Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc across swaths of Texas and Louisiana, damaging billions of dollars’ worth of property in its path. That includes cars, many of which needed to be replaced, resulting in a bittersweet sales boost for a number of automakers. [More]
Transportation & Infrastructure
Prepare To Keep Waiting For Your Model 3: Tesla Is Way Behind On Production
By 10.3.17
If you’ve been waiting with bated breath for the arrival of the long-awaited, cheaper Tesla Model 3, well, you may have to cool your heels even longer than you thought. The company says a lot fewer vehicles have rolled off the line that it originally planned, due to “manufacturing bottlenecks.” [More]
Nearly 650,000 Jeep & Dodge SUVs Recalled Over Potentially Degraded Brakes
By 10.3.17
Fiat Chrysler recalled more than half a million SUVs this week because it can be dangerous when your brakes don’t work properly. [More]
GM Jumping On Zero Emissions Bandwagon With “All-Electric” Plans
By 10.2.17
A few weeks after Volkswagen said it’s planning on eventually offering electric versions of all the cars it makes, General Motors announced today that it’s jumping on the zero-emissions bandwagon with the goal of an “all-electric” future. [More]
L.A.-Bound Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Engine Breaks Apart Over Ocean
By 10.2.17
An Air France flight from Paris to Los Angeles was forced to make an emergency landing in eastern Canada after one of the plane’s engines broke into pieces over the Atlantic. [More]
27% Of Vehicles At Carmax Have An Open Safety Recall
By 9.29.17
Even though CarMax, the nation’s largest seller of used cars, has been called out publicly by safety advocates and federal regulators, a new report claims that more than 1-in-4 vehicles being sold by CarMax is currently under an open safety recall.
[More]
Volkswagen Trying To Lure Customers Back With 6-Year/72,000-Mile Warranties On Most 2018 Models
By 9.29.17
In the wake of the still-lingering Dieselgate scandal, which has cost Volkswagen billions of dollars and left a smog-colored stain on its reputation, the carmarker is hoping to turn schadenfreude into fahrvergnügen* by having a warranty on many of its new vehicles that lasts twice as long as the standard warranty you’d find on most cars in the U.S. [More]
Uber Charges Passenger $925 For What Is Normally $117 Ride
By 9.29.17
In certain markets, Uber will charge a “surge” rate during busy times that is in excess of what a passenger normally pays for a ride. But one Chicago Uber customer says she had no idea she’d be charged $925, nearly eight times the standard rate, for her lengthy trip. [More]
American Airlines CEO Predicts Industry Is Never “Going To Lose Money Again”
By 9.29.17
In words that will most surely never come back to haunt him, American Airlines CEO Doug Parker boldly declared this week that the U.S. airline industry is in such a solid place right now that he doesn’t see how it could ever end up in the red. [More]
You Can No Longer Fly Your Drone Over The Statue Of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, Other Sites
By 9.29.17
When it comes to catching sight of a national landmark, it can get pretty crowded on the ground. But starting next week, you won’t be able to use a drone to get a better view of 10 famous spots in the U.S. [More]
Woman Forcibly Removed From Southwest Flight Charged With Disorderly Conduct
By 9.28.17
A woman forcibly removed from a Southwest Airlines flight earlier this week now faces a slew of charges following the incident. [More]
Uber Puts An End To Money-Losing Xchange Leasing Program
By 9.27.17
Uber’s Xchange Leasing program, which allowed Uber drivers to lease new cars that they could pay off by picking up passengers, was heavily criticized for charging lease rates far in excess of what drivers could get elsewhere, but it wasn’t until Uber realized it was losing boatloads of money on the program that it was in jeopardy — and now it’s being put to bed forever. [More]
Dyson Working On Electric Car, Unclear If It Will Double As Street Sweeper
By 9.27.17
After years of pushing bright yellow pricey vacuum cleaners, Dyson says it’s now working on a new set of wheels — and these won’t fit in your hall closet. [More]
Southwest Airlines Apologizes After Video Shows Woman Being Forcibly Removed From Plane
By 9.27.17
Southwest Airlines apologized today after a video made the rounds this week showing a passenger being forcefully removed from a plane. [More]
Delta Now Lets Passengers Send (Some) Inflight Text Messages
By 9.27.17
The next time you’re on a Delta Air Lines flight and want to tell the pal picking you up at the airport that your flight is delayed (or ask your mom to please make sure there are cheese curds in the refrigerator upon your arrival), you’ll be able to send a text message from the air — for free. [More]
JetBlue May Finally Start Offering Flights To Europe
By 9.26.17
Even though JetBlue makes multiple international flights to the Caribbean and Latin America, the airline has yet to crack the European market. That may change, as JetBlue is now mulling over the idea of finally offering transatlantic flights. [More]
Alaska Airlines Passengers Will No Longer Share Planes With Reindeer & Sled Dogs
By 9.25.17
Do you like reindeer? Have you always wanted to fly with them? No, this has nothing to do with Santa Claus: Next month, Alaska Airlines will retire its last combi-planes, jets that carry both passengers and cargo to communities across the state. That cargo could include food, consumer goods, or live animals like dogs and reindeer. [More]
Florida Keys Will Officially Reopen To Tourists Oct. 1
By 9.25.17
If you had to delay a vacation to the Florida Keys because of Hurricane Irma, you’ll soon be able to follow through on your plan to visit Ernest Hemingway’s polydactyl cats: The Keys will officially reopen to tourists this weekend — which isn’t just good for visitors, but for the local economy as well. [More]
