GM’s Cruise names former Amazon, Microsoft Xbox executive as new CEO

DETROIT – General Motors’ Cruise autonomous vehicle unit on Tuesday announced former Amazon and Microsoft executive Marc Whitten as its new CEO. Whitten was a founding engineer at Microsoft’s Xbox before leaving the company after more than 17 years to become chief product officer of audio company Sonos in 2014, according to his LinkedIn profile. … Read more

Toyota has been rocked by a string of scandals — analysts are unfazed

A sign is displayed outside a Toyota Motor Corp. dealership on Jan. 30, 2024 in Tokyo, Japan. Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda apologized Monday for massive cheating on certification tests for seven vehicle models as the automaker suspended production of three of them. Tomohiro Ohsumi | Getty Images News | Getty Images Japan’s largest carmaker Toyota has … Read more

Shares of Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Suzuki fall after safety scandal

Toyota Motor Corporation Board Chairman Akio Toyoda bows during a press conference in Tokyo on June 3, 2024. Toyota said on June 3 it had suspended domestic shipments of three car models after falling foul of government certification rules along with its Japanese rivals Honda, Mazda, Suzuki and Yamaha.  Yuichi Yamazaki | Afp | Getty … Read more

Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama vote against union

United Auto Workers (UAW) members and supporters on a picket line outside the ZF Chassis Systems plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. Andi Rice | Bloomberg | Getty Images Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama have voted against union representation by the United Auto Workers, the National Labor Relations Board said Friday. The … Read more

Honda to build $11 billion electric vehicle hub in Canada

A brand-new Honda Pilot is displayed on the sales lot at Honda Marin in San Rafael, California, on Feb. 6, 2024. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images DEROIT — Honda Motor and yet-to-be-named joint venture partners plan to invest $11 billion in Ontario, Canada, to create a “comprehensive EV value chain,” the Japanese automaker announced Thursday. … Read more

GM first-quarter U.S. vehicle sales fall 1.5%

The 2024 Buick Envista. GM DETROIT — General Motors on Tuesday reported a 1.5% decline in first-quarter U.S. vehicle sales compared to a year ago, as the overall auto industry normalizes after years of disruptions and volatile results. The Detroit automaker said the decline to 594,233 vehicles sold during the first three months of the … Read more

EV euphoria is dead. Automakers trumpet consumer choice in U.S.

Although consumer demand for EVs hasn’t shown up in the way executives had expected, sales of the vehicles are still predicted to increase in the years to come. Andrew Merry | Moment | Getty Images DETROIT — The buzz around electric vehicles is wearing off. For years, the automotive industry has been in a state … Read more

Tesla Model Y, Toyota hybrids make Consumer Reports’ top 10 ranking

Toyota hybrid vehicles for sale at a dealership in Chicago, Feb. 6, 2024. Scott Olson | Getty Images Hybrid vehicles led the 2024 top vehicle rankings released Tuesday by influential product testing organization Consumer Reports. Such “electrified” vehicles, including plug-in hybrid models, represented six of the top 10 picks by the nonprofit consumer organization. The … Read more

GM, Honda begin U.S. fuel cell production toward replacing diesel

An employee assembles a fuel cell system in the module final assembly at Fuel Cell System Manufacturing LLC, GM and Honda’s fuel cell joint venture in Brownstown, Michigan. Courtesy image BROWNSTOWN, Mich. – General Motors and Honda Motor have begun commercial production of hydrogen fuel cell systems in a step toward offering alternative zero-emissions solutions … Read more

For 10-year GM CEO Mary Barra, 2024 is about change and crisis

Mary Barra, Chair and CEO of the General Motors Company (GM), speaks during the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, on May 2, 2022. Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty Images DETROIT — Monday marks 10 years of Mary Barra’s tenure as CEO of General Motors, ushering in a crucial year for … Read more