As Britain plans to leave the EU, automakers plan to leave Britain

Feb 21, 2019
Some foreign automakers are abandoning their U.K. operations, resulting in job losses and further uncertainty.
A car transporter loaded with Honda vehicles is driven in to the Honda manufacturing plant in Swindon, southwest England on February 19, 2019.
ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

Why Detroit is going all-in on heavy-duty trucks

Feb 6, 2019
General Motors this week announced plans to build a new heavy-duty Chevy Silverado pickup truck in Michigan as it cut 4,000 jobs.
The heavy-duty chassis of the new General Motors 2020 Chevy Silverado HD is shown at the GM Flint Assembly Plant on February 5, 2019 in Flint, Michigan.
Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

New NAFTA labor standards may be difficult to enforce

Aug 29, 2018
As part of the ongoing renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the United States and Mexico have tentatively agreed to new higher labor standards. One provision that has automakers’ attention requires 40-45 percent of a car be made by workers earning at least $16 per hour. The goal is to incentivize car companies […]
Traders and financial professionals work at the opening bell on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), August 27, 2018 in New York City. The Dow was up over 200 points at the open, following news that the United States and Mexico are closer to a deal on NAFTA. 
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Automakers release sales figures and ponder the road ahead

Aug 1, 2018
The big U.S. and foreign automakers release their July sales numbers Wednesday. Car and light-truck sales have been strong so far this year — with consumer confidence up, the job market good, and people banking a little more income from the recent tax cuts. How does the rest of the year look for automakers? Click […]
Cars are prepared for distribution at a Ford factory on January 13, 2015. 
Carl Court/Getty Images

German automakers are looking for a better trade deal

Jun 21, 2018
Daimler, BMW and Volkswagen are proposing to end tariffs on U.S.-imported cars.
Robots weld the bodies of Volkswagen Tiguans at the Volkswagen factory in 2012 in Wolfsburg, Germany.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Can we get enough of cup holders?

Mar 1, 2018
Whether it’s to fit an extra Big Gulp cup or to store your kids’ playthings, it seems like we always want more cup holders in our cars — and car makers are trying to meet this demand. Chester Dawson is a reporter from Wall Street Journal‘s Detroit Bureau. He writes about the new trend of […]

German carmakers are slowly heading toward electric vehicles

Sep 28, 2017
Relying on old technology like diesel could prove fatal, an expert says.
Volkswagen is planning to spend 80 billion euros over the next decade on electric, hybrid and autonomous vehicles.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

U.S. automakers and the Trump administration disagree on this part of NAFTA

Aug 21, 2017
The U.S. wants a new rule that would require that a set percentage of each car or auto part come exclusively from the U.S.
PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images

Auto racing goes electric

Jul 14, 2017
The Formula E circuit lets car makers test their electric vehicles and promote their products to buyers.
A race car for Formula E.
Courtesy of Formula E

Detroit automakers respond to more Trump tariff threats

Jan 3, 2017
Building abroad makes economic sense for U.S. automakers.