Battery-powered vehicles are considered essential to the fight against climate change, but most models are aimed at the affluent.
Tag Archives: Automobiles
Jacques Pépin, in Search of Lost Cars and Cuisine
Have France’s distinctive food and automobiles slipped in their cultural cachet? The celebrity chef and serial owner of French cars has opinions on the matter.
Why So Many Cars Have Rats in Them Now
Driving in the city is on the rise, but if New Yorkers think they can avoid rats this way, they are in for quite the surprise.
Congress Is Giving Billions to the Chip Industry. Strings Are Attached.
Industrial policy is back in Washington, as a vast semiconductor and science bill gives the government new sway over a strategic industry.
United Auto Workers Seek to Shed a Legacy of Corruption
After his predecessors’ imprisonment, the union’s president is being challenged for re-election in the first direct vote by its membership.
Climate Bill ‘Transformative’ for Auto and Energy Industries
The Senate’s proposal aims to accelerate electric car sales and promote domestic battery manufacturing at China’s expense.
Seven Key Provisions in the Climate Deal
The $369 billion climate and tax bill would affect every aspect of U.S. energy production, with incentives for producers and consumers to move away from fossil fuels.
What Driving Means for America
The civic and psychic benefits of life behind the wheel.
Electric Car Sales Climb Sharply Despite Shortages
A scarcity of semiconductors and raw materials held back production, but buyers remain enthusiastic.
Manchin, Playing to the Home Crowd, Is Fighting Electric Cars to the End
The West Virginia senator, who holds the swing vote in negotiations for a budget plan, wants to cut incentives. The president and most Senate Democrats say buyer credits are crucial to fight climate change.
Advanced Batteries Move From Labs to Mass Production
Makers of batteries that could charge in a few minutes are setting up assembly lines, bringing the technology a big step closer to auto showrooms.
How Connected Cars Can Map Urban Heat Islands
Icons of Italian Automotive Style Struggle to Go Electric
Ferrari and Lamborghini are trying to design battery-powered cars that inspire the same devotion as their costly internal combustion models.
Hacking High Gas Prices: How People Are Changing Their Habits
From changing their work hours to driving farther in search of cheaper deals, people have been making crafty calculations to grapple with expensive gasoline.
Tesla Is Forcing the Auto Industry to Rethink How It Sells Cars
Tesla shifted to selling cars entirely online in 2019. Now, some established automakers, like Ford, are talking about taking a similar approach.
How Henry Ford Would Deal With Today’s Supply Chain Upheaval
The automobile pioneer believed short-term interests must not squeeze out investment in a business’ resilience, a lesson many companies have learned the hard way since 2020.
Getting Cars Off the Road Is Harder Than It Should Be
If turning a few blocks into a plaza in Berkeley isn’t easy, is there any hope?
Auto Safety Agency Expands Tesla Investigation
NHTSA will take a broad look at whether the electric carmaker’s driver-assistance system can increase the risk of crashes.
Tesla to Cut 10% of Salaried Staff, Musk Tells Employees
The electric carmaker has been growing fast in recent years, but Elon Musk, its chief executive, appears to be concerned about a weakening economy.
Elon Musk’s Tesla Management Is a Bad Sign for Twitter
His long list of unfulfilled commitments wildly exceeds his achievements.
Gas Prices Hit New Highs as Summer Driving Season Starts
A gallon has jumped by about 50 cents over the last month as Russia’s war in Ukraine has continued to unsettle the global energy market.
Touch Screens in Cars Solve a Problem We Didn’t Have
They’re another example of our sad acquiescence to any tech “advance.”
GM’s Mary Barra Has a Plan to Win the Electric Vehicle Race
The General Motors chief says efficiencies, innovations and learning from mistakes will allow her company to become a leader in electric vehicles.
Formula 1 Roars Into Miami, Where Cars Are Already King
A culture of souped-up cars, luxury cars and collector cars has flourished in Miami for decades. This weekend it will all be on display.
Lotus Adds an S.U.V., With Eyes on Mainstream Appeal
The boutique British carmaker, known for lightweight sports cars more than supermarket runs, is planning to expand production substantially as it goes fully electric.
Tesla’s Profits Jumped in the First Quarter but Challenges Loom
The electric carmaker had to close an important factory in Shanghai because of China’s efforts to stamp out a coronavirus outbreak.
NYC’s Alternate-Side Parking Ritual Is Back. Cue the Outrage.
New York City says that drivers will have to move their cars twice a week again so that dirty streets can be swept clean.
The Unapologetic Heirs of Nazi Fortunes
In a country that is celebrated for its culture of reckoning and remembrance, the richest families are often an exception.
