Author: David Shepardson

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Thursday argued in federal court for a preliminary injunction to temporarily block Microsoft’s acquisition of videogame maker Activision Blizzard, which would stop the deal from closing before the government’s case against it is heard by an administrative judge. “If this deal is completed, the…

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Tesla urged the Biden administration to finalize significantly stricter heavy-duty emissions limits than proposed in April, arguing larger vehicles were being electrified much faster than envisioned and would lead to bigger pollution cuts. The electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer said in comments made public on Tuesday that the Environmental Protection Agency’s…

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating nearly 40,000 Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric vehicles over reports of power loss while driving that may be tied to a battery charging issue. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s preliminary investigation covers 2022 model-year vehicles after it received 30 consumer complaints alleging a loss…

By David Shepardson (Reuters) -General Motors said Thursday it will invest more than $500 million in its Arlington, Texas assembly plant to prepare it for production of next-generation internal combustion engine full-size SUVs. The Detroit automaker is making a series of announcements this month. Efforts to retool existing North American auto plants and introduce more…

By Valerie Insinna and David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Boeing said on Tuesday it is slowing deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner after the company discovered a new production flaw, but expressed optimism that it can still deliver 70-80 of the widebody jets this year as planned. The problem, which does not pose a flight safety concern,…

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said on Tuesday the U.S. passenger railroad expects traffic to get back to pre-pandemic levels even as it projects about $800 million in losses for the current budget year. Gardner told a U.S. House subcommittee that ridership in the seven months ending April 30 was…

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Ford Motor Co said on Tuesday it is expanding and issuing a new recall for 125,000 sport utility vehicles and trucks because engine failures may cause a fire. The recall covers various Escape and Lincoln Corsair SUVs and Maverick compact pickup trucks from the 2020-2023 model years with 2.5L hybrid…

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Chrysler parent Stellantis NV said Wednesday it is offering voluntary exit packages to 33,500 U.S. employees as it looks to streamline operations. The offers cover 31,000 U.S. hourly workers and about 2,500 salaried workers. Stellantis did not say how many total jobs it is looking to eliminate. It is also…

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A major transport union on Tuesday opposed a request filed by Alphabet’s self-driving unit Waymo and autonomous driving technology company Aurora for an exemption from rules on warning devices for large semi-trucks, citing safety issues. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) said last month it received a joint…

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A key SpaceX Starship Super Heavy rocket launch test now is likely to take place later this month rather than sometime this week, the space company’s CEO Elon Musk said on Monday. SpaceX envisions Starship as a fully reusable transportation system to carry astronauts and cargo to Earth orbit,…