Trade News

SINDELFINGEN, Germany — Mercedes-Benz's newly redesigned S-Class luxury sedan, revealed last week here, represents a big step forward in the automaker's eyes-off autonomous driving technology.

But the new S-Class faces a real dilemma: Major markets such as the United States are not ready for the technology yet.

Germany is.

Three years ago, government leaders enacted landmark legislation permitting motorists to hand over full driving control of their vehicle to its on-board autonomous systems if specific conditions are met. But virtually every other country in the world is still grappling with the question of how to safely roll out the technology on their roads.

Markus Schäfer, head of technical development at Mercedes-Benz Cars, said the carmaker has a lot of persuading to do, given the patchwork of legal jurisdictions both in Europe and abroad that are still evolving.

"It's trying to read a crystal ball…

Automakers are ready to take the field for one of the most uncertain National Football League seasons ever.

In normal times, the biggest question mark for the NFL, which kicks off Thursday, Sept. 10, would be about who's going to take home the Vince Lombardi Trophy in February. But the coronavirus pandemic threatens to disrupt the league and the games that have long been a key cog in many automakers' marketing strategies.

Major League Baseball already has had to postpone games because of COVID-19 outbreaks among teams.

The NFL, which drew $4.3 billion in advertising dollars last season, could face the same problem, said Kevin Krim, CEO of analytics firm EDO Inc.

" 'Sunday Night Football,' 'Monday Night Football' and 'Thursday Night Football' are all incredibly valuable franchises," Krim said. "If suddenly there's an outbreak the morning of one of those games, they're not going to be able to play. There is this risk that …

Tesla Inc. shares tumbled as much as 8 percent in postmarket trading Friday as investors who contributed to its jaw-dropping rally this year in anticipation it may join the S&P 500 Index will have to wait for another day.

Elon Musk’s electric vehicle maker was widely expected to be added to the prestigious benchmark after it reported a fourth consecutive quarterly profit in July, clearing the last major hurdle for consideration by S&P Dow Jones Indices, which oversees the gauge. Some, including Credit Suisse analyst Dan Levy, said the move might be announced Friday in order for the stock to begin trading as an S&P component this month, although he added that there was no guarantee a decision was imminent.

Instead, online retailer Etsy Inc., semiconductor equipment manufacturer Teradyne Inc. and medical technology firm Catalent Inc. were added, replacing H&R Block Inc., Coty Inc. and Kohl’s Corp.

S&P Dow Jones Indices, which oversees t…

The U.S. and Europe's ambition to boost production of rare raw materials used in electric vehicles and reduce dependence on China will face obstacles, including higher costs and environmental concerns.

The European Union stepped up a push to become less reliant on imported raw materials, with the European Commission vowing to create a raw-materials alliance by the end of the year due to their importance in growing industries.

Two U.S. Congressmen this month introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at reducing dependence on China for rare earths, similar to what Senator Ted Cruz introduced in May.

Concern about the outsized influence of China gained more prominence as trade tensions increased between the U.S and China. Cost, access to the raw materials and environmental concerns may be the biggest stumbling blocks for creating an independent supply chain, according to analysts.

"It's very difficult to sustain, it's expensive to sustain," said Jennifer B…

Beasts sometimes lurk at Jeep Only.

When people stop by the Las Vegas dealership dedicated to the free-spirited brand, they might catch a glimpse of beefed-up Gladiators and Wranglers loaded with Demon and Hellcat power waiting for someone to give them a home.

The monstrous contraptions bearing six-figure price tags are the handiwork of Dakota Customs, which specializes in tossing supercharged V-8 engines into Jeeps and Rams. The business also sells conversion kits for the do-it-yourself crowd, including off-road shops and Jeep dealerships.

It's a nice arrangement for Jeep Only. The store sends the Jeeps to Dakota, which does the conversions and ships back the vehicles. The dealership has sold a half dozen of the modified Jeeps in the past few months, co-owner John Grant said.

The store has a 2020 Gladiator Rubicon model with a Demon engine listed on its website for $250,000. There are a couple of Hellcat Wranglers going for as much as $169,950.<…

Editor's note: This story is part of the annual Automotive News "Future Product Pipeline" series.

