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The hefty costs of heavier cars

The trend of bigger, weightier vehicles — known as car bloat — has contributed to road fatalities and environmental contamination.
Over 80% of new vehicles these days are SUVs and pickup trucks, said David Zipper of the MIT Mobility Initiative. Bigger vehicles have bigger impacts on safety and the environment.
Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images

EVs are supersizing as carmakers roll out more electric SUVs and trucks

Jun 15, 2023
While EV trucks and SUVs are better for the environment than their gas-guzzling counterparts, they come with other problems.
Andy Purdy stands with his Volkswagen ID.4 in front of his house in Benson, Vt. He bought this electric SUV last year to accommodate his family of four.
Henry Epp

What's driving car prices ever higher?

Apr 6, 2023
The new entry-level price for a new vehicle is $25,000, auto research site Edmunds says.
Ford is one automaker that has moved its focus from smaller, more affordable sedans to trucks and SUVs.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

Rivian nabs MotorTrend award in positive sign for electric truck segment

Dec 13, 2021
Electric vehicles have been known more for eco-consciousness and finesse than ruggedness and power.
The Rivian R1T, which won MotorTrend's 2022 truck of the year award, is seen on stage at the LA Auto Show on Nov. 17.
Frederic J. Brown /AFP via Getty Images

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

How can trucking companies get more drivers on the road?

Jun 1, 2021
“COVID has shown Americans the importance of the trucking profession,” said Darrel Harris, president of Yellow Corp.
Photo courtesy Heather Nauert

Tesla's Cybertruck tries to make a dent in a tough market

Nov 28, 2019
Detroit dominates U.S. pickup truck sales. Traditionally it's been hard for newcomers to break in.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveils the all-electric battery-powered Tesla Cybertruck.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

DOT loosens rules for driverless trucks

Oct 5, 2018
The Department of Transportation said in its new autonomous vehicle guidelines Thursday that a human driver doesn’t necessarily have to be in the driver’s seat of a commercial motor vehicle. That means an artificial intelligence system could potentially drive a truck. What could this mean for the trucking industry? Click the audio player above to hear the […]

Automakers release sales figures and ponder the road ahead

Aug 1, 2018
The big U.S. and foreign automakers release their July sales numbers Wednesday. Car and light-truck sales have been strong so far this year — with consumer confidence up, the job market good, and people banking a little more income from the recent tax cuts. How does the rest of the year look for automakers? Click […]
Cars are prepared for distribution at a Ford factory on January 13, 2015. 
Carl Court/Getty Images

Ford Motor Co. will phase out its traditional sedans in North America

Apr 26, 2018
Ford Motor Co. announced it’s going to stop making cars for the North American market, save the Mustang and Focus Active. The automaker plans to phase out five of its cars to focus on SUVs, trucks and crossovers. Dan Neil writes about cars for the Wall Street Journal. He talked with Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal about […]