AUTO NEWS

Eligible Stellantis employees could see the largest profit sharing payments in 35 years, totaling more than $14,000.

Moves by carmaker Stellantis to consolidate its position in fast-growing China seem to be off to a rocky start after one of its joint venture partners said it hadn’t been consulted before an announcement of plans to grab a controlling stake.

The winners of the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) Awards were announced Tuesday morning in Detroit.

The winners of the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) Awards are set to be announced Tuesday morning.

The winners of the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) Awards are set to be announced Tuesday morning.

Factorial Energy signs a joint development agreement with high-voltage traction solid-battery technology.

Consumer Reports released their new rankings for car reliability, ranking 28 brands based on how reliable their vehicles are over time.

In an effort to advance auto semiconductor chip manufacturing to address a global shortage hitting the auto industry, Ford has announced a new partnership with GlobalFoundries.

Volvo is recalling another 195,000 vehicles in the U.S. because the front driver’s air bags could explode and send shrapnel into the cabin.

Ford Motor Company plans to invest $11.4 billion and create nearly 11,000 new jobs at three new plants in Tennessee and Kentucky to produce the automaker’s next generation of electric F-Series trucks and the batteries to power future electric Ford and Lincoln vehicles.

Ford Motor Company plans to invest $11.4 billion and create nearly 11,000 new jobs at three new plants in Tennessee and Kentucky to produce the automaker’s next generation of electric F-Series trucks and the batteries to power future electric Ford and Lincoln vehicles.

The North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) Awards organization announced its list of semifinalists Tuesday at the inaugural Motor Bella event at M1 Concourse in Pontiac.

General Motors is recalling all Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles sold worldwide to fix a battery problem that could cause fires.

General Motors is recalling some older Chevrolet Bolts for a second time to fix persistent battery problems that can set the electric cars ablaze.

General Motors is recalling more than 331,000 diesel pickup trucks in the U.S. for a second time because the engine block heater cords can short circuit and cause fires.

General Motors will raise spending on electric and autonomous vehicles and add two U.S. battery factories as it gambles that consumers will eagerly switch from gasoline to the new technology.

Shares of General Motors Co. closed at a record high Thursday after the company said its efforts to manage the global computer chip shortage have worked better than expected, so it’s financial results will improve.

Ford Motor Co. is boosting its spending on electric vehicle production by $30 billion as it aims to have 40% of its fleet all-electric by 2030.

A new electric version of Ford’s immensely popular F-150 pickup truck might just be the catalyst that hastens America’s transition from gasoline to battery powered vehicles.

President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center on Tuesday, May 18 in Dearborn.

Ford Motor Company announced new plant closures. The Big Three all believe the next three months will be the most expensive part of the shortage.

Michigan’s worst-in-the-nation Covid-19 outbreak is starting to affect automotive production, with a major Ram pickup truck plant slowing its output due to a large number of absent workers.

The coronavirus pandemic helped cause the automotive semiconductor shortage. The scarcity is lasting as long as the pandemic has and is almost as expensive.

GM CEO Mary Barra made it clear it’s a new day for a new way of driving.

One of the nation’s largest auto dealer chains based in Metro Detroit is about to get a new owner.

The U.S. government’s highway safety agency is investigating complaints that the air bags may not inflate in a crash on thousands of General Motors vehicles.

Tesla delivered nearly 185,000 electric vehicles in the first quarter despite a shortage of computer chips that has hit the global auto industry.

LOUISVILLE, KY-OCTOBER 27: The all-new 2018 Ford Expedition SUV comes off the assembly line at the Ford Kentucky Truck Plant October 27, 2017 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)DETROIT – The Volkswagen Passat is the fastest selling used car in the Detroit area, according to data from iSeeCars. But the fastest selling new vehicle in the region is the Ford Expedition. According to ISeeCars, the average new car in Detroit took 46.5 days to sell in February 2021, while the average used car took 49.1 days to sell. To determine the fastest-selling cars in Detroit, iSeeCars said it analyzed 1.2 million new and used car sales in February 2021.

