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Used car salesman? He’s looking better and better to consumers

Jun 28, 2018
If the threatened 25 percent tariffs on cars produced in the European Union coming into the United States are imposed, more and more people may head to the used car lot.  Click the audio player above to hear the full story. 

The venerable sedan gives way to crossovers and trucks

Jun 14, 2018
Two out of every five vehicles sold in the United States is a cross utility vehicle, or CUV.
Honda executives celebrate as the 2018 Honda Accord is named the car of the year at the 2018 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, Michigan, on Jan. 15, 2018.
JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

Ford Motor Co. will phase out its traditional sedans in North America

Apr 26, 2018
Ford Motor Co. announced it’s going to stop making cars for the North American market, save the Mustang and Focus Active. The automaker plans to phase out five of its cars to focus on SUVs, trucks and crossovers. Dan Neil writes about cars for the Wall Street Journal. He talked with Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal about […]

Can we get enough of cup holders?

Mar 1, 2018
Whether it’s to fit an extra Big Gulp cup or to store your kids’ playthings, it seems like we always want more cup holders in our cars — and car makers are trying to meet this demand. Chester Dawson is a reporter from Wall Street Journal‘s Detroit Bureau. He writes about the new trend of […]

GM aims to cut billons as it eyes driverless vehicle service

Feb 6, 2018
General Motors reports fourth-quarter earnings before the market opens today. Analysts are expecting an earnings increase for the big carmaker, which retook the lead from Tesla in market valuation last year. GM stock rallied 20 percent in 2017 as the company unveiled bold plans for driverless taxis. Click the above audio player to hear the […]

Five reasons for a self-driving car slowdown

Jan 30, 2018
The self-driving car revolution might take longer than expected. Maybe that's fine.
A Smart Vision EQ Fortwo autonomous electric concept car stands on display at the 2017 Frankfurt Auto Show on Sept. 12, 2017 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Artificial demand is driving the electric vehicle market in China

Jan 10, 2018
The cars are roughly the same price of regular autos, but not everyone can drive one.
A man walks past electric cars and tricycles on a sidewalk in Beijing in 2017.
Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images

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Didn't pick up your rental car? No problem.

May 15, 2017
Why is it that rental car companies don't penalize customers for flaking at the last minute?
“Some rental car companies have been afraid to charge for no-shows with the fear that their competitors won’t and it would be used as a marketing campaign against them,” said John Healy, who follows the car rental industry for Northcoast Research.
Chris Hondros/Getty Images