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☆ Fender benders mean serious high-tech repairs now
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Virtually every new vehicle sold in the last few years has sensors and cameras, including radar and sonar, throughout the body of the vehicle. These have made the repair process more complex because, unlike a smashed fender, a sensor or camera can’t just be bolted or welded back on. Some of these systems can cut crash rates in half, said Greg Brannon, director of automotive engineering at AAA. In a crash, these sensors and cameras can be damaged or just knocked out of alignment. Claim adjustors, who often come from the collision repair industry themselves, need to understand all the nuances involved in repairing these automated systems and sensors.

Persons: It’s, ”, Todd Dillender, Greg Brannon, “ They’re, Brannon, “, Hami Ebrahimi, ” Ebrahimi, Ebrahimi, That’s, Dillender, adjuster, Mike Bunda, We’ve Organizations: CNN, Auto, AAA, Systems Locations: United States, Chicago, Seattle, New York

☆ Sell in May and go away? Think again
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —It’s “sell in May and go away” season. All three major indexes broke five-month winning streaks as hotter-than-expected inflation data stoked fears that interest rate cuts will come later than forecast. The central bank kept interest rates on hold at a 23-year high at its policy meeting. Persistent inflation has kept long-anticipated rate cuts on the backburner. Tesla “has let our entire charging org go,” William Navarro Jameson, strategic charging programs lead at Tesla, wrote on X.

Persons: Stocks, Jerome Powell, ”, Alex McGrath, Larry Tentarelli, Bryan Mena, it’s, Read, Tesla, Tesla “, ” William Navarro Jameson, Lane Chaplin, Hanna Ziady, Peter Valdes Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, The, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Wednesday, Traders, Blue, Carson Group, Research, Federal Reserve, Fed, Motors, Ford, Tesla Locations: New York

☆ Tesla axes electric vehicle charging team
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Hanna Ziady | Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London/New York CNN —Tesla has abruptly fired the team running its electric vehicle charging business, raising doubts about the future of one of the largest US charging networks, which other carmakers, such as General Motors and Ford, have said they will also use. Tesla “has let our entire charging org go,” William Navarro Jameson, strategic charging programs lead at Tesla, wrote on X. Following an invitation by Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, virtually every big automaker in the United States has committed to making EVs compatible with Tesla’s charging technology, now known as the North American Charging Standard. In response, major EV charging providers such as Electrify America and EVgo have also announced they will begin building chargers with NACS cables. “What this means for the charging network, NACS and all the exciting work we were doing across the industry, I don’t yet know,” Jameson wrote in his post.

Persons: New York CNN — Tesla, Tesla “, ” William Navarro Jameson, Lane Chaplin, Tesla, Elon Musk, ” Jameson, Musk, Dan Ives, ” Organizations: New York CNN, Motors, Ford, The, Tesla, American, EV, Wedbush Securities, CNN Locations: London, New York, United States, America

☆ No, the electric vehicle market isn’t crashing. It just needs recharging.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The second is the rate of EV sales growth is slowing, at least temporarily. The EV market is not collapsing, experts say, it’s just entering a new phase. Teslas still make up slightly more than half of all the electric vehicles sold in America, according to a report from Cox Automotive. But, just one year ago, Tesla produced more than 60% of all the EVs sold America. After having trouble cranking up production of its new generation of electric vehicles, GM seems to be accelerating.

Persons: it’s, ”, Coco Zhang, “, Teslas, Tesla, Cox, Ford, China’s Geely, Michael Lenox, Corey Cantor, Cantor, ” Cantor Organizations: New, New York CNN, International Energy Agency, ING, CNN, Cox Automotive, Ford, General Motors, Blazer, European Federation for Transport, Volvo, EV, China Passenger Car Association, University of Virginia, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Vehicles, Chevrolet Bolt, Dodge Locations: New York, That’s, EVs, America, China, Europe, United States, ’

☆ Safety group calls for Amazon to use new tech in delivery vans to prevent crashes
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

About half a million light vans are sold in the United States every year, with many of those going to companies like Amazon and FedEx. Light vans are those with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 10,000 pounds. Lane departure prevention technology could have helped prevent or, at least, reduce the seriousness of, about 11% of those fatal crashes. That tech could help prevent 37% of fatal crashes involving delivery vans, the Institute said. In more than 60% of crashes and more than half of fatal crashes, the occupant of another vehicle or a pedestrian or cyclist was killed or injured.

