Motor News
MotorWeek tracks auto industry news, focusing on crash tests, safety ratings, new advances in technology and the latest from auto shows around the world.
Autonomous Deliveries & Insurance Rebates Episode 3942
Autonomous vehicles are pulling up for deliveries in parts of California. Pony A-I is typically a robo taxi service…moving people instead of products. But they’ve switched gears and have deployed their fleet of modified Hyundai Kona battery-electric cars to deliver packages and groceries in Irvine. Teaming up with E-commerce site Yamibuy, deliveries will go… Read More
Mustang Mach-E Charging Boost & GM Solar Powered Plants
The all-new Mustang Mach-E gets an extra jolt when it comes to charging time. The rear drive, extended range Mustang Mach-E will be able to regain 61 miles of range after just 10 minutes at one of electrify America’s DC fast charging stations. The blue oval says that’s 30 percent quicker than their previous estimates. While DC fast chargers are not available at… Read More
Manufacturing Plants Reopen & Virtual Vehicle Reveals
Automakers are gassed up and ready for a restart at plants across the country. This is what the new normal will look like for many manufacturers. Employees will be required to wear face masks, temperatures will be taken before coming into a facility, and in many cases, shifts will be staggered as things get back up and running. We’ve seen plants transformed over… Read More
April Auto Sales & Delayed Hummer EV Reveal
April auto sales numbers are in, and there are no surprises as the Coronavirus continues to disrupt the industry. While a number of manufacturers don’t report monthly sales, the ones that do give us some insight into the industry as a whole. Analysts at cox automotive estimate that 620,000 new vehicles were sold in April, which is down 53% from last year and down… Read More
Plunging Gas Prices, Volvo Teams Up With Daimler, and Consumer Confidence in EVs
Cheap gas and no where to go as Coronavirus has most of us parked at home. AAA puts the national average at about $1.76 a gallon. And they expect that number to dip even lower into may, possibly dropping as low as $1.65 a gallon. We haven’t seen those kinds of numbers since January 2009. Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and Ohio have some of the cheapest gas in the nation… Read More
Autonomous Deliveries & Car Insurance Rebates
COVID-19 may you have parked inside, but autonomous vehicles are pulling up for deliveries in parts of California. Pony AI is typically a robotaxi service, moving people instead of products. But they’ve switched gears and have deployed their fleet of modified Hyundai Kona battery-electric cars to deliver packages and groceries in Irvine. Teaming up with e-commerce… Read More
Tesla Ventilators, Audi Virtual Plant Tour, & JD Power Tire Study
Tesla engineers are using car parts to create ventilators. The automaker is using as many car parts as possible to build a prototype of the life-saving device. In a video posted to their YouTube channel, Tesla engineers can be seen using suspension system parts to build the ventilator’s oxygen mixing chamber. The infotainment computer and touchscreen from a Model… Read More
Farewell to the BMW i8
It was hailed as the sports car of the future when it debuted, but now the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid has run out of time. It turned heads when it first launched in 2014. Since then, over 20,000 i8’s have been sold solidifying its spot as the most successful sports car with an electrified drive system. As a final farewell, BMW is producing just 200 of a Special… Read More
Automakers Transition to Manufacturing Medical Equipment
As expected, new car sales took a dive in March due to the blooming Coronavirus outbreak. Overall, industry sales were down about 45%, with few brands bucking the trend. Sales for the first three months of 2020 were nearly 15% lower than a year ago. Demand for pickup trucks remained strong however. Looking ahead to April, experts predict an 80% decline as more and… Read More
New GM Batteries
GM has just made a bold move in the ever growing EV market, revealing details of an electric lineup powered by new battery technology. General Motors is looking to the future and going the distance with their new Ultium Modular Battery System, which they say will have capacities that range from 50 to 200 kilowatt hours. That translates to up to 400 miles or more… Read More