Electric vehicles in the spotlight at Shanghai Auto Show

Apr 18, 2019
Electric cars are drawing attention and Chinese automakers are to the fore.
Chinese automaker BYD, a firm backed by Warren Buffet, unveiled an electric sports car at the Shanghai auto show. It’s not available for sale yet but many live streamers and car bloggers were surprised that this sleek design came from a Chinese automaker.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

Ford plans to close plants and slash its workforce in Europe

Jan 10, 2019
The Ford Motor Co. announced Thursday morning that it’s going to “transform” its operations in Europe. That means the automaker will close plants, stop producing some models and lay off what a Ford executive called a “significant number” of its 50,000 European employees. Ford’s been in Europe for more than a century. It’s also the […]

Automakers fret over threat of Trump tariffs

Jul 3, 2018
Car sales figures for last month are coming out today, but automakers are focusing on the future, especially since President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs of up to 25 percent on imported cars. GM says if tariffs land, its cars will cost up to $6,000 more, and the company would have to lay off workers. […]

A seven-year uphill ride for auto sales has hit the brakes, sort of

Jan 4, 2018
Sales of light trucks keep tears for auto dealers at bay.

A sales slump for cars can mean deals for buyers

May 2, 2017
Car sales in the U.S. are down, compared to last year, for the fourth straight month. That’s largely across the board. Ford, GM, Fiat-Chrysler and Toyota all reported lower sales. That means the bonanza that the auto industry has been enjoying for the past several years may be cooling off. That means dealership lots are […]

Car sales leveling off

Aug 4, 2016
Recent sales reports point to a plateau in vehicle sales in the U.S.
Toyota sales are down about 1 percent from this time last year.
David McNew/Getty Images

U.S. auto makers optimistic about European sales

Sep 15, 2015
But the dollar's strength against the euro makes things tricky.

For public good, not for profit.

Another Costco bonus for members: discount cars

Jun 11, 2015
Costco earns most of its revenue from member fees for helping members find bargains.

Tesla challenge to dealers goes beyond electric cars

Jun 8, 2015
A weakening of state franchise laws could open car dealerships to consolidation.

Strong auto sales without big cash rebates

Jun 2, 2015
That means consumers are shopping for quality, analyst says.