Persons: Ram ProMaster, Ram, Van Organizations: CNN —, Amazon, FedEx, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Ford Transit, Mercedes Sprinter, Institute, Stellantis, IIHS, Ford Locations: America, United States

☆ US safety regulations will require better automatic braking
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New rules from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will require improved automating braking systems on new cars sold in the United States by September, 2029. Even though automatic emergency braking, or AEB, is already common on new vehicles sold in the US, these new requirements will save hundreds of lives per year, NHTSA officials said in a statement. AEB is standard equipment on a large majority of new vehicles sold thanks to a voluntary agreement most automakers signed in 2016. If the driver fails to respond in time or with enough braking force, AEB systems apply the brakes automatically. Research by the privately funded Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showed today’s AEB systems reduced rear-end collisions by about 50%.

Persons: Sophie Shulman Organizations: CNN, National, Traffic, Institute for Highway Safety, Vehicles, NHTSA Locations: United States

☆ Ford Blue Cruise: US regulators investigate fatal crashes involving hands-free driving technology
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is formally investigating Ford’s Blue Cruise hands-free driving system following two fatal crashes. Blue Cruise was first introduced in the 2021 model year and is now available in several models from Ford and Lincoln, the carmaker’s luxury vehicle brand. The investigation specifically involves Blue Cruise in 130,000 Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUVs. Blue Cruise allows users to take their hands off the steering wheel and feet away from the pedals while driving on selected highways. In both crashes, the Blue Cruise system was in use immediately before the crash.

Persons: Ford’s, Cruise, Blue, Ford Organizations: CNN, Traffic Safety Administration, Ford, Lincoln, Blue Cruise, Reuters, NHTSA Locations: San Antonio, Philadelphia

☆ How CEOs are preparing for possible employee protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

You can always choose to move on, but remember you don’t have a right to work at most companies. We can’t keep re-litigating when we also have a business to runYou speak with CEOs every day. Most of the CEOs I’ve talked to said they haven’t seen their employees protest, but they’re bracing for it. But I will say that I don’t think it will become that widespread because of how swiftly and unapologetically Google addressed it. I don’t think it will become a thing.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, Bell, Johnny C, Taylor Jr, that’s, we’re, We’re, we’ve, I’m, You’d, They’re, I’ve, Royce, Peter Valdes, “ We’re, ”, Martin Fritsches, “ That’s, Brian Fung, Sean Lyngaas, Satya Nadella, Sam Altman, Northrop Grumman, Alejandro Mayorkas Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Google, Tech, Society for Human Resource Management, Companies, Royce, BMW, OpenAI, Microsoft, Department of Homeland Security, Delta Air Lines, DHS, “, Amazon Web Services, IBM, Cisco, ’, Civil Locations: New York, Israel, Chichester , England

☆ Rolls-Royce is growing its factory so it can build cars more slowly
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

So this factory expansion isn’t about making more cars, but making more expensive cars, which takes more time and requires more space for workshops and storage of exotic materials. The Rolls-Royce Phantom Syntopia's has glass flecks to create sparkling designs. Before that, Rolls-Royce cars were built alongside Bentleys — Rolls-Royce had acquired Bentley in 1931 — at a factory in Crewe, UK. The Phantom Syntopia likely would have cost more than $3 million according to sources, although Rolls-Royce would not confirm an exact price. The Phantom Syntopia has a special Weaving Water design in its Starlight Headliner.

