Tesla's AI, a GM and Hyundai partnership, and Stellantis' EV investment: Auto news roundup
The automotive industry is, well, kinda tough. That’s something that just about every carmaker is remembering this week, as markets remain messy and consumers are always looking for better vehicles.
That’s part of why General Motors and Hyundai Motor Co. announced Thursday that they might team up to make new vehicles, and why Volkswagen is pondering factory closures for the first time in decades. It’s also why Stellantis is dumping more cash into making new EVs — and batteries — in the U.S., and why automakers are focusing on making cheaper electric cars and eyeing hybrid strategies.
Catch up on these stories — and anything else you may have missed — in this week’s auto news roundup.
General Motors and Hyundai might team up
General Motors (GM) and the Hyundai Motor Co. said on Thursday that they had agreed to explore a partnership to slash costs and make new clean-energy vehicles amid a tough market.
Stellantis is investing $235 million to make its first fully-electric truck in the U.S.
Stellantis (STLA) on Wednesday said it would invest $406 million to upgrade three Michigan plants to build electric vehicles, including the automaker’s first fully-electric car made in the U.S.
Will robots take over Tesla factories? They could save Elon Musk’s company $500 million a year, analysts say
Elon Musk’s Tesla (TSLA) may have an easy way to save a lot of cash, according to analysts — just replace a bunch of workers with robots.
Volkswagen faces an ‘alarming’ situation but won’t abandon Germany, CEO says
Volkswagen (VWAGY) isn’t planning on abandoning its home country, even as it eyes its first factory shutdown since the 1980s amid a shrinking auto market, CEO Oliver Blume says.
Tesla doesn’t need xAI’s help to improve its self-driving tech, Elon Musk says
Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk has denied a report that his automaker has considered sharing revenue with his artificial intelligence startup, xAI, so that it can use its models.
Hybrid cars are having a moment as Americans fear EVs just aren’t reliable
Hybrid vehicles are all the rage right now, as American consumers look for cars that offer some of the environmental benefits of going electric, without relying entirely on battery power.
Ford is paying EV owners to send power back to the grid
Ford (F) is continuing its push into making vehicle-to-grid technology more mainstream. The automaker’s latest partnership is teaming up with a Southern California utility provider to pay EV owners a pretty nice amount for helping to bolster the grid. — Lawrence Hodge / Jalopnik
EV makers have a new strategy to boost sales: Make cheaper electric cars
Electric vehicles aren’t cheap yet. I mean, to be fair, no cars are cheap anymore with an average transaction price above $48,000, but now “luxury” EV makers are looking to capitalize on a market looking for cheaper all-electric vehicles. Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, and even VinFast are planning on bringing cheaper offerings to the U.S. as more and more people are turned away by high-priced electric vehicles. — Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik
Stellantis recalls 1.2 million Ram 1500 pickup trucks
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recalled more than 1.2 million RAM pickup trucks in the U.S. for a software malfunction that could lead to crashes. — Ben Kesslen
Tesla workers trained Autopilot to ignore road signs
In order for its Autopilot driver assistance system to work, Tesla fits cameras to every corner of its electric vehicles to monitor surroundings and assess the road ahead. While the car’s internal computers make on the fly decisions about how to respond to things like road signs and parked cars, Tesla (TSLA) has a whole team of researchers programming Autopilot to respond to different situations that may arise on the road. — Owen Bellwood / Jalopnik