The Tesla Model Y and Model 3 Take the 1st and 2nd Place Spots in the Annual Cars.com ‘American-Made Index’

The Tesla Model Y electric SUV, which is built in both California and Texas, was named the most American-made vehicle in the annual Cars.com American-Made Index (AMI). The Model 3 sedan took the second place spot in this year's AMI. Each year, Cars.com tallies a list of vehicles creating the greatest impact on the U.S. economy through factory jobs, manufacturing plants and parts sourcing.

Eric WalzJul 28, 2022 1:00 PM PT      

Toyota to Collaborate with Redwood Materials to Build a Closed Loop, EV Battery Recycling Ecosystem in the U.S.

Toyota Motor North America announced a new collaboration with electric vehicle battery recycling startup Redwood Materials, a company founded by Tesla co-founder J.B. Straubel. The two companies plan to build an entire closed loop ecosystem for the recycling batteries from Toyota’s future hybrid and fully-electric vehicles.

Eric WalzJul 28, 2022 9:30 AM PT

Honda's New EV Friendly Retail Plans Hint at the End of Mega Dealerships

From simplifying the buying process to inventory changes, there's a lot that is going on behind the scenes at Honda. The automaker wants to design more flexible retail spaces that will offer a new purchase experience for its future electric vehicles.

Manish KharintaJul 27, 2022 3:00 PM PT  

GM to Invest $81 Million to Hand-Build Cadillac Celestiq in Michigan

General Motors’ Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan has never been used to manufacture a vehicle before. That’s going to change with the all-electric Cadillac Celestiq flagship luxury sedan.

Vineeth Joel PatelJul 27, 2022 6:40 AM PT     

Sony, Honda Sign Agreement for Joint EV Brand

The Japanese tech giant and Japanese automaker have officially become partners to create a new business called Sony Honda Mobility Inc. that will manufacture EVs.

Vineeth Joel PatelJul 26, 2022 7:15 AM PT    

Ford CFO Claims Inflation Has Erased Mustang Mach-E Profits

Inflation and the rising commodity costs of manufacturing vehicles have seen Ford’s cost to manufacture the electric Mach-E skyrocket to levels where the SUV is no longer profitable.

Vineeth Joel PatelJul 25, 2022 6:45 AM PT     

EV Startup NIO to Launch a New Mass-Market Brand to Rival Tesla with an Annual Capacity of 500,000 Vehicles a Year

Electric vehicle startup NIO Inc. aims to launch a new EV brand offering even more affordable vehicles to better compete against the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y in the China market, said CEO and chairman William Bin Li, on Thursday. The sub-brand will have an annual capacity of 500,000 electric vehicles a year.

Eric WalzJul 24, 2022 10:00 AM PT     

Audi Hits EV Startup NIO With a Trademark Lawsuit Over its Vehicle Naming

​China’s electric vehicle startup NIO Inc, which is expanding to Europe including Germany, was named in a lawsuit filed from German carmaker Audi over the naming of its electric SUVs. NIO currently offers a seven-passenger SUV named the ES8, as well as a mid-size model named the ES6. Audi says the two NIO models infringe on its trademark for its performance models designations, the S6 and S8.

FutureCar Staff Jul 23, 2022 10:30 AM PT       

Tesla Raises Prices in the U.S. as Inflation Chips Away at its Profit Margins

Faced with rising inflation that’s driving up the cost of raw materials, electric automaker Tesla has raised prices of all its models in the U.S. by roughly 5%. The price of the Tesla Model Y SUV increased by $3,000 from $62,990 to $65,990. The Model Y now costs 25% more than it did in Jan 2021.

Eric WalzJul 23, 2022 8:30 AM PT     

EV Startup VinFast is Offering 3 Years of Free EV Charging and Advanced Driver Assist System for Customers That Reserve a Vehicle Through Sept 30

Electric vehicle startup VinFast announced on Wednesday that all customers reserving the company's VF 8 or VF 9 SUVs between now and September 30 will receive complimentary charging for three years and a one-year VinFast Smart Driving package, which includes Level 2+ ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) and a “Smart Services” suite.