Persons: Royce, “ We’re, ”, Martin Fritsches, “ That’s, Bentleys —, Bentley, Stephan Winkelmann, Javier Gonzalez Lastra, Fritsches, Cullinan Organizations: CNN, BMW, Royce, Bentley, Volkswagen, Lamborghini, Ferrari, ” Lamborghini, Tema Locations: Chichester , England, Crewe, cabinetry

☆ Buick, GM’s low-key pseudo-luxury brand, is suddenly hot
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In the 21st Century, though, Buick, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, has been a quiet spot in GM’s North American brand strategy. Last year, Buick sales rose more than 60% in the US compared to 2022. The Buick Envista introduced last summer is, essentially, a modified version of the well-received Chevrolet Trax, GM’s cheapest crossover SUV. The 1938 Buick Y Job is generally considered the auto industry's first "concept car." Last year, Avenir models, which get some fancier interior materials, more features, and distinctive paint colors, made up almost a third of Buick sales, the highest levels yet, Aldred said.

Persons: Louis Chevrolet, “, it’s, ”, Ivan Drury, Jason Barlow, Envista, Bob Boniface ,, Duncan Aldred, Drury, It’s, Buick, that’s, Aldred Organizations: CNN, Buick, GM, Riviera, Chevrolet Trax, GMC, Chevy, Cox Automotive, Cadillac, General Motors, Liverpool Locations: GM’s, China, the, America, Europe

☆ Investors are fearful. They shouldn’t be
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The economy has been extraordinarily resilient for the past few years — consistently proving the naysayers wrong, he says. For all of the market gloom last week, stocks are still near all-time highs, and this earnings season has been strong. Investors have been worrying about the Federal Reserve keeping rates higher for longer. I speak with many institutional investors, and I don’t see them folding in fear. Residual lubricant reduced the retention of the pad to the pedal,” the NHTSA wrote in the recall document.

Persons: ”, Philipp Carlsson, there’s, Carlsson, Szlezak, they’re, I’m, it’s, I’ve, we’re, TikTok, Brian Fung, Joe Biden, Tesla, Chris Isidore, Peter Valdes Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Federal Reserve, Boston Consulting, ByteDance, NHTSA Locations: New York, Europe, Ukraine, Israel, Washington

☆ Whatever happened to the two-door car?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

There are still two-door cars today, of course, but they’re almost all high-performance sports cars not intended for comfortable cruising. For car designers, two-door models can offer more striking proportions to play with, long hoods that evoke power and tapered, aerodynamic back ends. Today, it’s rare to see a two-door car that isn’t a performance model like the Mustang or Corvette. Today, if you have a two-door car and you have kids, you also have a backache. While some two-door cars used to be bargain items – the cheapest entry-level cars were almost always two-door hatchbacks – today two-door models are seen mostly in European luxury car showrooms.

Persons: Ricardo Montalbán, Brian Rabold, Bob D'Olivo, ”, Kevin Kirbitz, who’s, “, Rabold, ” Rabold, Scott Krugger, Kia Rio, You’ve, Gorden Wagener Organizations: CNN, Chrysler, Network, Riviera, GM, Ford Thunderbird, Chevrolet Corvette, Thunderbird, Ford, Stellantis’s Dodge, Nissan, Cox Automotive, BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Benz, American Mercedes Locations: Chrysler Cordoba, Cordoba, United States, American

☆ Tesla recalls Cybertruck due to accelerator pedal that can stick
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Chris Isidore | Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Tesla has been ordered to recall nearly 4,000 of its Cybertrucks due to an accelerator pedal that can stick in place when pressed down. “An unapproved change introduced lubricant (soap) to aid in the component assembly of the pad onto the accelerator pedal. Residual lubricant reduced the retention of the pad to the pedal,” the NHTSA wrote in the recall document. On Monday, NHTSA told CNN it had reached out to Tesla requesting more information on the issue. Unlike many Tesla recalls, this one cannot be fixed with a simple over-the-air software update.