This image provided by General Motors shows the GM Logo. (General Motors via AP)DETROIT – General Motors plans to move around groups of salaried workers in Michigan to “increase collaboration” among its teams, the automaker announced Thursday. GM stressed its global headquarters will remain at the RenCen and it’s an “important element” of the automaker’s future. We are seeking to maintain the benefits of remote work, while also ensuring our teams get the benefit of in-person collaboration,” reads a statement from GM on Thursday. It has been more than a year now since GM asked thousands of employees to work from home, if possible, when the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic swept the globe.

DETROIT – General Motors is extending shutdowns at plants in Kansas, Canada and Mexico due to a semiconductor shortage. “GM has not taken downtime or reduced shifts at any of its truck plants due to the shortage. GM had to shut down its Fairfax, Kansas plant that builds the Cadillac XT4 and the Chevy Malibu. AdWhat caused the semiconductor shortage? Industry officials said semiconductor companies diverted production to consumer electronics during the worst of the COVID-19 slowdown in auto sales last spring.

Magna International is breaking ground on a $70 million manufacturing facility in St. Clair, Mich. where it plans to build complex battery enclosures for the all-new 2022 GMC Hummer EV. This investment is expected to create 304 jobs in St. Clair over the next five years. AdIn St. Clair, Magna said it plans to construct a 345,000-square-foot facility with the ability to support an expansion of up to 1,000,000 square feet. AdMeanwhile, it was announced earlier this year that the Hummer EV would be built under the GMC brand name at GM’s “Factory Zero” facility at the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant. That was announced right after GM said it would invest more than $2 billion in Detroit to manufacture electric vehicles.

The year 2020 was hard, but GM left the year with impressive earnings, beating Wall Street expectations. GM made nearly $4 billion in the last quarter of 2020 and $10 billion for the entire year. Ad“It’s been absolutely remarkable how the auto industry has rebounded and how well GM has done through this,” Krebs said. READ: GM 2020 profit drops, but it makes $6.43B despite pandemicThough things looked bleak in Spring 2020, in looking at the numbers, Krebs said GM couldn’t have timed its product roll outs any better. “Everybody’s buying SUV’s and trucks and guess what, GM introduced a whole family of full size SUV’s,” Krebs said.

DETROIT – GM’s strong-fourth quarter profit could mean good news for the automaker’s employees. 2020 was a hard year, but GM left the year with impressive earnings, beating Wall Street expectations. READ: GM 2020 profit drops, but it makes $6.43B despite pandemicThe automaker made $9.7 billion for the year -- $3.7 in the fourth quarter. AdIn 2018, UAW members received $10,750. The coronavirus pandemic shut down GM production for a few months, which is why Autotrader analyst and Cox Automotive automotive relations director Michelle Krebs is so impresses with what the company has accomplished.

DETROIT – General Motors’ profit fell 4.5% in 2020, but a strong second half more than offset the effects of pandemic-related factory closures and a costly air bag recall. The Detroit automaker said Wednesday it made $6.43 billion as demand for its vehicles surged late in a year dominated by coronavirus upheaval. The United Auto Workers union called this profit a “testament” to its membership in a statement released Wednesday morning:“Despite a year of a pandemic and loss of production in 2020, General Motors reported a solid profit for North America. This is a testament to our UAW-GM Membership, who produce some of the finest and most sought-after vehicles in the world, right here in the U.S.A.”Read more here. AdLast year: GM churns out profit in 2019 despite strike, slumping sales

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Ford Motor Co. said Thursday that it will cut shifts at two of its U.S. manufacturing plants next week, due to the worldwide chip shortage that has also impacted other automakers. Starting Monday, Ford will cut two shifts at its Dearborn, Michigan, facility, going down to one shift per day. AdFord isn't alone in cutting back production due to the shortage of chips needed to produce cars. General Motors will have downtime at three of its factories — one in the U.S, one in Canada and one in Mexico — due to the chip shortage, starting Feb. 8. Other automakers like Nissan, Fiat Chrysler and Toyota have also been impacted by the chip shortage.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – The merger between PSA Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) that will lead to the creation of Stellantis was officially complete Saturday. The Stellantis sign is now up outside the now former FCA headquarters in Auburn Hills. Stellantis was launched Monday on the Milan and Paris stock exchanges, giving life to the fourth-largest auto company in the world. Read more: Carmaker Stellantis shares jump in Milan, Paris on first day

The Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles merger is at the center of the contention. Walter Chrysler founded his famed auto company in 1924. His name has stuck around through the Daimler merger and the Fiat takeover, but this new world without Chrysler bothers his great grandson, Frank Rhodes. Rhodes is also upset about the possibility the Chrysler brand itself is in jeopardy. “It’s down to two vehicles now and one is a very old Sedan and Sedans aren’t selling, so the future of the Chrysler brand may be questionable,” said Krebs.

(AP Photo/Jens Meyer, FILE)DETROIT – Volkswagen is recalling over 105,000 Beetles with faulty Takata front driver’s air bags that can explode and hurl shrapnel. Dealers will replace the front driver's air bags at no cost to owners starting on Feb. 12. But it's recalling them at the behest of the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is concerned that the air bags could explode over time. Exploding Takata inflators caused the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, with at least 63 million inflators recalled. About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide.

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)DETROIT – General Motors is recalling nearly 840,000 vehicles in the U.S. for suspension problems or because the front seat belts can fail. The seat belt recall covers 624,000 2019 through 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 pickup trucks. Also included are the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe and GMC Yukon XL, and the 2020 and 2021 Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500. GM says in government documents that the seat belt brackets may not have been secured to the seat frame. GM will notify owners starting Feb. 1 and dealers will inspect the seat belt brackets and assemble them correctly.

FILE - In this Jan. 14, 2019 file photo, Fiat Chrysler's new CEO, Mike Manley, is interviewed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Manley will run operations in the Americas when his company merges with Frances PSA Peugeot early next year. FCA Chairman John Elkann announced Manleys new post on Friday, Dec. 18, 2020 in a letter to employees. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)DETROIT – Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley will run operations in the Americas when his company merges with France’s PSA Peugeot early next year. PSA CEO Carlos Tavares will run the overall company, to be named Stellantis.

DETROIT – General Motors announced Monday it has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Nikola Corporation for a global supply agreement to provide its Hydrotec fuel cell system for Nikola’s Class 7/8 semi-trucks. ”This supply agreement recognizes our leading fuel cell technology expertise and development,” said Doug Parks, GM executive vice president of Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain. GM and Nikola will discuss the appropriate scope of services that GM would provide for the integration of the fuel cell system into Nikola’s vehicles. GM and Nikola will also discuss the potential of a supply agreement for GM’s versatile Ultium battery system for Nikola’s Class 7/8 trucks. GM’s Hydrotec fuel cell system will be engineered at its Michigan technical facilities in Pontiac and Warren and manufactured at its Brownstown Charter Township battery assembly plant.

Ashton and his UAW co-conspirators demanded kickbacks on the $3.9 million contract for the Center for Human Resources to buy 58,000 watches for all UAW members employed by GM. However, the watches were never distributed to UAW members. Read more: UAW president steps down as GM sues rival over union briberyAshton is one of 15 defendants convicted in connection with the ongoing criminal investigation into illegal payoffs to UAW officials by FCA executives and corruption within the UAW itself. In addition, the following UAW officials have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing: former UAW President Gary Jones, former senior UAW official Jeffrey “Paycheck” Pietrzyk, former UAW Region 5 Director and UAW Board member Vance Pearson, former UAW Midwest CAP President Edward “Nick” Robinson, and former UAW President Dennis Williams. Ashton’s greed caused irreparable damage to the trust UAW members have in their leaders who are supposed to represent their best interests,” stated Schneider.

