Support the fact-based journalism you rely on with a donation to Marketplace today. Give Now!

What does Volvo’s big electric car announcement have to do with China? A lot.

Jul 5, 2017
Volvo is the first major car company to announce when it will stop developing cars that run on good ol’ internal combustion engines. Starting in 2019, all of Volvo’s new models will be hybrids or electric vehicles. The company has its origins in Sweden, but it’s been owned by Chinese carmaker Geely since 2009. You […]

The Tesla for the rest of us is here

Jul 3, 2017
The $35,000 Model 3 is on track for production this week.

New car sales are falling back to earth

Jul 3, 2017
Pent-up demand from the Great Recession has been mostly fulfilled.
Carl Court/Getty Images

The market for electric buses is speeding right along

Jun 30, 2017
It sounds like a thing of the future, but many cities and counties are trading in their diesel mass transit vehicles for electric ones.
An electric bus pulls up to the Pomona, California transit center. Proterra sold its first electric buses on the west coast to Foothill Transit, the group in charge of running Pomona's buses.
Andy Uhler/Marketplace

Auto rental companies seeking a driverless lift from tech firms

Jun 27, 2017
The rise of ride-sharing apps has been tough for old-school rental car agencies. Who wants to pay for a car and parking when a couple of rides might be cheaper? But this week some rental car companies are getting a boost from partnerships with tech firms. Google’s Waymo announced a deal with Avis Budget Group […]

New York’s plagued subway annoys riders and hurts the economy

Jun 27, 2017
You thought your commute was bad? More than 30 New York City subway riders got hurt this morning after two cars derailed, scraped the side of the subway tunnel and came to a stop. Delays spread throughout the system. It’s the kind of hang-up New Yorkers are sadly accustomed to, with about 70,000 subway delays per […]

Ford announces job cuts as it seeks to balance near-term profits with long-term goals

May 16, 2017
There’s news that Ford will cut about 10 percent of its global workforce in an effort to help lift its stock. Ford’s CEO Mark Fields has been out there talking about the future of his company as a “mobility” firm that could offer services like car sharing. These are long-term strategies for Ford’s health, the […]

For public good, not for profit.

GM announces record profit share for its workers. Where does it go from here?

Feb 7, 2017
General Motors has announced record earnings of $12.5 billion last year. The company’s 52,000 hourly workers will take home profit-sharing checks of as much as $12,000. It’s an impressive feat, considering where the company was less than a decade ago. But the car company is not resting on its laurels.

President Trump wants more US auto plants — but there are obstacles

Jan 24, 2017
President Trump told the heads of General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler today that he wants to see new auto plants built in the U.S. He signed an executive order to streamline the permitting process for getting domestic manufacturing projects off the ground, the goal being to reduce what he called the “incredibly cumbersome, long, […]

Ridesharing could cut 75 percent of traffic in Manhattan

Jan 6, 2017
If everyone shared we'd save a whole lot of gas without using much time.
Taxis sit in a flooded lot after Hurricane Sandy October 30, 2012 in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images