Persons: New York CNN — Tesla, Tesla, Telsa Organizations: New, New York CNN, NHTSA, National, Traffic Safety Administration, CNN Locations: New York, Austin , Texas

☆ The Toyota 4Runner is finally entering the future with a hybrid
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —It’s been almost 15 years since there has been any major change to the popular Toyota 4Runner SUV, a fan favorite among off-road enthusiasts. The new 2025 Toyota 4Runner, like the Tacoma, will be available with Toyota’s iForce Max hybrid system, adding another popular model to Toyota’s broadening hybrid line-up. It comes as more consumers, who may be wary of buying fully electric vehicles, are increasingly turning to hybrids. Toyota’s hybrid compromiseAdding a hybrid option to the 4Runner is part of Toyota’s broad strategy to “electrify” nearly every model in the automaker’s line-up while, for now, offering few fully electric vehicles. The 2025 Toyota 4Runner will also be available in a more luxurious Limited trim.

Persons: CNN — It’s, Max Organizations: CNN, Toyota, EV, Lexus, Tacoma, Cruiser, Energy Locations: Tacoma, ”

☆ What’s wrong with Tesla?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-07 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

EV sales growth has been slowing for a while but in the last two quarters, EV sales didn’t increase much at all, according to estimates from Cox Automotive. “Looking at the data, the big [EV] slowdown is shaping up to be a Tesla slowdown,” said Valdez Streaty. Last year, Tesla sales were up 38% compared to 2022, but investors had expected more. While that’s much less than the roughly 80% of EV sales Tesla accounted for in 2019, according to Edmunds.com, it’s still a majority. But, if you leave out Tesla, sales of other electric vehicles, as a group, were up 33%.

Persons: Tesla, Elon Musk, Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Ford, ”, Valdez, It’s, Teslas, it’s, ” Valdez Streaty, Musk, tirades, Søren Holm, ” Tesla, ” Holm, Holm, “, Chris Isidore Organizations: CNN, Cox Automotive, Audi, BMW, Mercedes, EV, Tesla, Ford, Hyundai, Twitter, Reuters, Caliber, Covid Locations: United States, Edmunds.com, Teslas, Denmark

☆ Elon Musk announces Tesla will unveil a ‘robotaxi’ on August 8
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But Musk, on a Friday afternoon, when companies tend to bury news, announced on X that Tesla would unveil its robotaxi on August 8. “Tesla Robotaxi unveil on 8/8,” the Tesla CEO (and owner of X) posted. Musk has said in the past that Tesla will make a car without controls for a human to use. Musk has said the system will one day make Tesla cars incredibly valuable. Cruise has paused its testing work after one of its self-driving cars hit and dragged a pedestrian.

Persons: CNN — Elon Musk, Tesla, “ Tesla, Musk, ” Musk, ”, Kelly Funkhouser, she’s, “ You’re, “, Cruise, Waymo Organizations: CNN, Tesla, Consumer, Department of Justice

☆ Electric vehicles are changing how America goes camping
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

While still a small minority, campers are more likely to own an electric vehicle than those who don’t go camping, according to a survey by Kampgrounds of America, the nation’s largest campground operator. Only about 1% of Americans currently have an electric vehicle, according to KOA, but about 4% of regular campers do. “We’ve had customers cross coasts, all the way up to Canada, all the way across Canada and back down, all with an electric vehicle,” said Bowlus CEO Geneva Long. Courtesy RivianThe physical layout of most EV chargers can be a challenge for campers. The vast majority of EV chargers are placed at the ends of parking spaces so vehicles have to either pull in, nosing the front bumper up to the charger, or reverse back in.

Persons: I’m, ”, Matt Linn, Linn, Mike Kowal, McKay Featherstone, They’ve, Bowlus, “ We’ve, Geneva, It’s, Toby O’Rourke, KOA, O’Rourke, it’s, Rivian, Sara Eslinger, ” Linn, Rivian’s Elsinger Organizations: CNN, Ford, Rockwood, Thor Industries, Designers, Airstream, KOA, don’t, EV Locations: America, Texas, Central Coast , California, Canada, Yosemite, Big Sur , California, who’s

☆ This new SUV’s stereo lets you make phone calls your passengers can’t hear
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Only the driver can hear the call and the person on the other end of the call can’t hear the music playing in the SUV. That’s not a new idea, but headrest speakers are usually found in convertibles where music, phone calls and navigation instructions have to overcome buffeting wind noise. Meanwhile, the person on the other end of the phone call won’t hear the music at all. I could hear Dunn talking but the voice on the other end of the phone came through, at first, as just an intermittent quiet buzz. I could hear Dunn talking to me but not the music that was still playing in the car.