DETROIT – Ford plans to add 350 jobs at two factories to meet expected demand for electric vehicles that haven't gone on sale yet. The company says these are early investments in the first phase of its plan to build more electric vehicles. In addition to the Kansas City and Michigan plants, Ford will build electric vehicles and components in Oakville, Ontario, and Cuautitlan, Mexico, the company said. “This is just the first chapter with more new electric vehicles and more investment to come,” Galhotra said. Last year, automakers sold just over 236,000 fully electric vehicles, up 36% from 2018.

(Copyright 2020 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.) Unifor announced Thursday morning its Master Bargaining Committee reached a tentative agreement for 17,000 members working at General Motors in St. Catharines, Oshawa and Woodstock, Ontario. Unifor’s National President Jerry Dias and bargaining committee representatives will hold a virtual news conference at 10 a.m. to provide more information about the tentative agreement. To watch the news conference click here. Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy.

DETROIT – Toyota is adding 1.5 million U.S. vehicles to recalls from early this year to fix fuel pumps that can fail and cause engines to stall. The company says the latest recall brings the total to 5.8 million Toyota and Lexus brand vehicles that need to be repaired worldwide. The recall affects more than 40 vehicles in the U.S. dating to the 2013 model year, covering much of the Toyota and Lexus model lineup. Toyota said in a statement Wednesday that the fuel pumps can suddenly stop operating, and that can cause the vehicles to stall. Toyota began recalling the vehicles in January with about 700,000, and added 1.2 million in March.

Ford Motor Company and GM have recently announced major plans and shown what they intend to do with electric vehicle manufacturing. But that doesn’t mean the internal combustion engine is going the way of the buggy whip. GM is ready to give the Hummer a new life as an electric SUV, Cadillac will build its luxury Lyriq SUV as an electric SUV and Ford is ready with the Mustang Mach-E and an electric F-150. Guidehouse Insights auto analyst Sam Abuelsamid said the Big Three are expected to have 100 new electric vehicle offerings in the next five years and 300 worldwide. This will change manufacturing considering it takes far fewer parts to make an electric vehicle.

BEIJING – China’s vehicle sales including trucks and buses accelerated in September as the industry’s biggest global market recovered from the coronavirus pandemic, an industry group reported Tuesday. Sales rose 17.4% over a year earlier to 2.6 million vehicles, up from August’s 11.6% growth, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. It said SUV sales set a new monthly record and purchases of other passenger vehicles also rose but gave no details. In the first nine months of the year, sales declined 6.9% from a year earlier to 17.1 million, CAAM said. That hurts global automakers that are looking to China to propel sales growth.

DEARBORN, Mich. – Ford says it will add 300 jobs at a new factory that’s being built to assemble batteries and manufacture an electric version of the F-150 pickup truck. The new plant -- called the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center -- is being built at the Ford Rouge complex in Dearborn, Michigan, where Ford is starting to produce a new version of the F-150 that’s due in showrooms this November. This short video shows an animation of the center construction:“We are proud today to announce for our Ford UAW members and our nation that Ford is building this new plant to assemble the truck of the future -- a battery electric Ford F-150," reads a statement from United Auto Workers (UAW) Ford Vice President Gerald Kariem. Ford says the new electric truck will go on sale in mid-2022. Here’s some bonus video from Ford showing the all-electric F-150 prototype testing:

DETROIT – For the second time this month, Hyundai is telling some SUV owners to park outdoors because an electrical short in a computer could cause vehicles to catch fire. The Korean automaker is recalling about 180,000 Tucson SUVs in the U.S. from 2019 through 2021 to fix the problem. Hyundai says on Friday that it knows of a dozen engine fires caused by the problem but no injuries. In April of 2019, NHTSA opened two new investigations into fires involving Hyundai and Kia vehicles after getting complaints of more than 3,100 fires and 103 injuries. NHTSA had previously said it would incorporate the noncrash fires into a 2017 investigation that examined recalls of Hyundai and Kia vehicles for engine failures.

