Chrysler urges Congress to speed trade

Chrysler Group LLC urged a Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday to approve legislation that will make it easier for the automaker to speed vehicle and parts shipments across North American borders.

Italy to press Fiat's Marchionne over commitment to country

The Italian government plans to press Fiat SpA Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne over concerns he's shifting the carmaker and heavy truck manufacturer Fiat Industrial SpA away from the country.

Tesla, Chrysler spar over loan repayment

Washington — Electric vehicle start-up Tesla Motors Inc. sparked a war of words with Chrysler Group LLC on Wednesday after Tesla said it was the "only American car company to have fully repaid the government."

Marchionne apologizes to Italian-Americans for offensive remark

Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has apologized to Italian-Americans for using the term 'wop' during a press conference at the Detroit Auto Show in January.

Longtime auto industry lobbyist will retire

Washington — One of the longest serving auto industry lobbyists said late Tuesday he will retire early next year.

Car condos proposed for former General Motors site in Pontiac

A Birmingham entrepreneur wants to turn more than 80 acres of vacant land once owned by General Motors Co. in Pontiac into a destination for car enthusiasts that would include more than 300 “car condominiums” to house their valuable, classic and exotic cars.

Aussie travels the world searching for Tucker cars

On an extended drive-about from Australia, Brendan Edgerton parked his $150 right-hand drive 1989 Holden Commodore at the entrance to the Henry Ford Museum. He had come to see Tucker automobile #16, one of the world’s 47 existing Tuckers built by automotive dreamer Preston Tucker in 1948.

Tesla plans to raise up to $1.08B while repaying U.S.

Tesla Motors Inc., the electric-car maker run by Elon Musk, increased the size of its equity and debt offerings by 30 percent to as much as $1.08 billion to repay its U.S. loan and build up cash reserves.

Fiat said to be considering headquarters move to U.S.

Fiat SpA, Italy’s biggest manufacturer, is considering moving its corporate headquarters to the U.S. following a planned merger with Chrysler Group LLC, three people familiar with the matter said.

Feds aim to foil traffic hacking

Washington — The top U.S. auto safety regulator said the agency would take action to ensure self-driving cars electronically connected to traffic networks and to each other can’t be hacked.

Outlander, Forester pass crash tests

Washington — Two of 13 small SUVs passed new tougher frontal crash tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Patented powertrain key to EV carmaker’s success

Elon Musk was fresh off the sale of PayPal and starting another business, commercial rocket service Space Exploration Technologies Corp., when he met kindred spirit JB Straubel. Their shared belief that consumer electronics advances could be applied to more earthly modes of transport is a cornerstone of Tesla Motors Inc.

White House not backing plan to tighten drunken-driving limits

Washington — The Obama administration isn't backing the National Transportation Safety Board's call to drop the legal limit for drunken driving from 0.08 percent blood-alcohol content to 0.05.

Briefs: New No. 2 NHTSA official has history with automakers

Washington — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a new No. 2 official who has often sparred with automakers.

Report: EV charging stations may grow tenfold by end of decade

The number of electric-vehicle charging stations is expected to grow substantially by the end of the decade, according to a new report compiled by IMS Research.

NHTSA’s new No. 2 has history of tangling with automakers

Washington - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a new No. 2 official who has often sparred with automakers.

Feds urge states to lower drunken-driving limit

Washington — A National Transportation Safety Board recommendation to lower the legal limit on drunken driving would save hundreds of lives annually, the NTSB ...

Ally, ResCap strike deal to complete restructuring

Washington — Ally Financial Inc. reached a deal Tuesday that should allow its troubled mortgage unit Residential Capital LLC to complete its bankruptcy ...

Big 3 dominate vehicle quality survey, take or tie for 12 top spots

For the first time in more than a decade, the biggest U.S. automakers had a majority of category winners in a survey of vehicle quality, taking or tying in 12 ...

U.S. opens safety investigations into older Chrysler, Mazda vehicles

Washington — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday it is opening new investigations into older Chrysler vehicles that stall ...

Survey shows relationship between automakers, suppliers fragile

New fuel-efficient cars and luxury-loaded pickups are driving the U.S. auto industry back from the depths of the Great Recession. Sales are up, profits are ...

Cars made in Brazil are deadly

Sao Paulo — The cars roll endlessly off the local assembly lines of the industry's biggest automakers, more than 10,000 a day, into the eager hands of ...

World’s wrecked cars reincarnated on Afghanistan’s dusty streets

Herat, Afghanistan — They sit in the sun harboring their lost histories, their forgotten dreams, their traces of funerals, graduations and stolen kisses. ...

Magna founder sees shift abroad

Washington — The founder of North America’s largest auto supplier says the struggling European auto industry will need to get smaller to survive.

Chrysler recalling 475,000 vehicles for electrical issues

Washington -- Chrysler Group LLC will is recalling about 475,000 vehicles in three separate recall campaigns -- most covering older-model SUVs worldwide to ...

Progress being made in ResCap bankruptcy cases, court-appointed examiner says

Washington — A deal may be near to resolve claims from creditors of Ally Financial’s bankrupt mortgage unit Residential Capital LLC that could allow for a ...

U.S. bureaucracy, lawsuits may stymie driverless cars

Detroit — The U.S. is likely to be secondary market for fully autonomous vehicles when they become available in about a decade, analysts predicted Thursday.

Tesla Model S gets a 99 out of 100 rating from Consumer Reports

Tesla Motors Inc.'s all-electric Model S sedan ranks as Consumer Reports' highest rated vehicle, the influential magazine said Thursday.

Chrysler begins work on new engine line at Trenton factory

Auburn Hills — Chrysler Group LLC has begun work on a new engine assembly line at its motor factory in Trenton — a move that could add more than ...