
NHTSA opens recall query into about 1.2 million Stellantis trucks
The auto safety regulator said impacted vehicles displayed issues related to the brake transmission shift interlock, which may lead to them rolling away.
The NHTSA said it received 14 vehicle-owner complaints and six death and injury reports through its Early Warning Reporting program.
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an hour ago
- Auto Blog
Musk vs. Trump: Political Feud Threatens Tesla and U.S. EV Industry
By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. It's not yet seven weeks since two of the most powerful men in America bid each other a fond farewell during a meeting in the Oval Office, Elon Musk hanging up his hat as the head of the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency and returning to Texas as CEO of Tesla. Elon Musk and Donald Trump next to a Tesla Model S — Source: Getty 0:03 / 0:09 A Nissan-Honda merger could be back on the table Watch More But if anyone had expected the South African-born executive was ready to walk away from politics they'd have made a serious miscalculation. Over the long Independence Day holiday, Musk announced plans to start a new political party he's calling 'America.' Considering the $270 million he invested in backing Donald Trump's campaign for a second term barely dented his massive bank account, Musk has more than enough cash to back this latest move. That hasn't gone down well at the White House where Trump took aim at his former ally on Monday, declaring that Musk had gone 'completely off the rails'…'essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK.' But the reality is that what has become a bitter and noisy feud could prove disastrous for both men. One Big Beautiful Mess The war of words began just days after Musk left DOGE. He quickly called on Congress to shoot down the 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' the controversial government spending bill set to slash services like Medicaid even while adding trillions of dollars to the national debt. Musk warned Republicans that he would 'primary' those who supported the measure and raised the prospect of going even further. And that's precisely what he appears ready to do. Source: X For his part, Trump quickly shot back, much as he's done when other allies have been perceived as showing disloyalty. Musk appeared to back down – briefly – last month, saying in a post on his social media site X, that he 'went too far' with some – though, apparently, not all – of the things he said about Trump. But any expectations that the two men would find common ground vanished as the spending bill was put to a vote just ahead of the holiday. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. 'When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy,' Musk tweeted on July 5. 'Today,' he added, 'the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.' Third Parties According to a decidedly less-than-scientific poll on X, Musk claimed 2-to-1 support for creating his new party. But does it have any chance to actually impact future elections? It didn't take long for the then-new republic to evolve into a system with two dominant parties. But time and again, third parties have emerged, often at critical points in U.S. history, such as during Prohibition. They've generally had little impact beyond the state and local level, however. The last time a new party send a candidate to the White House was when Republican Abraham Lincoln was elected president – quickly touching off the Civil War. Even the once popular Teddy Roosevelt couldn't reclaim the Oval Office after seeking to return through his new Bull Moose Party. That's not to say third parties aren't influential. Vermont's Bernie Sanders has an outsized presence as an Independent. Meanwhile, billionaire businessman Perot is widely believed to have cost George H.W. Bush his reelection bid in 1992 – though the Green Party candidate, activist Ralph Nader, played a role in helping George W. Bush win his campaign against Vice President Al Gore eight years later. Collateral Damage It should come as no surprise that Trump is using his bully pulpit – enhanced by his own Truth Social service – to blast Musk. He has seldom hesitated to turn on one-time allies. But some political observers warn the America Party could provide an alternative to the Republican Party that has been remade in Trump's image – possibly draining more moderate voters who, polls show, are growing increasingly concerned about many of the president's policies. How much Musk might have on Trump is a question first raised last month when the Tesla boss suggested a link between the president and the late sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein. Perhaps not so coincidentally, the FBI and Dept. of Justice both announced Monday that Epstein had left no list of his clients. What might Trump have on Musk? That big spending bill is already set to do some serious damage to Tesla, with the current federal tax credits of up to $7,500 for new EV buyers set to end in September. It's also set to eliminate the zero-emission vehicle credits that have generated billions of dollars in revenue for Tesla over the years through sales to companies like Stellantis and General Motors. How Much Can Money Buy Musk reportedly invested more than $270 million to help Trump get elected last year. That was the proverbial drop in the bucket considering Forbes estimates the Tesla boss is worth around $400 billion. Tesla Delivery Center, California — Source: Getty But money alone might not be enough, Bernard Tamas, a political science professor at Valdosta State University in Georgia, told NBCNews. Setting up a new political party is 'not like running a business,' he said. 'It's got to be more like a social movement. It's got to be kind of a grassroots thing, where people are motivated and energized to fight.' Meanwhile, it's anyone's guess whether Musk can overcome the hit his once-stellar reputation took while running DOGE. 'The principles of DOGE were very popular,' Trump's Sec. of the Treasury Scott Bessent said on CNN. However, 'I think if you looked at the polling Elon was not.' The Bully Pulpit The feud with the president hasn't been kind to Tesla stock – which initially surged after he left Washington. Musk's own bank account shrank by about $14 billion due to the nearly 7% drop in Tesla's share price on Monday. President Trump Speaks Alongside Tesla Vehicles At The White House — Source: Getty Images Trump could cost Musk and other shareholders far more, he signaled in a Truth Social post last week: 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts.' Not only Tesla could be savaged, but other Musk companies such as SpaceX. The president took things a step further. Even before Musk's latest announcement, he said he may order his staff to 'take a look' at the possibility of deporting the South African-born entrepreneur. There was a brief moment, late last month, when the two men seemed ready to call for a truce. At this point there seems to be little opportunity to kiss and make up, political observers said Monday. About the Author Paul Eisenstein View Profile


