Tesla's AI, a GM and Hyundai partnership, and Stellantis' EV investment: Auto news roundup
Plus, automakers are eying a hybrid hedge, and Tesla's robots could save it hundreds of millions of dollars
The automotive industry is, well, kinda tough. That’s something that just about every carmaker is remembering this week, as markets remain messy and consumers are always looking for better vehicles.
That’s part of why General Motors $GM and Hyundai Motor Co. announced Thursday that they might team up to make new vehicles, and why Volkswagen is pondering factory closures for the first time in decades. It’s also why Stellantis $STLA is dumping more cash into making new EVs — and batteries — in the U.S., and why automakers are focusing on making cheaper electric cars and eyeing hybrid strategies.
Catch up on these stories — and anything else you may have missed — in this week’s auto news roundup.
General Motors $GM (GM) and the Hyundai Motor Co. said on Thursday that they had agreed to explore a partnership to slash costs and make new clean-energy vehicles amid a tough market.
Stellantis $STLA (STLA) on Wednesday said it would invest $406 million to upgrade three Michigan plants to build electric vehicles, including the automaker’s first fully-electric car made in the U.S.
Elon Musk’s Tesla $TSLA (TSLA) may have an easy way to save a lot of cash, according to analysts — just replace a bunch of workers with robots.
Volkswagen (VWAGY) isn’t planning on abandoning its home country, even as it eyes its first factory shutdown since the 1980s amid a shrinking auto market, CEO Oliver Blume says.
Tesla $TSLA (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk has denied a report that his automaker has considered sharing revenue with his artificial intelligence startup, xAI, so that it can use its models.
Hybrid vehicles are all the rage right now, as American consumers look for cars that offer some of the environmental benefits of going electric, without relying entirely on battery power.
Ford $F (F) is continuing its push into making vehicle-to-grid technology more mainstream. The automaker’s latest partnership is teaming up with a Southern California utility provider to pay EV owners a pretty nice amount for helping to bolster the grid. — Lawrence Hodge / Jalopnik
Electric vehicles aren’t cheap yet. I mean, to be fair, no cars are cheap anymore with an average transaction price above $48,000, but now “luxury” EV makers are looking to capitalize on a market looking for cheaper all-electric vehicles. Tesla $TSLA, Rivian $RIVN, Lucid $LCID, and even VinFast are planning on bringing cheaper offerings to the U.S. as more and more people are turned away by high-priced electric vehicles. — Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recalled more than 1.2 million RAM pickup trucks in the U.S. for a software malfunction that could lead to crashes. — Ben Kesslen
In order for its Autopilot driver assistance system to work, Tesla $TSLA fits cameras to every corner of its electric vehicles to monitor surroundings and assess the road ahead. While the car’s internal computers make on the fly decisions about how to respond to things like road signs and parked cars, Tesla (TSLA) has a whole team of researchers programming Autopilot to respond to different situations that may arise on the road. — Owen Bellwood / Jalopnik