FutureCar Staff Jul 22, 2022 11:55 AM PT      

Ford Motor Co is Recalling 2.9 Million Vehicle That Could ‘Roll Away’ After the Transmission is Shifted Into Park

Ford Motor Co is recalling 2.9 million vehicles that could roll away while in park due to worn or detached shift bushing. The problem is related to where the bushing attaches the shift cable to the transmission, which may degrade or come loose. The problem can also lead to a no-start condition since the ignition is disabled if the vehicle is in drive and the indicator shows it in the park position.

FutureCar Staff Jul 22, 2022 10:35 AM PT    

Tesla Vehicles Operating in Autopilot Mode Involved in 273 Crashes in Under a Year, the NHTSA Reports

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released on Wednesday shows that Tesla vehicles operating in Autopilot have been involved in 273 crashes since last July. Of these crashes, 125 occurred in California. The number is much higher than previously reported and shows how far the nascent technology needs to advance to become safer than a human driver.

Eric WalzJul 22, 2022 8:30 AM PT      

Ford Issues ‘Stop Sale’ of the Electric Mustang Mach-E Over Possible Loss of Propulsion While Driving

On Tuesday, Ford Motor Co issued a “stop sale” for its electric Mach-E SUV to address possible safety problems that could lead to the vehicle to become “immobile”. The problem involves the potential overheating of the vehicle’s high voltage battery main contactors, which is an electrically controlled switch. The issue can lead to a malfunction where the vehicle may not start, or immediately lose propulsion power while in motion.

FutureCar Staff Jul 21, 2022 1:15 PM PT    

GM CEO Mary Barra Shares the First Look at the New Chevy Blazer EV Launching in Spring 2023

General Motors CEO Mary Barra shared the first look at the upcoming Chevy Blazer EV that will launch in Spring 2023 as a 2024 model. Additional details of the new electric SUV from GM will be shared on July 18. The new Blazer marks GM’s entry into the highly competitive electric mid-size SUV segment.

Eric WalzJul 20, 2022 12:30 PM PT   

Facing Rising Production Costs, Automakers Ford, GM, Stellantis and Toyota Urge Congress to Lift the Cap on the $7,500 EV Tax Credit

With rising inflation in the U.S. it's not just consumers dealing with higher prices, the world’s biggest automakers are also dealing with rising costs of raw materials like nickel and cobalt used in electric vehicle batteries. As automakers invest billions into electrifying their models lineups they are now asking Congress to lift the 200,000 vehicle cap on the $7,500 federal EV tax credit.

Eric WalzJul 20, 2022 10:00 AM PT      

Hyundai to Launch Autonomous Ride-Hailing Service in South Korea

Passengers will be able to get a ride in one of the brand’s self-driving IONIQ 5 electric cars with its RoboRide service.

Vineeth Joel PatelJul 19, 2022 6:00 PM PT    

NHTSA Upgrades Tesla's Autopilot Investigation to 'Engineering Analysis'

The federal government’s action is an escalation of its ongoing investigation into accidents involving the automaker’s vehicles hitting stationary emergency vehicles.

Vineeth Joel PatelJul 19, 2022 7:45 AM PT     

Biden Administration Announces New Standards to Make EV Chargers More Accessible

Earlier this year, President Biden’s administration announced plans to build 500,000 EV chargers. Now, new standards have been put in place to help accelerate the original plan.

Vineeth Joel PatelJul 18, 2022 7:15 AM PT    

Tesla Rival NIO Plans to Produce its Own EV Battery Packs to Improve Profitability

Electric vehicle startup NIO Inc, which is emerging as one of Tesla’s biggest competitors in China, plans to produce its own electric vehicle batteries as a way to boost profitability and competitiveness in the growing EV segment. NIO’s plans to produce its own batteries were shared by company Chairman William Li on a call with analysts on Thursday.

FutureCar Staff Jul 17, 2022 12:00 PM PT     

China Added 963,000 Electric Vehicle Charging Piles Since January in its Push to Lead the World in EV Sales

China continues to build out its electric vehicle charging infrastructure at a rapid pace. Since the start of the year, around 963,000 charging piles were newly built in the country, including 272,000 public EV charging piles and 691,000 private chargers. It's a 409.5% YoY increase in the number of EV chargers installed in the country.

FutureCar Staff Jul 17, 2022 9:30 AM PT