TOM KRISHER

AP Auto Writer
A long line of unsold 2024 Bronco utility vehicles sit on display at Ford dealership on Nov. 28, 2024, in southeast Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
US new vehicle sales rose 2.7% last year as prices and interest rates dropped a little
New vehicle sales in the U.S. rose 2.7% last year as prices and interest rates eased a bit, making SUVs, cars and trucks a little more affordable.
January 3
The logo of Tesla car is pictured at the Paris Auto Show, in Paris, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)
Tesla sales dropped 1.1% in 2024, its first annual decline in a dozen years
Tesla’s global annual sales have fallen for the first time in more than a dozen years. It’s a blow to a stock that has soared since Donald Trump’s election and its CEO billionaire became a top policy adviser to the president elect.
January 2
A Waymo minivan moves along a city street as an empty driver's seat and a moving steering wheel drive passengers during an autonomous vehicle ride, on April 7, 2021, in Chandler, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
US proposes voluntary guidelines for self-driving vehicles in waning days of Biden administration
The government’s highway safety agency is proposing voluntary safety guidelines for self-driving vehicles.
December 20, 2024
An ARC Automotive, Inc. manufacturing facility is shown on Sept. 8, 2023, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne, File)
US retreats from massive air bag recall and says industry comments show need for more investigation
U.S. safety regulators have backed away from seeking a recall of nearly 50 million air bag inflators. They will instead investigate further after the auto industry raised questions about whether all the inflators are defective.
December 19, 2024
Elon Musk attends the formal reopening of France's iconic Notre Dame Cathedral Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024 in Paris. (Christophe Petit-Tesson, Pool via AP)
Musk says US is demanding he pay penalty over disclosures of his Twitter stock purchases
Elon Musk says the Securities and Exchange Commission wants him to pay a penalty or face charges involving what he disclosed — or failed to disclose — about his purchases of Twitter stock before he bought the social media platform in 2022.
December 13, 2024
FILE - Cruise AV, General Motor's autonomous electric Bolt EV, is seen on Jan. 16, 2019, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
GM to retreat from robotaxis and stop funding its Cruise autonomous vehicle unit
General Motors says it will retreat from the robotaxi business and stop funding its money-losing Cruise autonomous vehicle unit.
December 10, 2024
A Toyota RAV4 Prime is displayed at the Pittsburgh International Auto Show in Pittsburgh, Feb. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
Consumer Reports survey finds electric vehicle reliability improving but lagging gas models
The reliability of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids has dramatically improved, narrowing a gap with gas-powered automobiles. That’s according to the latest annual survey by Consumer Reports.
December 5, 2024
FILE - Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks at the "Cyber Rodeo" grand opening celebration for the new $1.1 billion Tesla Giga Texas manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas, on April 7, 2022. (Jay Janner /Austin American-Statesman via AP, File)
A judge has once again rejected Musk’s multi-billion-dollar Tesla pay package. Now what?
For a second time, a Delaware judge has nullified a pay package that Tesla had awarded its CEO, Elon Musk, that once was valued at $56 billion. On Monday, Chancellor Kathaleen St.
December 3, 2024
FILE - People buy groceries at a Walmart Superstore in Secaucus, New Jersey, July 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, File)
Trump’s threat to impose tariffs could raise prices for consumers, colliding with promise for relief
If Donald Trump makes good on his threat to slap 25% tariffs on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, the price increases that could follow will collide with his campaign promise to give American families a break from inflation.
November 26, 2024
FILE - Tesla vehicles are displayed at the AutoMobility LA Auto Show,Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)
Auto industry’s shift toward EVs is expected to go on despite Trump threat to kill tax credits
If President-elect Donald Trump makes good on his threat to kill federal tax credits for electric vehicle purchases, it’s likely that fewer buyers will choose EVs.
November 26, 2024
The Hyundai Ioniq 9 is displayed at the AutoMobility LA Auto Show,Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Despite slowing sales, automakers are expanding electric vehicle models, including family haulers
Even though sales of electric vehicles aren’t growing as fast as in past years and President-elect Donald Trump may ditch tax credits for EV buyers, automakers are moving ahead with new models that should appeal to mainstream buyers.
November 21, 2024
FILE - Construction continues on the first of two manufacturing plants as part of the BlueOval SK Battery Park in Glendale, Ky., Dec. 5, 2022. (Gina Clear/The News-Enterprise via AP, File)
Workers at Kentucky electric vehicle battery production complex start drive to unionize
Workers hired for an electric vehicle battery production complex in Kentucky have launched a campaign to join the United Auto Workers. The union is trying to expand its foothold in the South and among battery factories.
November 20, 2024
FILE - Evening rush hour traffic fills Highway 50, Jan. 26, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)
US to add features such as blind spot warnings and pedestrian detection to vehicle crash ratings
The U.S. government’s automobile safety ratings will get a major update starting with the 2026 model year when regulators add new driver-assistance technologies and tests for protecting pedestrians.
November 18, 2024
FILE - The Ford logo is seen on the grill of a Ford Explorer on display at the Pittsburgh International Auto Show in Pittsburgh, on Feb. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
Ford agrees to pay up to $165 million penalty to US government for moving too slowly on a recall
Ford Motor Co. will pay a penalty of up to $165 million to the U.S. government for moving too slowly on a recall and failing to give accurate recall information.
November 14, 2024
FILE - Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, left, and Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump attend a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show on Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
Elon Musk says he and Trump have ‘mandate to delete’ regulations. Ethics laws could limit Musk role
Choosing billionaire Elon Musk to be what President-elect Donald Trump calls “our cost cutter” for the U.S. government, is not the first time an American president has empowered a business tycoon to look for ways to dramatically cut federal regulations.
