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Like most government agencies, NGOs, and publicly traded companies, Mercedes-Benz has made a promise to be all-electric by 2030. The automaker intends to have every newly launched vehicle architecture be electric-only after 2024 and to gradually wean itself off combustion engines.

Unfortunately, the brand’s sales trajectory doesn’t appear to be cooperating. Despite seeing a surge of interest in its electrified EQ products initially, Mercedes has started having trouble moving EVs.

With Stellantis vowing to launch a slew of all-electric and hybrid vehicles by 2030, many are wondering how this will impact the lineup in North America. The company has repeatedly alluded to eliminating the HEMI V8 in favor of the more-European Hurricane 3.0-liter straight-six. While this is clearly being done to comply with emissions regulations without having to sacrifice power, plenty have bemoaned the company’s decision to abandon V8 powertrains whilst pivoting toward electrification. 

But Micky Bly, senior vice president and head of global propulsion systems for Stellantis, recently assured the public that the company doesn’t intend on dumping combustion engines overnight. It’s even going to keep a few of Chrysler’s oldest units around — just with some improvements designed to meet the relevant emissions standards. 

It looks like the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator are dumping their hybrid trims for the 2024 model year. The Explorer SUV was previously offered with a hybridized 3.3-liter V6, whereas the Aviator Grand Touring came with a hybridized twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6. These powertrains won’t be available on the retail market anymore. However, there’s a chance PHEV variants of both models will return in 2025.

Ohio-based Lordstown Motors has received approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to sell its remaining manufacturing assets to a company owned by its founder and former CEO Stephen Burns for roughly $10 million.

LAS Capital, owned by Stephen Burns, will reportedly receive Lordstown's intellectual property, business data, and any machinery used for manufacturing. However, Taiwan’s Foxconn will retain the factory itself after a financial dispute which ultimately left Lordstown filing for bankruptcy last June. 

General Motors’ Cruise may be one of the first companies in the world to field driverless vehicles as part of a commercial endeavor. But this doesn’t appear to have endeared the brand to everyday people. The business appears to be loathed by San Franciscan residents and emergency response crews, who have only gotten angrier since state regulators allowed the business to expand operations. 

Sustained reports of mishaps and injuries involving the vehicles has encouraged the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to launch a preliminary investigation into the company — which may also explain why Cruise just issued a press release explaining how it’s going to remedy all of the above. 

A couple in Scotland expressed sticker shock after facing a bill of about 20,000 U.S. dollars to have their Tesla fixed when the battery was damaged by rain.

Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman Bill Ford has asked union members to come together and end the UAW strike before it hampers the business’ ability to invest in future products and facilities.

While it’s relatively uncommon to see top-ranking automotive executives discuss contract negotiations in the midst of a strike, the UAW has taken a decidedly more aggressive approach this time around and General Motors CEO Mary Barra has also made some public comments on the matter. Ford’s tactic seems to be split between hoping to evoke some public sympathy and having leadership issue veiled threats about future employment opportunities.

Ford is recalling 238,364 Explorer SUVs over a defect that could result in a loss of motive power or possible rollaway risk. The issue stems from an issue with the subframe bushing and a rear axle bolt. Based on documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Ford is worried that the rear axle horizontal mounting bolt may fracture under heavy torque loads.

Chinese state-owned automaker Chery is reportedly still looking to the United States as a possible point of expansion. But this isn’t the first time the brand has said so.

Chery had plans to break into our market back in 2005 and supposedly had things lined up to import a limited supply of its Exeed crossover in 2020 before the world went haywire. Things have been left intentionally vague this time around, with the company only saying that it would like to move product here eventually.

In last week’s installment of Abandoned History, we learned about General Motors’ 1966 magnet-based primitive navigation system, DAIR. The inclusive system featured emergency messages, traffic bulletins played inside the car, and route guidance. DAIR never progressed beyond the concept stage and two total test vehicles, largely because it would have meant buried magnets and accompanying signal relay stations at every major intersection in the country. Some 25 years later The General tried it again, but technology progressed considerably by that point.

The United Auto Workers (UAW) launched an unexpected strike against Ford Motor Company, targeting its extremely important truck works in Kentucky. While the plan was always to gradually turn up the volume on the industry, hoping to extend the union strike budget while inflicting the maximum desired effect on automakers during contract negotiations, this decision represents a major blow against Ford.

Those pickups are incredibly important to Blue Oval’s bottom line and the UAW knows it better than anyone. In fact, Ford has already released a list of 13 plants that will be impacted by the latest action taken by the union. Layoffs and potential work stoppages are anticipated in the days to come.

With Mercedes-Benz having updated volume models GLA family earlier this year, everyone knew it was a matter of time before changes were made for the high-performance AMG variants. But how much would change was the big question. With Mercedes having promised to electrify everything new AMG produced from 2025 onward, the model is poised to become an EV during its next re-imagining.

This is reflected in the refresh. The 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 S 4Matic+ doesn’t see a lot of mechanical changes and has instead adopted some new styling cues and updates to the interior.

Tesla is adding seven new colors for Model 3 and Model Y vehicles sold in the United States. However, it’s not new paint you’ll be getting. The automaker has instead decided to utilize urethane-based wraps similar to vinyl wraps available on via aftermarket companies. While this is a convenient way for the automaker to offer new colors without having to upgrade factory paint booths, Tesla is asking quite a bit of money for these wraps.

With rich people now wealthier than ever before, they need ways of spending that money that are novel, effective, and allow them to flex on their peers. One of the preferred ways of doing this in the modern era is by taking trips beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. It’s something SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, and Boeing have been working on. But they’re about to get some new competition from Mercedes-Benz.

While the United Auto Workers (UAW) decided to implement an aggressive strike campaign that bucks some of the historical trends American union leadership feels did not serve the cause in the past, Canada’s Unifor has vowed to take a more measured approach during its contract negotiations with the industry. However, that does not mean simply rolling over for automakers in order to strike any old deal. 

Last week, Unifor criticized General Motors for failing to meet important elements of its pattern agreement with Ford Motor Company. With both sides failing to make any tentative agreements by the Monday deadline, Unifor has announced plans to strike in Ontario — hindering the company’s ability to manufacture light and heavy-duty pickups.