amount of electricity needed to maintain

SAN FRANCISCO — Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk blamed overreliance on factory robots for sending the electric carmaker to “production hell” four years ago, saying humans were better at certain jobs. My, how times have changed. Musk’s Texas company now is floating ambitious plans to deploy thousands of humanoid robots, known as Tesla Bot or

Getty Images Tesla is recalling nearly 1.1 million cars in the US because the windows might close too fast and pinch people’s fingers. Documents produced by American regulators show the windows may not react correctly after detecting an obstruction. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it is a safety-standards violation. Tesla says a software

Kittyhawk, the air-taxi company backed by billionaire Google co-founder Larry Page, will be closing down, dealing a setback to the long-elusive dream of developing flying cars. “We have made the decision to wind down Kittyhawk,” the company said on Twitter. “We’re still working on the details of what’s next.” The company’s technology is expected to

Troubled EV startup Mullen Automotive Inc. has emerged as the leading bidder for the assets of bankrupt competitor Electric Last Mile Solutions Inc., including a now-idle former Hummer SUV factory in Indiana. Brea, Calif.-based Mullen agreed to a stalking horse bid of “almost $100 million in total consideration,” according to a Sept. 16 filing by

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Earl Carter is forming a congressional caucus on vehicle data access that could lead to federal legislation. The Georgia Republican has sent a letter to colleagues in the House and Senate, inviting them to join the caucus and address policy issues related to access to and control of data generated by

Rental car company Hertz Global Holdings plans to order up to 175,000 General Motors electric vehicles over the next five years, the latest move by the rental car firm to add zero-emission models. Hertz and GM on Tuesday announced a joint agreement in which the rental car firm will order Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac and

WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board is calling for all new vehicles to be equipped with passive alcohol-detection systems that can limit or prevent the operation of vehicles by impaired drivers, according to recommendations released Tuesday. The agency’s recommendations follow an investigation into a 2021 crash in Avenal, Calif., that killed nine people, including

HANOVER, Germany — Daimler Trucks is migrating its battery chemistry to a formula that eliminates nickel and cobalt to improve durability and reduce competition with the passenger car business for scarce materials. Daimler will gradually move its vehicles to lithium iron phosphate batteries it has developed in partnership with China’s CATL. Iron and phosphate cost

Uber Technologies Inc. said Monday a hacker affiliated with the Lapsus$ hacking group was responsible for a cyber attack that last week forced the ride-hailing company to temporarily shut several internal communications. Uber said the attacker had not accessed any user accounts or the databases that store sensitive user information such as credit card numbers,

Getty Images German car making giant Volkswagen (VW) has said it is aiming for a valuation of up to €75bn ($75bn; £65.8bn) for Porsche when the luxury brand is floated on the stock market. Trading in the shares is due to start in Frankfurt on 29 September. A prospectus will be published on Monday, after