November 13, 2024
(AP Illustration/Jenni Sohn)
Carvana CEO says price declines and interest rate cuts should make used vehicles more affordable
Since it started selling cars in 2013, Carvana has disrupted the U.S. used vehicle market with no-haggle pricing and an online buying process that cuts out the often-dreaded salesman.
November 11, 2024
FILE - Tesla vehicles line a parking lot at the company's Fremont, Calif., factory, on Sept. 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)
US agency says Tesla’s public statements imply that its vehicles can drive themselves. They can’t
The U.S. government’s highway safety agency says Tesla is telling drivers in public statements that its vehicles can drive themselves. That conflicts with owners manuals that say the vehicles need human supervision.
November 8, 2024
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks as Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump listens at a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Musk tests the role of money in U.S. politics with multimillion-dollar effort to back Trump
Next week’s presidential election isn’t just a referendum on Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. It’s also a measure of the influence the world’s richest man wields over American democracy.
November 1, 2024
FILE - An unsold 2024 Lightning electric pickup truck sits at a Ford dealership May 19, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
Ford cuts 2024 earnings guidance due to warranty costs and slow pace of cost cutting
Stubbornly high warranty expenses and lagging cost-cutting efforts are holding back Ford Motor Co.’s profits this year, causing the company to lower its full-year earnings guidance.
October 29, 2024
FILE - A Tesla Cybertruck passes as the sun sets behind SpaceX's mega rocket Starship, on Oct. 12, 2024, in Boca Chica, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
Tesla posts surprise $2.17 billion third-quarter profit, up 17.3% from a year ago
Tesla’s third-quarter net income rose 17.3% on stronger electric vehicle sales. An optimistic CEO Elon Musk predicted the company would achieve up to 30% sales growth next year.
October 24, 2024
FILE - A 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD Custom truck is shown at the Pittsburgh International Auto Show in Pittsburgh, Feb. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
GM’s shares post biggest percentage gain in over 4 years as company reports $3 billion profit in 3Q
Shares of General Motors surged nearly 10% Tuesday after the automaker posted a $3 billion third-quarter profit that was slightly less than a year ago.
October 22, 2024
Michelle Chumley poses for a portrait beside her new Chevrolet Trax compact SUV, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, in West Chester, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
Lower-priced new cars are gaining popularity, and not just for cash-poor buyers
An “affordability shift” is taking root in the U.S. auto industry. The trend is being led by people who feel they can no longer afford a new vehicle that would cost them roughly today’s average selling price of more than $47,000 — a jump of more than 20% from the pre-pandemic average.
October 22, 2024
The logo of Tesla car is pictured at the Paris Auto Show, in Paris, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
US to probe Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ system after pedestrian killed in low visibility conditions
The U.S. government’s road safety agency is investigating Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” system after getting reports of crashes in low-visibility conditions, including one that killed a pedestrian.
October 18, 2024
FILE - Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares speaks during a news conference following a meeting with unions, March 31, 2022, in Turin, Italy. Tevares will retire in early 2026 and Chief Financial Officer Natalie Knight is stepping down as the world's fourth biggest automaker contends with ongoing sales difficulties in North America. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP, File)
Stellantis CEO says carmaker is on pace to fix sales problems after poor performance this year
Stellantis is fixing its slowing U.S. sales at the right pace after fumbling a marketing plan earlier this year, CEO Carlos Tavares told reporters Monday.
October 14, 2024
FILE - A Tesla logo is shown on Feb. 27, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File)
Elon Musk unveils Tesla’s ‘Cybercab,’ plans to bring autonomous driving tech to other models in 2025
Tesla unveiled its long-awaited robotaxi at a Hollywood studio Thursday night, though fans of the electric vehicle maker will have to wait until at least 2026 before they are available.
October 11, 2024
FILE - A Mcity driverless shuttle makes a stop on June 4, 2018 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
A driver’s test for autonomous vehicles? A leading expert says US should have one
At a time of growing concern about the safety of self-driving vehicles, a leading expert is calling on the federal government to develop a national driver’s test that such vehicles would have to pass before they could travel on public roads.
October 8, 2024
Dockworkers from Port Miami display signs at a picket line, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Dockworkers’ union suspends strike until Jan. 15 to allow time to negotiate new contract
The union representing 45,000 striking U.S. dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports has reached a deal to suspend a three-day strike until Jan. 15 to provide time to negotiate a new contract.
October 4, 2024
Dockworkers from Port Miami display signs at a picket line, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Dockworkers’ union to suspend strike until Jan. 15 to allow time to negotiate new contract
The union representing 45,000 striking U.S. dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports has reached a deal to suspend a three-day strike until Jan. 15 to provide time to negotiate a new contract.
October 4, 2024
Dockworkers may have the negotiating advantage in their strike against US ports
Some 45,000 dockworkers at 36 U.S. ports from Maine to Texas are on strike for the first time in decades. And experts say the workers may wield the upper hand in their standoff with port operators over wages and the use of automation.
October 1, 2024
Hundreds of longshoremen strike together outside of the Virginia International Gateway in Portsmouth, Va., Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)
Dockworkers at ports from Maine to Texas go on strike, a standoff risking new shortages
Dockworkers at ports from Maine to Texas have started walking picket lines in a strike over wages and automation that could reignite inflation and cause shortages of goods if it goes on more than a few weeks.
October 1, 2024
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