Stellantis gets worse, Tesla's Cybertruck win, Nissan's deep trouble, and EV myths: Autos news roundup
Stellantis sees things going from bad to worse
The automaker behind brands including Jeep (STLA), Chrysler, and Dodge slashed its full-year financial expectations on Monday, as CEO Carlos Tavares looks to fix the company’s so-called “disaster” in North America.
Tesla just got a win — barely. The Cybertruck helped
Tesla (TSLA) delivered slightly more electric vehicles between June and September than Wall Street analysts had expected, partially due to the increased popularity of the Tesla Cybertruck.
Nissan is in deep trouble
Nissan is in some deep trouble right now, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get better anytime soon. Late last week, the Japanese automaker put out some very disappointing global sales numbers, and now some are worried it’ll once again fall short of its fiscal year profit forecast. Of course, this was already cut once before back in July.
8 myths about electric cars
Like it or not — and some people really don’t like it — electric vehicles are here to stay and are likely the cars of the future.
Tesla Cybertruck sales doubled in just a few months
Tesla’s (TSLA) Cybertrucks helped the company just barely beat Wall Street expectations last quarter. Thanks to yet another recall of the electric truck, we now know just how many of them are on the road.
America’s partisan divide on EVs has caught car CEOs off guard
Although electric vehicles have become more popular in the U.S., there’s still a major partisan divide holding back the industry’s success. That’s come as a surprise — and annoyance — to many working on the tech, including automaker CEOs.
Tesla union calls out a ‘culture of fear’ at a plant where managers visit the homes of workers out sick
Tesla’s (TSLA) sprawling German plant has had a rough year, marked with protests, arson, and even missing coffee mugs. Now, the automaker is grappling with workers allegedly abusing the automaker’s sick leave policy.
Stellantis sales plunge in the U.S. as the CEO tries to fix his ‘arrogant’ mistakes
Stellantis (STLA) reported another quarter of plunging sales as the company behind brands such as Jeep and Chrysler attempts to fix its so-called “disaster.”
Toyota had a plan for the big U.S. port strike
U.S. dockworkers on the East Coast and Gulf Coast walked off the job Tuesday, kicking off the first large-scale work stoppage among dockworkers in nearly 50 years. The move is predicted to have an enormous impact on global shipping and the automotive industry as new vehicles are slow to come in and out of America.
Ford is trying to sweeten the deal to sell EVs
Ford (F) is trying to sweeten the deal for people who buy EVs as it struggles to sell electric F150 trucks and Mustangs.
Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ can’t actually drive that far
For years, Tesla has proudly paraded its advanced driver assistance system, Full Self-Driving as being the real deal. It’s claimed the system can navigate traffic, manage highway driving and repeatedly claimed it’s the future of driving, despite the number of crashes, collisions and even deaths linked to the system mounting. Now, a new study has looked into just how far the system can actually drive before needing assistance from a human, and it’s not very far.
Volvo wants to ban gas-powered cars
While lawmakers in America are out here calling for a ban on Chinese EVs, Volvo has joined the ranks of automakers pressuring governments to outlaw gas-powered cars instead. The Swedish carmaker joined a group of 50 brands that are pressuring the European Union to go ahead with its 2035 ban on new gas-powered cars amid mounting debate over the law’s future.
Tesla just killed its cheapest car
This was an important week for Tesla as it announced its sales for the third quarter of 2024. Thankfully, its sales were up at the electric car maker, but not in the way experts had predicted and that meant the company’s stock still isn’t doing great. While all that was going on, the automaker made another step that’s sure to irritate investors and buyers, it killed off its cheapest model.
Toyota hits pause on making electric cars in America
While Tesla has been canceling its cheap electric models, Japanese automaker Toyota (TM) has been pushing back some of its electric ambitions. The Corolla maker announced today that it will delay its plans for U.S.-made EVs until 2026, reports Bloomberg.
American car prices could spike and sales could slump thanks to Biden’s ban on Chinese EVs
In some circles, Chinese electric cars are seen as the biggest threat to America as they’ll spy on us, steal our data and bring the American auto industry to ruin. Because of this, lawmakers across the country are working on legislation that would limit the availability of electric vehicles from China here in the Land Of The Free, but those very laws could actually do just as much damage to the American automotive world.
Tesla and Elon Musk won a big Autopilot lawsuit
Tesla and CEO Elon Musk got a big win in court when the automaker won the dismissal of a shareholder lawsuit that alleged misleading statements about the capabilities of self-driving were said to prop up its stock price. While this is certainly a win, Tesla and Musk can’t breathe too big of a sign of relief yet. The company still faces a number of other complaints and regulatory investigations into its marketing.
The U.S. has already spent $2 billion on EV subsidies this year
America’s pivot to electric vehicles has had a rocky few months, with hesitant consumers reluctant to shell out the premium EVs command and hybrid models somewhat stealing the sector’s thunder. Now, a report has calculated just how much the U.S. government has spent encouraging people to go electric and it’s an awful lot.
Tesla owners are annoyed that other EV drivers can’t figure out how to use Tesla Superchargers
Tesla’s Supercharger network has become the North American Charging Standard and tons automakers are building their EVs with this network in mind. While this is good for mass EV adoption, it’s turning out to be a headache in practice.
GM is leaving its famed headquarters — but the building is already mostly empty
The famed Renaissance Center in Detroit has been the hive where GM (GM) houses its most important worker bees since it acquired the building in 1996, but lately the building is feeling more like an empty nest. The complex comprises six giant office towers, a 73-story Marriott hotel, and a pair of shorter 21-story buildings occupied by an insurance company, but these days it’s host to just a fraction of its pre-pandemic traffic heights.
Saltwater can make EVs burst into flames. Here’s why
Electric vehicle fires have made headlines for years now, but in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the Category 4 hurricane that caused record devastation from wind, rain, and storm surge, EVs are spontaneously combusting and saltwater is a main culprit. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged EV owners to get their vehicles to higher ground before Helene hit to prevent submersion and minimize the likelihood of fires. Tesla advises owners to avoid letting its vehicles become submerged, but if it happens to tow the vehicle at least 50-feet away from anything combustible until it can be inspected by a mechanic.
Welcome to a town where cars share the roads with planes
Have you ever been looking for a home and encountered an infuriating shortage of properties with attached airplane hangars, or frustrating HOAs that prohibit you from taxiing your plane on public roads? Then gird your loins, because the picturesque town of Cameron Park, California, is the ideal Sacramento suburb for you. Bring your Corvette, your private plane, your thin blue line flag, and your entire collection of New Balance sneakers to this idyllic community that has access to the Cameron Park Airport and allows for safe co-existence of ground vehicles and aircraft on community roads.