WASHINGTON (AP) Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia are recalling over 600,000 vehicles in the U.S. and Canada to fix a brake fluid leak that could cause engine fires. In company documents posted Thursday by U.S. safety regulators, Hyundai said it had 15 reports of engine fires caused by the fluid leaks, while Kia said it had eight. The company said it monitors safety concerns, including non-collision fires and acts swiftly to recall any vehicles with safety related defects.In April of 2019, NHTSA opened two new investigations into fires involving Hyundai and Kia vehicles after getting complaints of more than 3,100 fires and 103 injuries. The investigations, one for Hyundai and the other for Kia, cover non-crash fires in almost 3 million vehicles from the affiliated automakers. NHTSA had previously said it would incorporate the noncrash fires into a 2017 investigation that examined recalls of Hyundai and Kia vehicles for engine failures.

The Jeep Grand Wagoneer SUV will be the lead the automakers luxury vehicle line, and could top $100,000 when it arrives in showrooms in 2021. Our new Grand Wagoneer Concept marks the first step in the rebirth of Wagoneer a true and rare premium American icon, said Christian Meunier, global president of the Jeep brand FCA. The Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer names were previously used by Jeep for large SUVs from 1963 until 1991. pic.twitter.com/laaZR8gALX Wagoneer (@Wagoneer) September 3, 2020For more than a quarter century, the first Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer created a new segment for American consumers as the ultimate premium SUV of its day, Meunier said. The Grand Wagoneer Concept is inspired by the original, but with a modern interpretation of luxury and freedom.

Auto analyst David Cole called the agreement coopetition, which auto companies work together to save money. Thats needed now more than ever, and with the Honda Motor Company getting involved, that should tell how important coopetition is. The agreement wasnt completely out of the blue as the two companies agreed to work on next-generation electric vehicles in April. RELATED: May Mobility expanding in Ann Arbor; highlights leadership in autonomous vehicle technologyThe companies will share common vehicle platforms -- electrified and internal combustion propulsion -- meaning some vehicles will be GM underneath Honda exteriors. All of the automakers know eventually electrification, autonomous vehicles and connectivity will be the way of life, but thats far off in the future, Krebs said.

DEARBORN, Mich. Ford Motor Co. will offer early retirement incentives with hopes of cutting its U.S. white-collar workforce by 1,400 more positions. A spokesman says Ford expects to meet its goals with the offers. The offers will go to U.S. salaried workers who are eligible to retire as of Dec. 31. The offers won't go out in every part of the business. Ford has about 30,000 white-collar workers in the U.S.

DEARBORN, Mich. Ford Motor Company is looking to cut its North American workforce by 10% with more than 1,000 jobs on the chopping block. However, information technology workers and those responsible for rolling out new vehicles will not be affected. Ford has been working for several years to become more profitable and now the company sees it needs to make cuts to its most profitable corner to keep it profitable. The company intends to reduce salaried or white collar headcount by 1,400, using those retirement eligible by the end of this year. These layoffs and this restructuring are not in response to the current economic conditions, Brinley said.

NEW YORK Honda has reached an $85 million settlement with multiple states over allegations that it hid safety failures in the airbags of certain Honda and Acura vehicles sold in the U.S. The settlement was announced by James Tuesday, but involved attorneys general from 48 states. Honda has recalled approximately 12.9 million Honda and Acura vehicles equipped with the defective inflators since 2008. Under a separate class action settlement, Honda customers are entitled to restitution for damages or injuries that occurred as a result of the defective airbags. More: Takata airbags coverage

LANSING, Mich. The state of Michigan and some private partners are taking steps toward building or assigning dedicated lanes for automated vehicles on a 40-mile stretch of highway between Detroit and Ann Arbor. Ford is among nine autonomous vehicle and auto companies on an advisory board for the project. The project is being led by a company called Cavnue, which will start the study by running autonomous vehicles with human backup drivers along I-94 and U.S. 12 to collect data. Chinese media have reported on a similar project on a new freeway in China, and others have proposed similar ventures in the U.S., but Winer said the Michigan project would be a first. Vehicles and autonomous driving systems used by all companies would be able to use the lanes, provided they meet standards, Winer said.

