Latest News Updates From Tom Krisher

Government

Nearly 43,000 Deaths on US Roads in 2021, NHTSA Says

DETROIT — Nearly 43,000 people were killed on U.S. roads last year, the highest number in 16 years as Americans returned to the highways after the pandemic forced many to stay at home.

May 17, 2022
Business, Technology, Fuel, Autonomous

Tesla Q1 Earnings 7 Times More Than Year Ago

DETROIT — Tesla reported April 20 that its first-quarter net earnings were more than seven times greater than a year ago, powered by strong sales despite global supply chain kinks and pandemic-related production cuts in China.

April 20, 2022
Government, Business, Technology, Fuel

NHTSA Opens Probe Into LG Electric Vehicle Batteries

DETROIT — U.S. safety regulators have opened an investigation into electric and hybrid vehicle batteries after five automakers issued recalls due to possible defects that could cause fires or stalling.

April 5, 2022
Government, Business, Safety

Study: SUVs, Pickups More Likely to Hit Pedestrians Than Cars

DETROIT — Drivers of bigger vehicles such as pickup trucks and SUVs are more likely to hit pedestrians while making turns than drivers of cars, according to a new study.

March 17, 2022
Business, Fuel

Ford CEO Farley: No Plan to Spin Off EV Business

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Farley says the automaker has no plans to spin off its electric vehicle or internal combustion businesses, but is reinventing itself by removing costs and ramping up for large-scale EV and software sales.

February 23, 2022
Business

Q&A: AutoNation CEO Sees Vehicle Prices Moderating This Year

DETROIT — Prices of new and used automobiles are staggeringly high, and that’s partly responsible for strong earnings last year by AutoNation, the country’s largest dealership group.

February 18, 2022
Government, Business, Technology, Equipment, Safety, Autonomous

US OKs New Headlights That Won’t Blind Oncoming Drivers

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is about to allow new high-tech headlights that can automatically tailor beams so they focus on dark areas of the road and don’t create glare for oncoming drivers.

February 15, 2022
Government, Business, Safety, Autonomous

New Car Ratings Include How They Make Drivers Stay Alert

DETROIT — Two organizations that influence many Americans’ automobile-buying decisions will begin rating vehicles on how well they track behavior of motorists who use partially automated driver-assist systems.

January 21, 2022
Business

New Auto Sales Up in 2021, but Below Pre-Pandemic Numbers

U.S. new vehicle sales rebounded slightly last year from 2020’s dismal numbers, but forecasters expect them to be more than 2 million below the years before the coronavirus pandemic.

January 4, 2022
Government, Business, Technology, Safety, Autonomous

Tesla to Halt Games on Screens in Moving Cars

DETROIT — Under pressure from U.S. auto safety regulators, Tesla has agreed to stop allowing video games to be played on center touch screens while its vehicles are moving.

December 23, 2021