DETROIT (AP) — It was the crash the auto industry knew was coming but still feared.
The death of a driver who was using Tesla Motors' semi-autonomous mode could add to the public's apprehension of driverless cars even before they reach the road in big numbers. Most major automakers and technology companies, including Google and Uber, are working on fully autonomous cars, and have worried that a highly publicized crash could hurt those efforts.
15. Automakers say electrics, hybrids no longer just gas-sippers - Friday, March 18, 2016
NEW YORK (AP) — When Toyota aired a Super Bowl television ad featuring a surprisingly quick Prius gas-electric hybrid eluding police, it marked a turning point for the auto industry.
For years, automakers pushed fuel efficiency to sell hybrid and electric vehicles. Now, in an era of cheap gasoline, the message is: These cars are faster and quieter than their gas-powered counterparts. And, yes, you still save on fuel.
16. Toyota discontinues Scion after years of slumping sales - Friday, January 29, 2016
DETROIT (AP) — Toyota is killing its Scion brand after years of slumping sales. Beginning in August, 2017 model-year Scion vehicles will be rebadged as Toyotas.
The FR-S sports car, iA sedan and iM 5-door hatchback will be a part of the Toyota line-up. So will the C-HR, a small SUV concept that debuted in November, if Toyota decides to make it. The tC coupe will have a final release series edition and end production in August, according to Toyota Motor Corp.
17. California regulators reject Volkswagen recall plan - Friday, January 8, 2016
LOS ANGELES (AP) — California regulators on Tuesday rejected Volkswagen's recall plan for some of the German automaker's most popular diesel models that used software to intentionally deceive government emissions tests, including the Beetle, Jetta, Golf and Passat.
18. Top Middle Tennessee residential real estate transactions for October 2015 - Friday, November 20, 2015
Top residential real estate sales, October 2015, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.
19. Toyota invests $1 billion in artificial intelligence in US - Friday, November 6, 2015
TOKYO (AP) — Toyota is investing $1 billion in a research company it's setting up in Silicon Valley to develop artificial intelligence and robotics, underlining the Japanese automaker's determination to lead in futuristic cars that drive themselves and apply the technology to other areas of daily life.
20. Tesla's autopilot lets cars drive, change lanes themselves - Friday, October 9, 2015
DETROIT (AP) — Electric car maker Tesla Motors is leapfrogging competitors with a new autopilot system that lets cars change lanes by themselves.
Like other semi-autonomous systems already available from Mercedes, Audi and Volvo, Tesla's system automatically keeps the car within its lane and maintains a certain distance from the car in front, both at highway speeds and on city streets. It can find a parking spot and parallel park itself. It also uses cameras and sensors to warn drivers about potential side impacts.
21. Nearly two-thirds of UAW members reject Fiat Chrysler deal - Friday, October 2, 2015
DETROIT (AP) — Nearly two thirds of United Auto Workers at Fiat Chrysler voted to reject a proposed contract agreement with the company.
Sixty-five percent of the membership voted against the pact, the union said Thursday, sending UAW leaders scrambling for a Plan B. Union leaders from across the nation were meeting Thursday in a Detroit suburb to talk about their next move.
22. US auto sales jump for Nissan, GM others in August - Friday, October 2, 2015
DETROIT (AP) — Just about everything broke right for the U.S. auto industry in September, as strong consumer demand, easy credit and generous incentives combined for double-digit sales gains at most major automakers.
23. Apple, Google bring smartphone functions to car dashboards - Friday, September 4, 2015
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Playing deejay with voice commands will get easier for more Americans this fall as some best-selling cars get updated with software that integrates smartphones into the dashboard.
24. 2 visions emerge for getting self-driving cars on road - Friday, July 10, 2015
DETROIT (AP) — Two competing visions could determine how you first experience a driverless car.
Traditional automakers like Mercedes and Toyota already make vehicles equipped with systems that keep cars within their lanes, apply the brakes or park by themselves. Their plan is to gradually automate more functions of driving until, perhaps by 2025, some cars will be fully capable of driving themselves.
25. 2 visions emerge for getting self-driving cars on road - Friday, July 3, 2015
DETROIT (AP) — Two competing visions could determine how you first experience a driverless car.
Traditional automakers like Mercedes and Toyota already make vehicles equipped with systems that keep cars within their lanes, apply the brakes or park by themselves. Their plan is to gradually automate more functions of driving until, perhaps by 2025, some cars will be fully capable of driving themselves.