Ford is among nine autonomous vehicle and auto companies on an advisory board for the project. Eventually, autonomous buses and shuttles would run along the Interstate 94 corridor, linking the University of Michigan to Detroit Metropolitan Airport and the citys downtown. Tech and auto companies that favor running the vehicles with normal traffic seem to be winning, Walker Smith said, although that has eased as expectations for autonomous vehicles have become more realistic. Vehicles and autonomous driving systems used by all companies would be able to use the lanes, provided they meet standards, Winer said. The company plans to build a prototype freeway lane at the American Center for Mobility, an autonomous vehicle testing area Ypsilanti, Michigan, he said, adding that the study will consider how to handle wildlife or humans entering the dedicated lanes.

DETROIT The U.S. government's road safety agency is investigating complaints of fires in a power and charging port in some Chrysler Town and Country minivans. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it has three reports of fires and one injury in minivans from the 2014 model year. The agency says owners complained of fires starting in the ports, which are mounted in a trim piece on the driver's side between the second- and third-row seats. Fiat Chrysler, which makes the minivans, says it's cooperating with the investigation. The agency will determine what caused the fires and how often they happen.

FRANKFURT German automaker BMW lost 212 million euros ($250 million) in the second quarter as the coronavirus pandemic shutdowns cut vehicle sales by a quarter in the April-June period. The company saw a rebound in China, its biggest market. The net loss compared with a profit of 1.48 billion euros in the same period a year ago. The company said a positive trend was emerging in China, which was hit earlier by the virus but also reopened sooner. Sales there rose 17% in the second quarter compared with the year-earlier quarter.

Honda Motor Co. racked up an 80.8 billion yen ($765 million) fiscal first quarter loss, a reversal from a 172 billion yen profit in the previous fiscal year. The crisis has reaffirmed the need for Honda to reshape its operations by beefing up online sales and growing leaner, he said. Nissan Motor Co., already reeling from a scandal surrounding its former executive Carlos Ghosn, racked up a 285.6 billion yen ($2.7 billion) loss and has announced plant closures in Spain and Indonesia. Honda said it is projecting a 165 billion yen ($1.6 billion) profit for the fiscal year through March 2021, down 64% from a year earlier. It expects to sell 4.5 million vehicles in the current fiscal year, down from 4.79 million vehicles in the fiscal year that ended in March.

Its gotten a whole lot more complicated since Mary Barra took over as CEO of General Motors in 2014. People understood that were working hard to keep the environment safe for them. We feel that weve got a safe environment at work. The conversation Ive had with many different officials is they understand with the protocols that people are safe at work. And so we look at all the work weve done, what we want to do now is build on that.

DETROIT The merger between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Groupe PSA (PSA Peugeot) has born a new name: Stellantis. Actually, its officially STELL/\NTIS, a name rooted in the Latin verb stello meaning to brighten with stars, according to the automakers joint news release on Wednesday. FCA and PSA announced in December they signed a binding merger deal creating the worlds fourth-largest auto company with the scale to confront the challenges of stricter emissions regulations and the transition to new driving technologies. The companies said the new group will be led by PSAs cost-cutting CEO Carlo Tavares, with Fiat Chryslers chairman John Elkann as chairman of the merged company. Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley will stay on, but it was not announced in what capacity.

Later this month the company will introduce two new off-road vehicles, a Ranger pickup-sized Bronco that will come in two- and four-door versions, and the smaller Escape-sized Bronco Sport, both aimed at taking sales from Fiat Chryslers top brand. Although the new Broncos will share some parts with other Ford vehicles, theyve got beefed up suspensions and were designed for off-road use, the company said. Specific details of the vehicles wont be released until the July 13 event. If the Bronco is able to dent sales of the Grand Cherokee, it probably wont be for long, Kelleher said. She said the coronavirus pandemic may increase the size of the market for off-road vehicles with more people now opting to take road trips and travel outdoors by vehicle.

