Lawmakers call out eight automakers for sharing connected vehicle data
It’s no secret that modern cars collect a stunning amount of data about the people who own and drive them, but the scope of that collection and what is being done with it might come as a surprise. Automotive News recently reported that eight automakers sent vehicle location data to police without a court order or warrant.
For self-driving cars, the free ride is over
For years, autonomous vehicles have operated in relative obscurity. With few vehicles on the road and a laissez-faire attitude among government regulators, automakers and big tech firms have been free to test — and even commercially deploy — with little oversight. Well, those days are done.
Judge says Delaware vanity plate rules allow viewpoint discrimination and are unconstitutional
Delaware’s vanity license plate program is unconstitutional because it allows officials to discriminate against certain viewpoints when deciding whether to approve applications, a federal judge has ruled. A DOT attorney said at a March court hearing that Transportation Secretary Nicole Majeski had talked about getting rid of all vanity plates.
New U.S. tariffs on Chinese EVs, batteries, solar cells could raise consumer prices
New tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and batteries, solar cells, medical equipment and other goods are intended to protect U.S. jobs and manufacturers. They could raise prices on certain specific items, experts say, though a broad inflationary impact is unlikely in the short term. Tariffs on batteries in particular could become an immediate problem.
It’s time for heavy duty hybrid pickup trucks to replace diesel
The diesel is no longer the super-efficient option that it was at its inception into the full-size truck realm. A good diesel engine may inherently be efficient due to several factors, but these days, emissions controls, massive weights and expensive fuel mean that big diesel trucks often aren’t lowering the running cost for their owners.