26. VW chairman quits, but questions over future remain - Friday, April 24, 2015
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Volkswagen's patriarch has left the building. Does this mean change is coming to the world's No. 2 automaker — in particular, to its high-cost ways of doing business?
27. Tesla updating Model S to ease range anxiety, improve safety - Friday, March 20, 2015
DETROIT (AP) — Tesla Motors is updating its Model S electric car to help ease drivers' worries about running out of battery charge — and is hinting that in the future drivers can take their hands off the wheel altogether.
28. Nissan, GM among winners in January US auto sales - Friday, January 30, 2015
DETROIT (AP) — With low interest rates and cheaper gasoline to motivate them, and no polar vortex to keep them home, consumers went car-shopping in a big way in January.
New vehicle sales rose 14 percent to 1.15 million, according to Autodata Corp. It was the best January in nine years. Car buyers found a few deals, but they were also attracted to popular new vehicles such as the Ford F-150 and Jeep Cherokee.
29. US companies eager to embrace Cuba face hurdles - Friday, December 19, 2014
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cargill aims to sell more corn and soybeans. MasterCard covets another site for Americans to swipe credit cards. Marriott sees beachfront property that needs hotels.
And outside Orlando, Florida, Danny Howell just knows there would be demand for his classic Chevrolet parts.
30. Some fear auto industry returning to bad habits - Friday, August 29, 2014
DETROIT (AP) — Big discounts. Six- or seven-year loans, in some cases to buyers who would have been turned down in the past.
As the auto industry strives to sustain its post-recession comeback, car companies are resorting to tactics that some experts warn will lead to trouble down the road.
31. Three-wheeled Elio gets closer to going on sale - Friday, August 15, 2014
ROYAL OAK, Mich. (AP) — Your next commuter car could have two seats, three wheels and get 84 miles to the gallon.
Elio Motors wants to revolutionize U.S. roads with its tiny car, which is the same length as a Honda Fit but half the weight. With a starting price of $6,800, it's also less than half the cost.
32. New recalls and questions about auto parts safety - Friday, June 27, 2014
DETROIT (AP) — The ignition switch recalls now engulfing General Motors and Chrysler are raising new questions about the safety of the parts across the American auto industry.
GM's safety crisis deepened dramatically Monday when the automaker added 8.2 million vehicles in North America to its ballooning list of cars recalled over faulty ignition switches. GM has now issued five recalls for 17.1 million cars with defective switches, spanning every model year since 1997.
33. GM recall: Many victims were young drivers - Friday, March 28, 2014
DETROIT (AP) — As the deaths are tallied from General Motors' delayed recall of compact cars, one thing is becoming clear: Of those who were killed, the majority were young.
In a way, this isn't surprising. Low-priced cars like the Chevrolet Cobalt and Saturn Ion were marketed to young, first-time buyers and parents seeking transportation for their kids.
34. Toyota profit jumps 70 percent despite sales slip - Friday, November 1, 2013
TOKYO (AP) — Toyota's quarterly profit soared 70 percent, and the world's top-selling automaker raised its earnings forecast, as cost cuts and the weaker Japanese yen compensated for slightly weaker vehicle sales.
35. Chrysler 3Q profit up 22 pct on truck demand - Friday, October 25, 2013
DETROIT (AP) — Chrysler Group's net income rose 22 percent in the third quarter as strong sales of the Ram pickup and Jeep Grand Cherokee masked weaknesses elsewhere in its lineup.
Chrysler said Wednesday that it earned $464 million in the July-September period. It was the Auburn Hills, Mich.-based company's ninth consecutive profitable quarter.
36. Six of 12 small cars do well in front crash tests - Friday, August 2, 2013
DETROIT (AP) — Two redesigned Honda Civic models were the only small cars to get the top rating in stringent front-end crash tests performed by an insurance industry group.
In all, half of the 12 compact and subcompact cars tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety fared poorly, but six performed well. Safety is critical in the fast-growing small-car market, with many buyers downsizing from larger vehicles.
37. GM knocks 12.5 percent off Volt price - Friday, August 2, 2013
DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is knocking 13 percent off the sticker price of the Chevrolet Volt electric car as it tries to keep pace with rivals in the market for plug-in vehicles.
The automaker said Tuesday that the 2014 Volt will start at $34,995, including shipping — $5,000 less than the current model. The new model is scheduled to reach showrooms late this summer.