Auto Blog
an hour ago
- Auto Blog
Lamborghini Follows Ferrari By Delaying Major EV Launch
By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Urus SUV and Lanzador could both be delayed Still considered by some purists to be an affront to Lamborghini's lineage of iconic supercars, the Urus SUV isn't going anywhere. It's the brand's best-selling model, which is why the company is hard at work on the next generation of the high-performance SUV. We now have a clearer picture of what will power the next Urus, with CEO Stephan Winkelmann confirming that a plug-in hybrid will continue, but the planned Urus EV is being pushed back due to changing demands and regulations around new EVs. This comes mere weeks after Ferrari postponed the launch of one of its own EVs. Previous Pause Next Unmute 0:00 / 0:10 Full screen VW will introduce a sub-$20,000 EV, but probably not here Watch More More Powerful Urus Hybrid Expected Source: SHNProshots/Autoblog From mass-market brands like Honda to exotic automakers like Lamborghini, everyone is putting the brakes on EVs and investing more heavily in hybrids. 'We want to have a new [Urus] generation again as a plug-in hybrid,' said Winkelmann when speaking to Autocar. 'This is something very important for us and for our customers. And they were very happy to hear about this.' The current Urus SE plug-in hybrid produces 789 horsepower from its 4.0-liter turbocharged V8 and electric motor, sending this heavy SUV from zero to 62 mph in a scant 3.4 seconds. It's expected that the next one will build on this same powertrain. Before this happens, Lamborghini will release a facelifted version of the current Urus (pictured above) that we expect to top 800 hp. That should keep fans busy until the all-new model arrives around 2029, which will likely once again raise the bar for performance. Urus EV Tentatively Scheduled For 2035 Source: Lamborghini Instead of rushing to develop the Urus EV, Lamborghini has pushed it back to 2035, giving the brand more time to assess demand and market conditions for such a model – and EVs in general. Elsewhere within the Volkswagen Group, Porsche is forging ahead with its Cayenne EV, which is expected to arrive in 2026. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. 'Now we [have] decided for the next generation, we have enough time to see what is happening in terms of acceptance, in terms of regulations, and in terms of infrastructure and, last but not least, also in terms of generational change,' said Winkelmann of the Urus EV. This more cautious approach to launching EVs may also affect the Lanzador, a dramatic 2+2 grand tourer that was already delayed to 2029. Winkelmann said that at the start of next year, the company will decide whether to delay it further, perhaps as far back as the Urus EV in 2035. Source: Lamborghini 'We still have seven months of window to decide what to do next,' he said. 'We are very flexible and we are constantly thinking when it should be. We already postponed the car, because we saw that the adoption curve of the electrification around the globe is [under] the forecast we had a couple of years ago.' We can't imagine too many diehard Lambo fans will be heartbroken over the delay of the brand's first fully electric models. As long as the next Urus sticks with at least a V8, it should still lead the super SUV segment for performance and driver appeal. About the Author Karl Furlong View Profile


Auto Blog
an hour ago
- Auto Blog
Nissan Delays U.S. Production Of Two EVs
By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Production Reportedly Pushed Back By About A Year Nissan has informed suppliers that it has postponed the start of production of two electric crossovers at its Canton, Mississippi, assembly plant, reports Automotive News. In a memo reviewed by that publication, the automaker said it would delay the production start for the two EVs by 10 months, citing 'recent slowing EV demand in the U.S.' Automakers brace for uncertain future amid Trump's tariff pause Watch More The move comes on the first business day after passage of President Donald Trump's signature spending bill, which calls for elimination of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit for new cars and a $4,000 credit for used cars after September 30 of this year. It pushes back a Nissan-branded EV codenamed PZ1K to November 2028 and an Infiniti-badged version codenamed PZ1J to March 2029. More EV Delays For Nissan Source: Nissan 'We've made the strategic decision to slightly adjust the production timeline for our EVs at the Canton plant,' Nissan spokesperson Kyle Bazemore said in a statement. 'Our goal is to ensure that this facility continues to bring highly competitive vehicles to market that exceed customer expectations.' Nissan has been discussing EV production at the Canton plant—which currently builds the gasoline Altima sedan and Frontier pickup truck—since 2022. At the time, it confirmed one Nissan-badged and one Infiniti-badged model for 2025. Teaser images released at the time hinted at high-riding sedans similar to the then-recent Nissan IMs and Infiniti Qs Inspiration concepts. The automaker subsequently pushed the start date back to 2027, and then early 2028, but also seemingly expanded production plans. Earlier this year, a spokesperson told the local Madison County Journal that the automaker was planning 'five next-generation electric vehicles' for the plant. But Automotive News reports that Nissan told suppliers in April that it was dropping the two electric sedans due to the declining sedan market. EV Uncertainty Source: Nissan Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Nissan isn't the only automaker reevaluating its plans in the face of an expected downturn in U.S. EV demand due to the demise of federal tax credits. Honda is cancelling a larger electric SUV that was expected to make its U.S. debut in 2027. The automaker is also reducing a planned EV investment of $68.7 billion to $48.1 billion, and redirecting the balance toward development of hybrids. Meanwhile, the 2026 Nissan Leaf, a long-overdue redesign of the EV pioneer bringing improved range and crossover-like styling, is due to reach U.S. showrooms later this year. Nissan previously built the Leaf in Tennessee, but new models are expected to be imported from Japan. The automaker is also expected to finally make a serious attempt at a U.S.-market hybrid, adding the third generation of its e-Power hybrid system to the popular Rogue crossover. That still leaves the Infiniti luxury brand starved for new product amid tumbling sales. About the Author Stephen Edelstein View Profile