Jim Farley Tries to Reinvent Ford and Catch Up to Elon Musk and Tesla
Ford’s chief executive is about to introduce an electric F-150 pickup truck that could determine whether the automaker can survive and thrive in an industry dominated by Tesla.
California Reveals Its Plan to Phase Out New Gas-Powered Cars by 2035
If adopted, the new measures would make a dent in the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and set the bar for the broader auto industry.
Few Cars, Lots of Customers: Why Autos Are an Inflation Risk
Economists are betting that supply chains for all kinds of goods will heal, shortages will ease and price gains will slow. Cars are a wild card in those forecasts.
Tesla Will Sell Its Cybertruck Next Year, Elon Musk Says
Delays in producing the pickup have allowed rivals like Ford to beat Tesla to market with electric pickups.
NYC’s Electric Vehicle Age Begins, Slowly
The city has begun converting its fleet and deploying curbside chargers in an effort to meet electrification goals.
Women in Saudi Arabia Add a First: An Auto Rally
The Rally Jameel in Saudi Arabia celebrates a new first for women.
Tesla’s Sales Jumped in the First Quarter, Bucking Industry Trend Again
The electric carmaker maintained its momentum from last year even as larger automakers continue to struggle with parts shortages.
One Weekend in Vegas With the Nation’s Auto Dealers
After bottoming out early in the pandemic, profits and spirits are soaring — and people were ready to party.
A Rugged Newcomer Looks to Fill a Void Left by Land Rover
The Grenadier from INEOS Automotive, brought to life by the billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, is poised to arrive this year.
Soaring Cost of Diesel Ripples Through the Global Economy
Russia’s war in Ukraine has caused a steep rise in a fuel essential to truckers, farmers and industry. Europe is hardest hit.
Despite High Gas Prices, Road Trips Are Still Popular
Itineraries may change, and less money may be spent on food and lodgings, but road trips historically haven’t been stopped by the price at the pump.
What to Do When There Is a Tornado Warning
A tornado warning demands instant action. Here’s what to do if one comes your way, and how you can prepare in advance.
Change to Car Designs Brings Hope That F1 Will Be More Competitive This Year
Because of a change in aerodynamics, it will be easier for drivers to pass each other.
As Gas Prices Rise, NYC Lags Behind on Electric Cars
New York lags far behind most cities in electric-vehicle infrastructure, but changes are coming.
Rivian Pares Delivery Targets for 2022, Citing Supply Problems
The company said it expected to produce only 25,000 electric vehicles this year, adding a new cloud to its outlook only months after a hot I.P.O.
Biden Restores California’s Power to Set Stringent Tailpipe Rules
The state is expected to write strict auto pollution standards designed to significantly speed the transition to electric vehicles and influence new federal rules.
Want to save rivers and coasts? Don’t burn rubber

Enlarge (credit: Thomas Winz)
Throughout the lifetime of an average tire, 30 percent of it gets eroded away as cars zip around on city streets and brake for little old ladies. But the leftover particles don’t remain as streaks on a road. One study found that 1.5 million metric tons of this tire debris end up flowing out into the environment as microplastics or their diminutive cousins, nanoplastics.
Some of these tiny bits of tire—made up of synthetic rubber, oils, filling agents, etc.—end up in rivers and estuaries. And according to two new research papers, they can wreak havoc among the fish and invertebrates living in those bodies of water. According to Susanne M. Brander, an assistant professor at Oregon State University’s Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences Department, much of the current research on microplastics on wildlife deals with the particles that come from a few different types of commercial plastics. Further, this field focuses more on microplastics—defined as anything under 5 millimeters—but “much less is known about nano-plastics,” she told Ars.
The researchers found that the presence of microplastics, nanoplastics, and the accompanying leachate—the chemicals released from them—hindered aquatic species’ ability to grow and impacted their swimming behavior, potentially making them more susceptible to predation.
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How Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Could Reshape Trade, Starting With Cars
The war in Ukraine has highlighted the risks of doing business with authoritarian countries — not just Russia, but also China.
Sony and Honda announce tie-up to make electric cars.
The two Japanese giants said they would form a company that would make battery-powered cars in Honda’s factories.
Nissan Ex-Executive Gets Suspended Sentence in Carlos Ghosn Case
The verdict, effectively a rejection of much of the government’s case, is likely to be the last in Japan’s yearslong legal battle against Mr. Ghosn, the automaker’s former chief.
Ford Splits Into Electric and Gas Divisions to Speed Up Transition
E.V. operations will focus on technology and growth while the traditional business continues to chase profits. “You can’t have people work on both at the same time,” the chief executive said.
After Burning for Days, a Ship Carrying Thousands of Luxury Cars Sinks
The ship, the Felicity Ace, was carrying about 4,000 vehicles, including Bentleys and Porsches, when it caught fire on Feb. 16. On Tuesday morning, it sank.