I wrote about robotaxis for AutoInfluence earlier this year, but given how quickly the sector is evolving, it’s no surprise major news would soon pop up again. On June 22, Tesla officially jumped into the autonomous taxi arena, rolling out its service to select riders in Austin, Texas. Founder Elon Musk promised the service would […]
Ever since development began on autonomous vehicles, speculation has run rampant about the rise of self-driving taxis, more popularly known as robot taxis or robotaxis. In 2017, outlets from the Wall Street Journal to Forbes were predicting robotaxis and other self-driving vehicles would soon lead to the end of car ownership in big cities. More […]
Some days, it feels like it’s never been harder to know what’s going on with the auto industry. Between numerous press releases, all sorts of talking heads weighing in on issues, and a seemingly infinite number of videos with click-bait titles and descriptions, trying to know what’s actually happening can seem impossible. Effectively, you can […]
Kia has never had much of a presence in the pickup segment, at least in the US. But when it comes to the South Korean brand’s home soil, it’s a whole different story. From an early T-600 “sambari” or “ three-footed vehicle” to the K-Series trucks that are a part of everyday life in Southeast […]
Ready or not, the electrified future of the auto industry is on its way—each year is making this clearer, though there are still plenty of infrastructure issues that need to be figured out to make electric vehicle (EV) ownership everything it should be. As that happens, however, car companies are blazing a trail with new […]
The automotive world continues to drive headlong into the world of electric vehicles. Although the growth rate has slowed a bit in the last year, the EV market share continues to grow. In 2023, about 25% of all new cars sold globally were EVs, with individual countries reaching as high as 90%. As such, more […]
Electric vehicles are rapidly becoming a big part of the automotive landscape. Despite EV sales growth cooling off a little bit in recent months, a record 1.2 million EVs were sold in the U.S. in 2023, representing a record 7.6% of total vehicle sales. Plenty of new EV models have been introduced in the past […]
Vehicle technology is constantly moving forward. We remember when a CD player in a car was considered groundbreaking. Now, we’ve blown so far past this point that, according to the most recent estimates, nearly half of all vehicles have ditched the onboard CD player in favor of more advanced audio technology. The same can be […]
Few technologies hold as much promise- or instill as much trepidation- as artificial intelligence (A.I.). Perfect for fulfilling menial tasks that would bore a human worker to tears, A.I. has the potential to transform the world we live in, and the automotive sector is no exception. From prototyping new models and training autonomous driving systems […]
How many model names can you recall which originated before 1960 and are still in use today? I can think of nine (read to the end for my answers), and only one of them has been a marque’s sole offering for the duration. The Caterham Seven is a direct evolution of the original Lotus Seven […]
The Chevrolet Malibu has been a staple on the North American market since its return to the market in the late 1990s; however, rumors began flying in recent years that the model would soon be discontinued. GM’s decision to retire sedans from Buick and phase out the Impala in 2020 sparked speculation that the ninth […]
It’s easy to look at younger automakers like Tesla and notice their ingenuity and impact on the industry. Tesla’s bravado is well known, with the company defying tradition by sidestepping dealerships and relying on a direct-to-consumer business model. Moreover, the company doesn’t believe in outsourcing, keeping everything in-house and often facing criticism for slow production […]
Every automotive brand has a branch that conceptualizes what the future of the industry could look like. Researchers and designers adopt the challenge of conceiving new and interesting vehicles that will hopefully align with the next generation’s values and goals. Often, these concept cars are shown at specialized shows and are then hidden away—the best […]
Honda’s slated arrivals for 2023 and 2024 will continue the tradition of upholding Honda’s reputation for developing reliable, high-performance vehicles, but they’ll also be bringing a bit of spice to the lineup with new or updated designs, alternate powertrain offerings, and a slew of sought-after features sure to please even the pickiest driver. It’s always […]
Ford is looking to the future and making it easy for every Ford dealer across the country to usher its customers into a new era of innovation and ingenuity. For many, this future is electrified and starts with SUVs like the 2022 Mustang Mach-E, which bears the nameplate of a sports car legend. It continues […]
Mazda is a company that arose from humble beginnings in the early part of the 20th century and recently was named one of the Best Car Brands for 2021 by Consumer Reports. A history of innovation, starting with a small motorbike and branching out to the technology that created the SKYACTIV engine, is part of […]
At this point, there’s no denying that many of the major auto manufacturers believe that electric vehicles are the future of the industry. It seems like you can barely go a week without seeing Tesla in the headlines (for better or worse), and other brands are making serious commitments to an EV future. GM, for […]
Did you miss us? We missed you. That’s right, AutoInfluence is back after a two week break and there’s plenty of current auto news to cover – from everyday industry headlines to the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Q2 Truck Sale shootout to the impactful death of two industry giants, there’s plenty […]
Annnd we’re back. AutoInfluence with all your current automotive news headlines, as we kick off the month of June. So, let’s get down to business. Ford Beginning with the ticking countdown of President Donald Trump’s ultimatum that a 5% tariff would be implemented on all shipments out of Mexico by this coming Monday, unless the […]
Ahhhh, the race to the self-driving car finish line. While it’s not exactly in sight, that fact certainly hasn’t stopped every major automaker from trying to be the first to reach it. Now that electric and hybrid car technology have been mastered, the auto industry has hitched their wagon to a star – no doubt […]
