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A revamped proposal in the U.S. Senate to extend the tax credit for new electric vehicle purchases is less about consumers and more about sourcing, said Jennifer Safavian, CEO of industry trade group Autos Drive America.

The EV tax credit proposal unveiled last week by U.S. Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer and Joe Manchin lifts the cap on the current $7,500 tax credit but adds increasingly stringent critical mineral and battery sourcing requirements for automakers, among other rules.

Safavian, whose group represents the U.S. operations of international automakers such as Hyundai, Toyota and Volkswagen, said the "clean vehicle" credit that is included in the latest iteration of the Democrats' reconciliation bill — now called the Inflation Reduction Act — is "no longer a credit for electric vehicles."

"It's really a sourcing credit," she said Tuesday during a hybrid version of the annual CAR Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, Mich. "It's not abou…

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Illinois’ biggest electric vehicle producer is complaining that pending federal legislation intended to incentivize people to buy electric cars and trucks actually would hurt it, putting it at a competitive disadvantage.

In a statement and an interview, James Chen, vice president of public policy for Rivian, said the pending climate change bill, the result of a political deal between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., would give most breaks to other producers like Tesla and General Motors that have had longer to ramp up production or do some manufacturing overseas.

While Rivian applauds the intention of the pending bill, “as currently drafted, this legislation will pull the rug out from consumers considering purchase of an American-made electric vehicle,” said Chen, whose company employs roughly 6,000 workers at an assembly plant in downstate Normal. Though the company last week announced it was laying off 50 nonmanufacturing …

Reynold & Reynolds makes an acquisition to boost cybersecurity offerings. Public dealers show that inventory is still scarce. The world’s biggest auto supplier sees the chip shortage continuing well beyond 2022. Plus, Automotive News reporter Michael Martinez discusses the power dynamics on display at the UAW’s constitutional convention.

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An Illinois judge on Friday granted Carvana Co.'s request to halt the Illinois Secretary of State's latest revocation of its license to sell vehicles in the state.

The development comes days after the regulatory agency re-suspended Carvana's dealer license, a move aimed at prohibiting new sales by the online used-vehicle retailer. The agency at the time said it took the action because it found the company was not transferring vehicle titles within 20 days of sale or properly issuing temporary registrations.

But Carvana last week filed a motion for a temporary restraining order and injunctive relief against Secretary of State Jesse White, according to court records. That was ultimately granted by Judge Bonnie Wheaton of the 18th Judicial Circuit Court in DuPage County.

The agency is forbidden from "suspending or revoking" Carvana's certificates of authority and dealer plates, according to Wheaton's order.

"We sincerely appreciate the support from o…

Stellantis said it's investing $99 million at three plants to produce a new 1.4-liter turbocharged engine that has "flexibility for hybrid-electric vehicle applications."

The automaker is making the investments at its Dundee Engine Complex in Michigan, Kokomo Casting Plant in Indiana and Etobicoke Casting Plant in Toronto.

The company said Monday that the next-generation I-4 tigershark engine will power two future hybrid models in North America and will be the first hybrid engine for the company in the region. Production is expected to begin in early 2025.

Stellantis is putting $83 million into the Dundee Engine Complex, which will be retooled and function as the final assembly location for the new engine. The company said the Dundee plant will continue production of the 3.6-liter Pentastar Upgrade engine for the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Grand Cherokee L. Production for the current tigershark engine at the plant, which is a 2.4-liter design, will end…

Sonic Automotive Inc. CEO David Smith, following the June 22 death of his father and company co-founder Bruton Smith, has been elected chairman of the board of the dealer group, according to a document filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The filing said Sonic's board elected David Smith, 47, on July 27.

In the same filing, Sonic said former CEO Scott Smith was elected, also on July 27, to fill the vacant board seat left open by his father's death.

Scott Smith, 54, who co-founded Sonic with Bruton Smith in 1997, was the company's CEO from July 2015 until he resigned in September 2018 and was succeeded by his brother David. Scott Smith had been on Sonic's board from 1997 until 2018.

The regulatory filing noted that Scott Smith is a "greater than 10 percent beneficial owner of the company." Scott Smith's term on the board is set to expire at Sonic's 2023 annual meeting of stockholders, the filing said.

Scott Smith, who So…