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Ten years after prototype, anti-drunken driving tech ready for rollout
LEESBURG, Virginia — Ten years after unveiling a prototype, a key public-private research effort is taking a major leap toward getting its advanced alcohol detection technology into the hands of the country's top auto manufacturers.
"We've converted a wild, audacious idea that everybody thought would fail — people laughed us out of the room...Read more

Tesla plans to unveil cheaper version of the Model Y on Tuesday
Tesla Inc. plans to unveil a cheaper version of the Model Y on Tuesday, according to people familiar with the matter, following through on assurances it will have a more affordable vehicle to counter the loss of U.S. incentives for electric vehicles.
The new base Model Y is what Tesla started teasing in social media posts over the weekend, said...Read more

Trump sets 25% tariffs on medium, heavy-duty trucks; Ford cheers move
WASHINGTON — The United States will levy 25% tariffs on imports of medium and heavy-duty trucks beginning Nov. 1, President Donald Trump announced in a Monday social media post.
The tariffs follow an investigation initiated in April by the U.S. Commerce Department about the national security effects of truck imports. The levies would be ...Read more

CEO says software led Rivian west, and it's making EVs more affordable
PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP, Michigan — Accessing software talent was behind the decision of Rivian Automotive Inc. to move its headquarters from here to California, and that software now is what's contributing to more affordable vehicles, market appeal and at least one multi-billion-dollar deal with a legacy competitor, CEO RJ Scaringe said Monday.
...Read more

EV and renewable companies brace for end of tax credits
WASHINGTON — The electric vehicle and renewable energy industries are bracing for the end of tax credits they had been relying on to rapidly expand the technologies across the U.S.
The phaseout, brought on by the 2025 reconciliation law, hit the EV industry last week with the end of the federal $7,500 tax credit on those vehicles. The ...Read more

Motormouth: Tire trouble?
Q: I have a 2013 Acadia that has a vibration with the steering wheel at 55 mph and stops at 65 mph. I had all wheels balanced, new brakes and rotors. When I rotated the tires to the back the vibration stopped. Do I just have a bad tire?
J.E., Chicago
A: Yes, one tire may have a belt separation issue. The symptoms will eventually get worse ...Read more

Trump close to deal that would spare U.S.-assembled vehicles from tariff costs
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is considering a modification to expensive automotive tariffs that would provide relief to manufacturers that complete final assembly in the United States, Reuters reported Friday.
Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio told the outlet that the deal, which Trump would make a decision on soon, would ...Read more

Automakers brace for EV demand decline following tax credit elimination
DETROIT — Automakers are bracing for a drop in electric vehicle demand after sales surged in the final days of the federal tax credit for plug-in vehicles.
The up-to-$7,500 tax credit expired on Tuesday, though companies like General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. said they found a workaround in an effort to extend the availability of taxpayer...Read more

Auto review: 2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata celebrates 35 years of fun in the sun
As Mazda enters Grasso’s Garage for a slice review pie, they bring their long-time, consumer loving convertible to soak up the sun as this 3-season small but fun 2-seater is here to stay.
Powered by a 181 horsepower naturally aspirated 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, our 35th anniversary edition boasted a 6-speed manual transmission which was all the ...Read more

Auto review: Vanilla no more, Subaru Forester Wilderness goes wild
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Forester used to be vanilla in Subaru’s delicious store of off-road flavors. No more.
My white 2026 Forester Wilderness swaggered up to the foothills of the Cascade Mountains sporting a chocolate grille, syrup-black hood decal, bold lines, chiseled rocker panels and sinewy Yokohama Geolander all-terrain tires.
Forester...Read more

Why are buyers returning to Tesla?
Tesla electric vehicle sales jumped last quarter, as buyers rushed to take advantage of an expiring federal tax credit.
The company's EV sales rose 7% in the three months through September compared to a year earlier, mirroring a spike in overall EV sales across the country.
The $7,500 credit for new electric vehicles was eliminated on Sept. 30...Read more

Stellantis US sales rise, snapping streak of quarterly declines
Stellantis NV's U.S. sales ticked up 6% in the third quarter thanks to strong performances from stalwarts like the Jeep Wrangler and Dodge Durango SUVs and the Ram 1500 pickup.
The increase snaps a series of declining U.S. quarterly sales for the automaker that stretched back two years. Stellantis is in the middle of a turnaround effort led by ...Read more

GM EV sales more than double, boosting third-quarter totals
General Motors Co. more than doubled its electric vehicle sales in the third quarter compared to the same period a year ago, while increasing its overall U.S. sales by 7.7%.
The Detroit automaker sold 710,347 vehicles — the most of any automaker — in the July-September period. That included 66,501 EVs, which were up 107% year-over-year. The...Read more

Ford posts big EV sales increase ahead of federal tax credit's end
Sales of Ford Motor Co.'s electric vehicles surged in the third quarter, contributing to an 8.2% increase in U.S. sales for the July-September period.
The up-to-$7,500 federal tax credit for plug-in vehicles expired on Tuesday, resulting in a burst of EV buying activity before consumers lost their chance. Ford EV sales rose 85% in September and...Read more

Can driverless cars get tickets? What happened when Bay Area police pulled over a Waymo
Police in San Bruno, California, were patrolling for drunk drivers when they observed a car traveling erratically.
But this couldn't be chalked up to an impaired or distracted driver. There wasn't anyone behind the wheel at all.
Officers were bewildered to see the car — a self-driving Waymo robotaxi — make an illegal U-turn at a traffic ...Read more

Buh-bye: Stickers that allow EV drivers to travel solo in car pool lanes expire Wednesday
One of the perks of driving an electric vehicle in California is about to go away.
The state’s Clean Air Vehicle Decal program that allows drivers of zero-emissions vehicles to drive alone in the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane expires, effective at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.
With rush-hour traffic jams and clogged freeways a fact of life in ...Read more

Ford CEO predicts EV market share to fall by half after tax credit elimination
DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Farley on Tuesday said he wouldn't be surprised if electric vehicle sales in the United States fall by half after the expiration of the federal tax credit for plug-in vehicles.
Tuesday is the last day consumers could take advantage of the up-to-$7,500 tax credit, though Ford and General Motors Co. have found a...Read more

Marked by success, controversy, EV tax credit ends after a 17-year run
WASHINGTON — The EV tax credit dies today. But its story doesn't necessarily end here.
The $7,500 federal incentive, which had two main iterations over an almost 17-year run, was designed to encourage the production and purchase of electric vehicles in the United States. It expires after the calendar flips past Tuesday thanks to legislation ...Read more

Ford urges end to regulatory whiplash, seeks 'modest' emission standards
WASHINGTON — Ford Motor Co. has urged the Trump administration to exercise caution in its bid to strip away the legal underpinnings of 16 years' worth of automotive regulations by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
In a previously unreported federal filing submitted last week, the automaker also requested "modest" greenhouse gas ...Read more

Motormouth: License plate mounting
Q: I recently purchased a 2026 Kia K5. The dealer mounted the from plate through a bracket and then drove the screw directly into the front bumper, creating two screw holes in the bumper itself. As soon as I realized this, (about two days after purchasing the car) I went back to the dealer to ask them about it. They insisted that it was standard...Read more