Author: News Room
The biggest car news and reviews, no BS Our free daily newsletter sends the stories that really matter directly to you, every weekday. Since Waymo arrived on the public stage as Google’s self-titled autonomous-driving project almost 20 years ago, the promise that self-driving cars would dramatically curtail crashes has remained just that. A handful of companies operate autonomous ride-hailing services in some cities (San Francisco is downright lousy with autonomous cars), but high-profile mishaps show how elusive real progress is. Yet Waymo may be heading in the right direction, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The nonprofit organization…
The biggest car news and reviews, no BS Our free daily newsletter sends the stories that really matter directly to you, every weekday. On Friday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration denied a petition request to investigate the Tesla Model 3’s emergency door handles for being hard to locate, and therefore unsafe, in the event of a crash. However, in that determination, it also vowed to write new rules around handles that “mandate a robust and obvious door egress system in all motor vehicles.” These rules will take some time to develop; one expert that Bloomberg spoke to estimated that…
The biggest car news and reviews, no BS Our free daily newsletter sends the stories that really matter directly to you, every weekday. There’s plenty of motion in government right now to lock out vehicles with China ties, either through investment or tech, out of the U.S. market. Yesterday, a Senate committee approved a bill to ban manufacturers that are more than 15% owned by Chinese entities. Meanwhile, a different measure seeks to eliminate components made in China from cars sold here. That’s the reason why Polestar is packing up and leaving. Unfortunately, it figures to make the cars that…
The biggest car news and reviews, no BS Our free daily newsletter sends the stories that really matter directly to you, every weekday. Six giants dominate auto services. Private equity firms control most major chains, maintaining local branding for customer trust. Mavis expands with Pep Boys acquisition. This move highlights the consolidation trend in the industry. Private equity’s strategic play. Firms like Roark and Monomoy capitalize on regional brand equity without rebranding. Impact on consumers. Consolidation offers benefits like pricing and availability but reduces competition and choice. Bottom line: A few powerful companies, driven by private equity, quietly control most…
The biggest car news and reviews, no BS Our free daily newsletter sends the stories that really matter directly to you, every weekday. Car obsessives with a keen eye can spot a high-performance model from a mile away. Sometimes, the differences are fairly obvious; the wing on an STI versus a normal Subaru WRX comes to mind. Other times, though, they’re more subtle. (I love hot hatchbacks, but even I have to squint to know if I’m looking at a VW Golf R or GTI at a glance.) But automakers are establishing a trend that makes it even easier to…
The biggest car news and reviews, no BS Our free daily newsletter sends the stories that really matter directly to you, every weekday. Right to repair empowers consumers. It ensures car owners can access repair information and choose service providers, not just dealerships. Tech advances challenge old agreements. Modern cars’ proprietary software and data collection aren’t covered by past right-to-repair deals. Legislation falls short. Current bills fail to address critical issues like telematics and software access, maintaining automaker control. Bipartisan support with consumer focus. The movement appeals across political lines, emphasizing consumer rights and small business support. ✦ AI assisted,…
The biggest car news and reviews, no BS Our free daily newsletter sends the stories that really matter directly to you, every weekday. Many dealers offer optional alarms as an add-on when you buy a vehicle from them. One company called Karr sells such systems and is a leader in this space, with its tech installed in approximately 2 million vehicles across the U.S. However, not every owner may be aware that their vehicle has a Karr alarm to begin with, and that’s because some dealers actually install and leave them there, whether buyers choose to pay for their capabilities…