Ford Motor Co. intends to have a fully driverless vehicle — no steering wheel, no pedals — on the road within five years. The car will initially be used for commercial ride-hailing or ride-sharing services, with sales to consumers coming later. “This is a transformational moment in our industry and it is a transformational moment […]
Tesla Loss Grows as it Falls Short of Sales Goals
Electric car maker Tesla Motors Inc. ended its turbulent second quarter with a larger-than-expected loss but said it remains on track to increase production in the second half of this year and introduce a new car in 2017. Tesla’s second-quarter loss grew nearly 60 percent to $293 million as it delivered fewer vehicles than planned. […]
Tesla’s Deal for SolarCity Could Speed Sustainable Energy
Tesla wants to put its car and energy storage businesses under one solar-powered roof. Tesla said Monday it will buy solar panel maker SolarCity Corp. in an all-stock deal worth $2.6 billion. The deal must still be approved by the government and shareholders at both companies. It’s expected to close in the fourth quarter if […]
Tesla Opens Gigafactory to Expand Battery Production, Sales
It’s Tesla Motors’ biggest bet yet: a massive, $5 billion factory in the Nevada desert that could nearly double the world’s production of lithium-ion batteries. Tesla officially opened its Gigafactory on Tuesday, a little more than two years after construction began. The factory is about 14 percent complete, but when it’s finished, it will be […]
Tesla Plans Trucks, Small SUV as Part of Future Plans
Electric car maker Tesla Motors is working on multiple new vehicles, including heavy trucks and buses that could be unveiled as early as next year. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company also plans a compact SUV and “a new kind of pickup truck” to complement its existing fleet. Tesla currently makes a luxury sedan, […]
Tesla Says It Hasn’t Been Informed of SEC Investigation
Electric car maker Tesla Motors says it hasn’t been informed of a government investigation into its disclosure of a fatal crash. The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating whether Tesla should have informed investors after a fatal crash on May 7. In that crash, a Tesla Model […]
Fatal Tesla Crash Shows Limits of Self-Driving Technology
The U.S. government is investigating the first reported death of a driver whose car was in self-driving mode when he crashed. Joshua D. Brown, 40, died May 7 when his Tesla Model S, which was operating on “autopilot,” failed to activate its brakes and hit a truck in Florida. Read more: Self-Driving Car Fatality No. 1: […]
Tesla Says Software Update Will Fix Model X Doors
Tesla Motors said Tuesday that two upcoming software updates should fix persistent glitches with the futuristic rear doors on its Model X SUV. At Tesla’s nearly four-hour shareholder meeting in Mountain View, California, Tesla CEO Elon Musk also hinted that buyers of the company’s upcoming Model 3 car won’t have access to free high-speed charging, […]
Toyota Adding 1.6 Million Vehicles to Takata Air Bag Recall
Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling nearly 1.6 million vehicles in the U.S. to replace potentially faulty front passenger air bag inflators made by Takata Corp. of Japan. The action expands what was already the biggest automotive recall in U.S. history. The U.S. government announced earlier this month that 17 automakers — including Toyota — are […]
Detroit’s Automakers, Sensing a Threat, Embrace Mobility
For Detroit, the days of simply making cars are over. Automakers are facing multiple threats to their business from nimble tech firms like Apple and Uber. In response, carmakers are reinventing themselves as “mobility” companies that can accommodate all the different ways people get around. Already this year, General Motors Co. has announced a long-term […]