Persons: there’s, McIntosh, That’s, Gabby Jones, that’s, Tom Dunn, Dunn Organizations: New, New York CNN, Infiniti, Benz, Panasonic Automotive, New York, Bloomberg, Getty, Panasonic Locations: New York, Mercedes, Bentley, Manhattan

☆ You can buy this electric luxury SUV for $25,000 right now. But there might be a catch
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —For sale: A brand new luxury electric SUV for the holy-grail price of $25,000. The California-based electric SUV company Fisker faces a real possibility of bankruptcy, and its stock is hovering just over 2 cents a share, far below its 2021 peak of $28.50. Prices for Fisker’s Ocean SUV have been cut by as much 39%. His video was titled, “This is the Worst Car I’ve Ever Reviewed.”“Do not buy this version of the Fisker Ocean,” reads the video’s description. Fisker has said that problems with early versions of the vehicles’ software caused some of the negative responses.

Persons: hasn’t, Marques Brownlee, ”, Fisker, Henrik Fisker Organizations: CNN, American YouTube, Consumer, Magna Steyr, Magna Locations: California, American, Danish, United States, Europe, Austria

☆ Cars, sugar and cruises: How the Port of Baltimore closure could hurt the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Mark Thompson | Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The Port of Baltimore said in a post on X that vessel traffic was suspended until further notice, but trucks were still being processed at its terminals. It said it would discharge cargo destined for Baltimore in other ports nearby, but Maesrk warned customers that could mean delays. Closer to the Midwest than any other port on the East Coast, Baltimore is a major hub for vehicles, containers and commodities. Baltimore ranks first among US ports for autos and light trucks, handling a record 850,000 vehicles last year. While many of the 30,000 to 35,000 cars and trucks that used the Key Bridge daily can be rerouted through the two nearby tunnels, that will cause traffic delays.

Persons: Dali, Judah Levine, ” Maersk, “, VW, Oren Klachkin, Levine, Mark Zandi, ”, Zandi, Wes Moore, Joe Biden, Francis Scott Key, Tasos Katopodis, — Moore, Emily Stausbøll, Matt Lupoli, Hanna Ziady, Peter Valdes, Rob North, Sugam Pokharel Organizations: New York CNN, Baltimore, Atlantic, Nationwide Financial, US, Moody’s, Maryland Gov, Rebuilding, Francis Scott Key Bridge, Domino, Company, Royal Caribbean, Cruises, Cruise, Cruise Lines International Association, Royal Locations: London, New York, Port, Baltimore, East Coast, Singapore, East Coast , Baltimore, Philadelphia, Norfolk, of New York, New Jersey, Asia, Africa, Suez, Maryland, Patapsco, Rebuilding Baltimore, Baltimore , Maryland, Tasos, “, Norway, Royal Caribbean

☆ Fisker shares halted as EV company navigates uncertain future
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Shares of Fisker, a California-based electric vehicle startup, were halted Monday. Its sole product, the Fisker Ocean electric SUV, was produced in Austria under contract by third-party manufacturer Magna Steyr. Last year, 10,000 SUVs were produced but, in its earnings report, the company said only about half had been delivered to customers. The video was titled, “This is the Worst Car I’ve Ever Reviewed.”“Do not buy this version of the Fisker Ocean,” reads the video’s description. But, besides its own quality issues, Fisker had to deal with much greater competition from established automakers than had existed when the company was established.

Persons: Fisker’s, Fisker, Henrik Fisker, Marques Brownlee, ” Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Nissan, Magna Steyr, Mercedes, BMW, EV, American YouTube, Consumer, Automotive News, Hyundai, Kia, Ford, General Motors Locations: California, Alaska, Austria, Ohio, American

☆ Stellantis is recalling 285,000 sedans because side curtain airbag inflators could break open
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Stellantis is recalling almost 285,000 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 sedans in the United States because they have side curtain airbag inflators that could burst, sending metal shrapnel flying through the cabin. Airbag inflators rely on a chemical reaction that produces gas that rapidly inflates the airbag. The airbag inflators involved in this recall were not installed in any other Stellantis models, according to the documents. Beginning in early May, Stellantis will mail letters to Charger and 300 owners with cars that could have the problem. There were five known instances in which the airbag inflators burst.

