GM to lay off 1,300 Michigan workers as vehicles end production

UAW Local 5960 member Kimberly Fuhr inspects a Chevrolet Bolt EV during vehicle production on May 6, 2021, at the General Motors Orion Assembly Plant in Orion Township, Michigan. Steve Fecht for Chevrolet DETROIT — General Motors plans to lay off about 1,300 workers in Michigan starting early next year due to vehicles they produce … Read more

GM’s Cruise dismisses nine key leaders amid safety probe

A Cruise self-driving car, which is owned by General Motors, is seen outside the company’s headquarters in San Francisco. Heather Somerville | Reuters General Motors’ Cruise autonomous vehicle unit has dismissed nine “key leaders” amid ongoing safety investigations sparked by an October accident in San Francisco, according to an internal message obtained by CNBC. The … Read more

Ford cuts 2024 production plans in half

Ford workers produce the electric F-150 Lightning pickup at the automaker’s Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center on Dec. 13, 2022. Michael Wayland | CNBC DETROIT — Ford Motor will cut planned production of its all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup roughly in half next year, marking a major reversal after the automaker significantly increased plant capacity for … Read more

UAW files labor practice charges against Hyundai, Honda, VW

United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain during an online broadcast updating union members on negotiations with the Detroit automakers on Oct. 6, 2023. Screenshot DETROIT — The United Auto Workers has filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board against Honda Motor, Hyundai Motor and Volkswagen, accusing the automakers of unlawfully interfering … Read more

China’s livestream shopping booms, fueling new tech like avatars and AI

HAIAN, CHINA – NOVEMBER 7, 2023 – A crab farmer sells crabs via a live webcast at Xinhai village in Haian city, Jiangsu province, China, Nov 7, 2023. (Photo by Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images BEIJING — Livestream shopping is taking off in China, driving development of new tech products … Read more

Why the U.S. has a serious mining worker shortage

The U.S. is running out of miners. More than half the nation’s mining workforce, about 221,000 workers, is expected to retire by 2029, according to the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration, and the number of candidates willing to fill those slots is shrinking. “Our workforce is aging,” said Bold Baatar, chief executive of copper at … Read more

Falling EV prices could hinder adoption, experts say

Prices of used electric vehicles are down roughly 30% year over year, according to market research studies using data from September and October. The cheaper prices might bode well for buyers, but they raise concerns that low resale values could hurt EV adoption among mainstream consumers. The falling prices also add fuel to a debate … Read more

Stellantis revives small EV for US starting at $34,095

The 2024 Fiat 500e. Stellantis DETROIT — Stellantis is resurrecting the all-electric Fiat 500e for the U.S. market, as the automaker begins to release electric vehicles domestically to meet tightening fuel economy regulations. The small city car is expected to first go on sale as a special edition “(500e)RED” model early next year, starting at … Read more

Automakers turn to hybrids in the middle of the EV transition

2023 Prius Prime on display, April 6, 2023. Scott Mlyn | CNBC DETROIT — As sales of all-electric vehicles grow more slowly than expected, major automakers are increasingly meeting their customers in the middle. More and more companies are reconsidering the viability of hybrid cars and trucks to appease consumer demand and avoid costly penalties … Read more

Musk’s Scandinavian woes deepen as Tesla loses Swedish court case

C.E.O. of Tesla, Chief Engineer of SpaceX and C.T.O. of X Elon Musk takes the stage during the New York Times annual DealBook summit on November 29, 2023 in New York City.  Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images Tesla‘s troubles with labor unions in Scandinavia deepened as it lost legal action against Sweden’s postal service … Read more