French car commercials will soon urge buyers to reconsider driving

Jan 14, 2022
Automakers will have to include language that suggests consumers take public transportation or bike or walk, especially for shorter trips.
In France, car commercials will need language that encourages consumers not to drive.
Tanya Rozhnovskaya via Getty Images

Car dealerships short on cars, going big on prices

Dec 17, 2021
A dealer in the Los Angeles area describes bidding wars for the few vehicles that are on the lot.
Theo Ebert, right, and Lee Dibble stand on the empty new car lot at Vista Ford Lincoln in Woodland Hills.
Benjamin Gottlieb

Facing the electric vehicle era, Brits grow nostalgic about fossil-fueled cars

Aug 9, 2021
One of the hottest new attractions this summer is a car museum that offers visitors the chance to relive their petrol-driven past.
The Morris Minor, launched in 1948, was the first British car to sell more than 1 million units.
Stephen Beard

France’s budget electric vehicle looks like a toaster and is sold like one, too

Jul 21, 2021
Citroën's "mobility object" is a small two-seater — think of it as a four-wheel moped. No driver's license required.
The new all-electric urban vehicle named 'Ami' by French carmaker Citroen is taken for a test drive for the purposes of a photo illustration in the Place le la Concorde on 23 September 2020, in Paris, France. Citroen's Ami falls into the quadricycle category, and can be driven without a license in France from the age of 14.
Photo by Abdulmonam Eassa/Getty Images

How easy is it to find an affordable, energy-efficient car? Depends where you live.

Jun 23, 2021
Amy Harder at Breakthrough Energy describes her car-buying journey.
Amy Harder in her new car: a prius. "I like to joke that it's like going into the grocery store, saying you're going to find the most exciting ice cream flavor ever, and you come out with vanilla," said Harder.
Courtesy of Amy Harder

U.S. cars and light trucks got a little older during the pandemic

Jun 15, 2021
The average age rose by a couple months to 12.1 years. That doesn't mean there are more clunkers on the road.
The average vehicle on the road in the U.S. is now about 12.1 years old, new data shows.
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images

Why self-driving cars are designed to look like overgrown toys

Mar 9, 2021
To make customers comfortable with mobile robots, companies are designing in approachability and familiarity.
This Nuro vehicle is built to transport packages, not people.
Nuro

For public good, not for profit.

Vehicle sales tell story of separate economic realities

Jan 15, 2021
The average selling price of new vehicles reached a record high in late 2020. Last year also saw vehicle loan debt increase to record levels.
Prices rose in both the new and used vehicle markets last year.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Automakers announce furloughs due to COVID-19 shutdowns

Apr 8, 2020
The auto industry is juggling the need to cut costs while preserving its workforce to ramp up once factories reopen.
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Some auto insurers offer discounts as COVID-19 curtails driving

Apr 7, 2020
The calculation is that fewer cars on the road result in fewer accidents, and savings on insurance payouts.
Driving is down 35% to 50% across the country, meaning fewer crashes, Allstate CEO Tom Wilson says.
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images