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. Several workers at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Sterling Heights plant refused to work over concerns about coronavirus. June 27, 2020 -- Michigan coronavirus (COVID-19) cases up to 63,009, Death toll now at 5,907According to FCA, an employee at the plant has been sent for testing and the employees work area is being disinfected. FCA said its working alongside the UAW to address the issues and hopes to resume operations Saturday night. Local 4 checked in earlier this month to see how plant operations are running amid coronavirus restrictions. Auto workers are trying to tread carefully and avoid spreading COVID-19.

DETROIT Work was temporarily stopped Thursday afternoon at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit over workers concerns about the coronavirus (COVID-19). Heres the statement from FCA, explaining several employees stopped working over virus concerns:The health and safety of our workforce has continued to be our top priority since our plants resumed production on May 18. An employee at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant was sent home today after complaining of not feeling well. However, several employees stopped working over concerns about the virus, causing a temporary pause in production. Read back: Checking in with Metro Detroit auto plants 3 weeks after reopening

SPRING HILL, Tenn. General Motors said Wednesday it will lay off 680 workers at its Tennessee assembly plant and eliminate the facilitys third shift, moves the company says are due to the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement about the Spring Hill plant, General Motors said it believes the best way to react to the unforeseen change in market conditions due to COVID-19 is to reduce output and continue to operate on two shifts effective immediately. The plant employs 3,700 people total and has union representation through the United Auto Workers. GM and other automakers temporarily shut down U.S. factories starting in March due to COVID-19. The Spring Hill facilitys first shift went back on May 18, and the second shift returned June 1.

After a 17-year hiatus, the all-new Mustang Mach 1 fastback coupe makes its world premiere - becoming the modern pinnacle of style, handling and 5.0-liter V-8 pony car performance. Calling back Chuck Yeagers feat becoming the first to break the sound barrier Mach 1 Ford delivered its original Mach 1 in 1969, setting 295 speed and endurance records in its first model year at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Thanks to its added handling capability, Mach 1 teams earned back-to-back SCCA Manufacturers Rally Championships in 1969 and 1970. Bold styling, great acceleration and speed Mach 1 says it all, said Jim Farley, Fords chief operating officer. Related: Ford unveils new electric SUV: The Mustang Mach-E

The logo of French carmaker Renault is pictured at the Flins plant of French carmaker Renault in Aubergenville, west of Paris, Monday, May 25, 2020. French President Emmanuel Macron is set to unveil sweeping new measures to rescue France's car industry, hammered by virus lockdown and the resulting recession. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)PARIS French President Emmanuel Macron announced an 8 billion-euro ($8.8 billion) plan Tuesday to save the countrys car industry from huge losses wrought by virus lockdowns, including a big boost for electric vehicles. PARIS (AP) French President Emmanuel Macron is set to unveil new measures Tuesday to rescue the country's car industry, which has been hammered by the virus lockdown and the resulting recession. Macron tweeted that government investment in the national car industry, which includes brands like Peugeot-Citroen and Renault as well as parts suppliers, will increase massively."

MEXICO CITY General Motors announced Thursday that it is gradually restarting operations at engine and transmission plants at two of its four manufacturing complexes in Mexico. The Mexican government had said that auto companies could start preparatory work for reopening their operations May 18, but that a full re-opening wouldnt occur until June 1. U.S. officials have pressured Mexico to allow factories to resume operations after shutdowns to stem the spread of the coronavirus. They argue that the integrated supply and production chains throughout the three nations of North America make plants in all three countries dependent on each other. GM, whose Mexican plants have been shuttered for almost two months, said it is complying with all the government requirements.

Workers prepare to build ventilators at the GM manufacturing facility in Kokomo, Indiana, Monday, April 6, 2020, where GM and Ventec Life Systems are partnering to produce Ventec critical care ventilators in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by AJ Mast for General Motors)DETROIT – General Motors announced Tuesday that its first Ventec Life Systems V+Pro critical care ventilators are ready for delivery to the U.S. government’s Strategic National Stockpile. GM was awarded April 8 with a government contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to build 30,000 ventilators by August. The automaker is working with Ventec Life Systems, a partnership announced in March, to produce the machines at its plant in Kokomo, Indiana. The automaker said it has the capacity to build more ventilators after August if needed.