Mazda's addition of the CX-30 crossover this year has paid off big for U.S. sales, allowing the Japanese automaker to weather the coronavirus crisis better than its bigger rivals.

As it awaits another new crossover next year — from its Alabama joint- venture with Toyota — Mazda is adding new powertrain options to keep its lineup lively.

They include both a down-market motor that lowers the price of the base Mazda3 sedan, and an upmarket turbocharged engine for the Mazda3 sedan and hatch that advances the brand's premium intentions. The top trim hatchback with turbo and all-wheel drive starts at $34,696 with shipping.

The turbo motor will show up in the CX-30 as well, making for a potent subcompact CUV. The smaller nonturbo motor could also be a future option for the base model.

What isn't offered are hybrid, plug-in hybrid or EV options. Mazd…

Tensions over whether drivers for Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. should be considered contractors or employees have come to a head.

For years, the ride-hailing companies have classified their workers as independent contractors rather than employees — at the same time avoiding having to provide full employee benefits.

Both companies have long said that changing the way drivers are classified would have a severe impact on already- thin profit margins. Now they face that possibility in the nation's most populous state.

In California, both companies — along with food delivery service DoorDash — are campaigning for a ballot measure set for a vote in November that would exempt app-based transportation and delivery companies from requirements of a new state labor law.

The law requires companies to reclassify their gig economy workers as employees unless three criteria are met: One, that the worker is free from the hiri…

BOSTON -- A federal judge on Friday ruled that two Massachusetts men can be legally extradited to Japan to face charges they helped former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn flee the country in a box and on a private jet.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell in Boston rejected the arguments against extradition by U.S. Army Special Forces veteran Michael Taylor and his son, Peter Taylor, and certified the case for the U.S. secretary of state to evaluate.

The Taylors' lawyers had argued they could not be extradited because Japanese penal code does not make it a crime to help someone "bail jump," and that they could only be charged if Japanese authorities were already pursuing Ghosn pre-escape.

But Cabell rejected that argument, saying their conduct "literally brings them squarely within the purview" of the law, which makes it a crime to harbor or enabling the escape of someone like Ghosn who has committed a crime.

Lawyers for the Taylors did not …

General Motors is recalling more than 7,000 2020 Chevrolet Corvettes because the vehicle can be driven with the front trunk lid unlatched, creating the possibility of the hood flipping open.

The recall prompted General Motors to place a stop-delivery order on the 2020 Corvette, according to NHTSA.

If drivers ignore vehicle warnings that the hood is not latched, wind can open the unlatched hood. The opened hood could obstruct a driver's forward view, increasing the risk of a crash, according to NHTSA.

The Corvette's hood latch warnings, prior to the recall, were both visual and audible: A hood-ajar icon in the instrumental panel, an initial audible chime activated once, a more persistent chime when the vehicle was moving above 3 mph, and a driver information center display with a message that the vehicle speed is limited to 82 mph.

GM spokesman Dan Flores said dealers will make the repair before selling any 2020 Corvett…

Before Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk returned to the U.S. after a three-day visit to Germany, he made a final stopover to meet with one of his biggest competitors -- Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess.

The two auto executives met for about two hours on Thursday evening at a small airport in Brunswick, where Musk test-drove VW's ID3 electric compact car, according to people familiar with the matter. Musk also inspected the ID4 electric SUV that VW will launch later this year, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the meeting wasn't public.

A VW Group spokesman confirmed that Diess met with Musk, but declined to comment on details.

Musk had toured Europe's largest economy since Tuesday, visiting pharmaceutical company Curevac, before moving on to Berlin for meetings with politicians and a visit of the factory Tesla is building outside the German capital in Gruenheide.

The site would be Tesla's first assembly plant in Europe and could produce as…

Join Automotive News Publisher Jason Stein for a daily podcast series about the coronavirus crisis. He’ll speak with industry experts, insiders and Automotive News reporters about how the virus is impacting and reshaping the automotive industry.

Deloitte's Global Transportation leader Simon Dixon discusses the firm's 2020 Global City Mobility Index and explains which cities around the world are making advances and ushering in smart mobility.

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