Automotive News

Honda to create division to speed up EV development

In changes effective April 1, the new division would consolidate Honda’s electrification strategy and development of automobiles, motorcycles and power products such as generators, it said. The automaker also said it would combine six regional operations to three, composed of North America, China and associated regions including Japan, the rest of Asia and Europe. Integrating the three was to “rapidly develop the implementation of resource shifts in accordance with the future lineup strategy in line with the electrification acceleration,” a spokesperson said in a briefing. The automaker anticipates its vehicle lineup in North America and China will be mid-to large…

Automotive News

Aurora Innovation seeks $800 million from stock sales

Aurora said it expects to complete a prototype of the lidar-on-chips by the end of the year. They are expected to be part of a next-generation sensor suite installed in the company’s trucks starting in 2027, the same year Aurora intends to begin mass production of its self-driving systems in a partnership with global supplier Continental. By integrating the optical components onto a chip, Aurora expects to improve the reliability and performance of the sensors while reducing their cost. That is especially important because Aurora’s lidar has always been more expensive than the rest of the industry, although it is…

Automotive News

Having Problems with Your Car’s Windows Sliding Down?

Are you frustrated because your car windows won’t stay up? Many vehicle owners in Tampa have problems with sliding car windows. Keep reading to learn more about why this happens and how expert repair services can keep your door windows in place. 3 Reasons for Windows that Won’t Stay Up Sometimes, your vehicle’s windows won’t stay up because the child safety switch is engaged or the ignition switch position needs to be in the accessory mode. When these simple fixes are the cause of your sliding window problem, you likely have one of the following issues that service technicians need…

Automotive News

Should You Repair or Replace Your Damaged Auto Glass?

If you’re a Tampa, FL, vehicle owner who has recently had their auto glass damaged, you’re probably wondering if the damage is repairable. In the sections below, you’ll learn more about the factors affecting auto glass repair and replacement. Repairing Your Damaged Auto Glass Repairs are preferable over replacement because it’s cheaper and, in some cases, auto insurers will cover the repair costs completely. For windshield repair or other types of auto glass to be repairable, it must meet the following criteria: The crack or chip only damaged the outer layer of glass The bullseye is no bigger than one…

Automotive News

VW’s PowerCo, Stellantis, Glencore back $1B mine deal in Brazil

LONDON — Global miners Glencore, Stellantis and Volkswagen Group’s battery unit PowerCo have agreed to back a $1 billion deal by blank-check fund ACG Acquisition Company to buy two mines in Brazil, ACG said. The deal comes as a mining M&A spread picks up, spurred in part by investors betting on the rising demand for metals needed for the global green energy transition in coming years. ACG, a London-listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), will buy the Santa Rita nickel sulfide and Serrote copper mines from private equity funds advised by Appian Capital, which has hired Standard Chartered and Citigroup…

Automotive News

Toyota future EV plans include batteries with 900-mile range

As it prepares for its new products, factory engineers will also introduce a slew of manufacturing techniques for the 2026 EVs. Their goal is to halve the number of production processes, halve the amount of plant investment and halve the amount of production lead needed to set up for new nameplates. The new techniques will include the use of giga casting, which eliminates the countless parts and brackets by essentially casting the vehicle’s front and back as two giant modules. The under-rear section of the current Toyota bZ4X, for example, is an amalgam complex of 86 parts manufactured through 33…

Automotive News

US judge throws out lawsuit against Elon Musk over Twitter

A judge dismissed a proposed class-action lawsuit against Elon Musk that claimed he cheated Twitter shareholders several times last year in the course of buying the social media company for $44 billion. In a decision on Monday, US District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco said plaintiff William Heresniak lacked standing to sue because he challenged “wrongs associated with” Musk’s buyout, not the fairness of the buyout itself. Breyer said Heresniak did not show harm from Musk’s belated disclosure of a 9.2 percent Twitter stake, which the suit said let him buy more shares at lower prices before the buyout…

Automotive News

Insurers sue Hyundai and Kia over costs of easily hot-wired vehicles

The widespread theft of vulnerable older Hyundai and Kia models not equipped with a crucial anti-theft device could end up costing the US insurance industry up to $600 million. Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, American Family and 65 other auto insurers, which comprise only a fraction of the country’s insurance companies, estimate that just their portion of the payout to owners who have been affected by the social media-driven crime wave could top $300 million . The insurers, who filed a lawsuit in US District Court in Orange County, Calif., in March, say they have already paid out $190 million. They are…

Automotive News

Facebook Is Trying to Make Dealers Pay for Car Listings

Photo: Lorenzo Di Cola/NurPhoto (Getty Images) Facebook Marketplace, over the past few years, has taken the vehicle-classifieds crown from Craigslist. It did so almost by accident; Facebook spun up Marketplace just as Craigslist instituted a fee for selling cars on its platform. Now, it seems new rules from Meta aim to get in on that cash — but only for dealers. In case you missed it: Early this year, according to Automotive News, Meta changed the rules around Facebook Marketplace listings. Now, Facebook business pages can no longer post Marketplace ads for vehicles. Instead, they’ll have to purchase ad space…

Automotive News

The Kia EV9 large electric crossover will be made in Georgia

Kia’s three-row EV9 crossover promises to bring a similar mix of utility and style to the North American electric vehicle market, the automaker said. The EV9, presented Wednesday at the New York auto show, is the flagship model for Kia’s global transition to EV technology, according to the brand, and follows the 2022 North American launch of the two-row EV6 crossover. “The EV9 is a credible, high-value SUV that encapsulates our approach to bringing innovative, consumer-focused products to market with a serious commitment to electrification,” Sean Yoon, CEO of Kia North America, said in a press release. Kia said the…