Persons: Stellantis, inflators Organizations: CNN, Dodge Charger, Chrysler, National, Traffic Safety Administration Locations: United States

☆ Federal investigators look into crash of Mustang Mach-E equipped with driver assistance tech
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Investigators with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating a fatal crash involving a Ford Mustang Mach-E equipped with advanced driving assistance technology. Ford shows off the new model 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT during the Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place convention center in Chicago, Illinois on February 8, 2024. Federal investigators are looking at dozens of crashes involving so-called advanced driver assistance, or ADAS, systems. ADAS systems handle basic driving tasks such as keeping the vehicle in its lane while maintaining a safe distance behind vehicles ahead, usually in highway driving only. Fourteen of these systems, including two from Ford, were recently rated by the private Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Persons: Jacek Boczarski, Ford, IIHS, Jennifer Homendy Organizations: CNN, National, Traffic Safety Administration, National Transportation Safety, Ford, of Highway Safety, NTSB, Chicago Auto, McCormick, Getty, NHTSA, Wall Street, Federal, General Motors, Volvo, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Locations: “, San Antonio, Chicago , Illinois, Anadolu, Ford, Texas

☆ VW is reviving a storied American brand to sell electric SUVs
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —When Volkswagen decided to relaunch the Scout SUV brand it took a very unusual step. The revived and revamped Scout Motors will introduce its new brand of all-electric off-road-capable SUVs, kind of like Rivian. Buzz, an electric update of the classic hippie bus, VW is touching on nostalgia to reach a new generation of car buyers. VW came to own the trademark for the defunct brand in 2021 when it purchased Navistar, a successor company to International Harvester. Scout’s parent company, Volkswagen, is building its own EV battery plant in Canada and a battery engineering lab in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Persons: it’s, Oliver Blume, “ What’s, ”, Erin Keating, Scott Keogh, Dave Mondragon, who’s, they’ll, Keogh, ” Keogh, ” Keough, Chris Benjamin, isn’t, roader, Keating Organizations: CNN, Volkswagen, Scout, Volkswagen Group, Audi, Porsche, VW, ” Volkswagen Group, Cox Automotive, Harvester, International, Bentley, Lamborghini, North, Ford, P Global Mobility, Dealers, Scout Motors, US . Scout Motors, Volkswagen North, Volvo, Mercedes, BMW, Tesla Locations: United States, America, Volkswagen North America, Blythewood , South Carolina, South Carolina, Novi , Michigan, Canada, Chattanooga , Tennessee

☆ Remembering Marcello Gandini, designer of the world’s most famous supercar
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Look at almost any modern high-horsepower supercar and you will see the work of auto designer Marcello Gandini. Sharp lines, a low stance, doors that swing up; all were influenced by Gandini’s seminal work, the Lamborghini Countach. Gandini designed both of those cars and, if he had done nothing else, he would still be remembered. But in addition to his work for Lamborghini, Gandini produced cars for automakers including BMW, Fiat and Ferrari. The Lamborghini LP500, a first prototype for the Countach sports car, designed by by Marcello Gandini of Gruppo Bertone, circa 1972.

Persons: Marcello Gandini, Gandini’s, Lamborghini Countach, Stefano Guidi, Lamborghini Miura, Gandini, —, Miura, Lamborghini, ” Gandini, “, ” Marcello Gandini's, “ Gandini, ” Bertone, ” Organizations: CNN, Lamborghini, BMW, Fiat, Ferrari, Volkswagen Polo, Renault, Bertone, Geneva, Hulton, Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile, National Automobile Museum, Lancia, Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile, Porsche, Gooding, Co Locations: Turin, Italy, United States, Pebble Beach , California

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