Tesla's Elon Musk bets on driverless, Volkswagen bets on China, EVs come back

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Image for article titled Tesla's Elon Musk bets on driverless, Volkswagen bets on China, EV demand roars back: Autos news roundup — Graphic: Images: Toyota Motor Co., Michael Gonzalez, seksan Mongkhonkhamsao

Don’t worry, Tesla investors. Even if Elon Musk disappears — whether kidnapped by aliens or the Terminator — his company will still figure out driverless cars, according to the firebrand CEO.

That was one of several takeaways from Tesla’s first-quarter earnings call on Tuesday, which provided the stock with a much-needed boost after a week marked by layoffs and a postponed potential announcement in India. The electric vehicle company also slashed the cost of its cars and Full Self-Driving technology ahead of Tuesday.

Honda Motor and Toyota Motor are investing more cash in North American EV production as a multinational agency forecasts that more than 1 in 5 cars sold around the world in 2024 are expected to be electric. And Volkswagen, fresh off a union victory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is focusing its efforts on getting a bigger slice of the Chinese market.

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Honda and Toyota are investing billions to build more EVs in North America

Toyota Motor has poured billions of dollars into making new electric cars in Kentucky, Indiana, and North Carolina.

Toyota Motor and Honda Motor are the latest automakers to plan billions of dollars in electric vehicle-related investments in North America as experts predict EV demand to spike.

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Volkswagen is going all-in on China

Volkswagen’s “in China, for China” strategy prioritizes accelerating model development and catering to Chinese customers.

Volkswagen aims to launch dozens of new cars — including several electric models — in China by 2030 as part of an ambitious plan to conquer more of the world’s largest auto market.

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Elon Musk says Tesla will solve self-driving cars — even if he gets ‘kidnapped by aliens tomorrow’

SpaceX founder Elon Musk doesn’t believe aliens exist. But if aliens did roam the stars, not even they could stop Tesla from launching self-driving “cybercabs” — or so he says.

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More than 1 in 5 cars sold on Earth this year will be electric

More than 1 in 5 cars sold around the world in 2024 are expected to be electric — and demand is poised to surge higher the next decade, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

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Tesla posts its biggest revenue drop in 12 years — but the stock pops as Elon Musk promises cheaper EVs soon

Tesla’s woes to start 2024 are many and ongoing — but that doesn’t mean the world’s most valuable automaker is stopping. Tesla stock soared as high as 16% after Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company reported quarterly earnings that revealed a 9% year-over-year revenue decline — its biggest drop since 2012.

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Elon Musk wanted to lay off 20% of Tesla’s workforce, report says

Elon Musk attends the 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony on April 13. Just days later, he would lay off at least 14,000 Tesla employees.

Tesla last week issued sweeping layoffs which tanked its stock and confirmed analysts’ assertions that the company is struggling with low demand.

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Tesla is slashing electric car prices around the world

Tesla has slashed prices on Model 3 and Model Y vehicles across the U.S., Europe, China, the Middle East, and Africa.

Tesla has cut prices across several of its major markets — including China, Germany, and the U.S. — to combat slowing demand for electric vehicles ahead of a major earnings report.

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Elon Musk delayed meeting with India’s prime minister because of ‘heavy’ Tesla duties

Elon Musk (left) said Tesla wants to invest in India “as soon as humanly possible” after meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York on June 20, 2023.

After years of waiting — and lobbying — to set up shop in India, it looks like Tesla is content to wait a little bit longer.

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Volkswagen workers voted to join the UAW in a big win for a unionizing push

Workers at Volkswagen’s Tennessee factory have overwhelmingly voted to join the United Auto Workers union.

Workers at Volkswagen’s factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, have voted to join the United Auto Workers (UAW) union. It’s the UAW’s latest victory in its long road to its goal of organizing every manufacturing plant operated by a major automaker in the United States.

Tesla's Elon Musk bets on driverless, Volkswagen bets on China, EV demand roars back: Autos news roundup

Plus, Honda and Toyota invest billions into North America, and the UAW gets a big win