May 15 Will robot cars drive traffic congestion off a cliff? By Joan Lowy, Associated Press Self-driving cars are expected to usher in a new era of mobility, safety and convenience. The problem, say transportation researchers, is that people will use them too much. Continue reading
Jan 06 Watch 5:36 After a boom year, what’s down the road for the auto industry? By PBS News Hour In 2015, Americans spent roughly $570 billion dollars on more than 17 million cars and trucks, breaking a record set 15 years earlier. But it was also a year of automaker scandal, including a probe into GM's defective ignition switch… Continue watching
Jul 22 Watch 7:46 Hacking researchers kill a car engine on the highway to send a message to automakers By PBS News Hour Driving on a highway in St. Louis, WIRED writer Andy Greenberg allowed himself to get car-hacked. Two researchers were able to remotely blast the stereo on his SUV, turn on the windshield wipers and kill the engine. Today, vehicles function… Continue watching
Jan 12 Watch 5:28 How automakers and car buyers are responding to low gas prices By PBS News Hour Since last year’s Detroit Auto Show, gas prices have dropped by nearly a third. With the new lower prices, demand has gone up for big new SUVs and sedans, but automakers have also switched gears to develop more fuel-efficient cars. Continue watching
Sep 16 Safety agency mishandled GM recall, House panel says By Joan Lowy, Tom Krishner, Associated Press WASHINGTON — A House committee has determined that the government's auto safety agency should have discovered General Motors' faulty ignition switches seven years before the company recalled 2.6 million cars to fix the deadly problem. Continue reading
Sep 15 GM ignition switch death toll likely to climb above 19 people By Murrey Jacobson General Motors may have so far only acknowledged 13 driver deaths due to its multiple problems with ignition switches and air bags, but the independent compensation administrator hired by the company said today there are at least 19 deaths likely… Continue reading
Apr 09 Land Rover concept car allows drivers to see through a ‘transparent’ hood By Willis Raburu A new innovation from Land Rover will, quite literally, let you see through tough obstacles on your course. The British manufacturer plans to unveil the technology it calls a "Transparent Hood" at the 2014 New York Auto Show,… Continue reading
Apr 01 Watch Disavowing GM decisions of the past, CEO Barra offers apology and further investigation By PBS News Hour Continue watching
Apr 01 GM CEO, safety watchdog to testify before Congress By Dee-Ann Durbin, Associated Press General Motors' new CEO and the head of the nation's auto safety watchdog are headed to Congress to testify about a defect in small cars that is linked to 13 deaths. In written testimony released ahead of a Tuesday House… Continue reading
Mar 19 Watch What Toyota’s $1.2 billion settlement means for the auto industry By PBS News Hour The Justice Department announced a record $1.2 billion dollar penalty leveled at automaker Toyota. A four-year criminal investigation determined the car company had concealed unintended acceleration issues, a serious safety concern. That case could serve as a warning to General… Continue watching