Fiat Chrysler’s woes related to millions of Jeeps that could catch fire after being rear-ended continued today as a judge rejected the company’s request for a new a trial in the wrongful death case of a four-year-old boy. [More]
Transportation & Infrastructure
College President Explains Why He Moonlights As Uber Driver
By 7.29.15
Imagine you’re a student at tiny Oglethorpe University in Atlanta and you’re in need of a lift home because you’re in no shape to drive. So you pull out your smartphone and request an Uber car. When your ride arrives, your driver looks awfully familiar… probably because he’s the school’s president. [More]
GM Loses Fight To Keep Ignition-Defect Documents From Going Public
By 7.29.15
General Motors, which has acknowledged being responsible for more than 100 deaths because of its failure to recall vehicles with a known defect in the ignition switch, doesn’t want the public to see documents turned up as part of an ongoing lawsuit. But a federal court recently ruled against the car maker, which could be embarrassing for GM. [More]
Kroger Recalls Garlic Powder, Cinnamon, Pepper & Fake Bacon Over Salmonella Risk
By 7.28.15
If you’ve bought any Kroger-brand seasonings (and/or fake bacon bits) recently, listen up: The nation’s second-largest supermarket chain has issued a recall affecting four different products that may be tainted with salmonella. [More]
Yet Another Uber Passenger With Service Dog Allegedly Left At The Curb
By 7.27.15
Divit is a guide dog, who has been trained to keep his owner safe and independent and to have impeccable manners in public. Yet Divit’s owner says that they were left at the curb on their way to a vet appointment, simply because the driver assigned to their ride didn’t want to have a dog in the car. Even a service dog, which in theory is allowed to go anywhere that its owner or trainer does. [More]
From Apple To Walmart, Over A Dozen Of The Biggest Businesses In The U.S. Sign On To White House Climate Pledge
By 7.27.15
A huge number of the world’s nations are coming together in Paris this December to negotiate an agreement to stem emissions and forestall further climate change. Ahead of this winter’s United Nations talks, however, some well-known names here at home are pledging their own contributions to the cause. [More]
Fiat Chrysler Receives Record $105 Million Fine For Failure To Address 23 Recalls
By 7.27.15
For the second time this year, federal regulators have handed down a record-setting fine to an automaker for failing to properly report and investigate possible defects. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration levied a $105 million fine against Fiat Chrysler, following months of investigations into the car maker’s leisurely pace in fixing more than 11 million vehicles connected to 23 safety recalls. [More]
Uber Driver Claims Dog Urinated In Car, Sends Pictures Of Different Car
By 7.23.15
It’s not news that someone did something inappropriate in a hired car: that, unfortunately, has been happening for as long as taxis have existed. No, but one woman in Chicago disputed Uber’s claim that her dog relieved himself on the floor of an UberX vehicle and that she owed $200. [More]
Fiat Chrysler Offers Software Patch For Some Internet-Connected Vehicles After Hackers Hijack Jeep
By 7.23.15
After a journalist’s report of being inside a 2014 Jeep Cherokee while hackers miles away took over his car as part of an experiment, Fiat Chrysler has announced it’s offering a software patch for some of its internet-connected vehicles. That being said, the company didn’t directly acknowledge the hacking event itself. [More]
NYC Mayor Ditches Plan To Curb Uber Expansion In The City
By 7.23.15
It seems Uber will get its way in New York City after all: Though Mayor Bill de Blasio was pushing for limits on how much the ride-hailing service and other for-hire vehicle companies could expand their fleets, city hall is now backing down from that plan amid backlash from Uber, Governor Andrew Cuomo and some famous folks. [More]
Starbucks Teams Up With Lyft To Give Drivers, Riders Extra Points Through Its Rewards Program
By 7.23.15
Take a Lyft, earn a free cup of coffee? Well, something like that anyway. Starbucks and ride-sharing service Lyft teamed up on Wednesday to unveil a new arrangement that gives customers – and drivers – of the car service extra perks through the coffee chain’s loyalty program. [More]
Bill Would Create Program To Notify Drivers Of Safety Recalls When Applying For Registration
By 7.22.15
Earlier this year, legislators introduced a bill that would require consumers to fix any outstanding safety recall on their vehicle before a registration renewal would be granted. While that measure has gone nowhere since March, a newly introduced highway reauthorization bill includes a provision that would create a pilot program for a similar plan. [More]
After Two Reported Deaths, IKEA Offering Free Wall Anchoring Kit For 27M Dressers & Chests That May Tip Over
By 7.22.15
When kids are around furniture, there’s no guarantee that they’ll treat chairs, tables and dressers as such, and instead, might see them as fun things to climb. But scaling furniture that isn’t meant to be scaled could cause it to tip over and crush a young person — especially if it isn’t anchored to the wall. That danger is leading IKEA to offer a free wall anchoring kit for a total of about 27 million chests and dressers, after two deaths were reported from furniture that fell and crushed children underneath. [More]
Ferrari Latest Automaker To Recall Vehicles For Possible Airbag Defect
By 7.20.15
While 11 automakers have already recalled millions of vehicles equipped with potentially deadly Takata-produced airbags, a twelfth car manufacturer announced it would also recall thousands of cars with safety devices supplied by the Japanese auto parts maker, although for a different, but still dangerous, reason. [More]
Senate Committee Votes Down Several Auto Safety Reforms
By 7.20.15
Since automakers began recalling vehicles in force last year – punctuated by the millions of models covered by General Motors’ massive ignition switch defect and Takata’s explosive airbags – lawmakers have been trying to push through reforms that would make it more difficult to keep potentially deadly automobiles on the roadways. But proposed laws such as those that would impose fines on owners of vehicles who don’t follow-through with recall repairs or barring used car dealers from selling vehicles with unrepaired recalls likely won’t see the light of day after being voted down by a Senate committee last week. [More]
Uber Pushing Back On New York City’s Plans To Put Limits On For-Hire Vehicle Fleet Expansion
By 7.20.15
In Uber’s quest to take over the world, expansion is key — the more drivers it has on the roads picking up passengers, the better its business will do. But in New York City, the company will have to fight to grow its fleet as local authorities consider putting limits on just how many for-hire vehicles will be cruising the streets. [More]
Tesla Announces $10K Acceleration Improvement Upgrade Called “Ludicrous Mode”
By 7.17.15
If you’ve got an extra $10,000 hanging around and were thinking of buying a new Tesla Model S, you might be interested in an upgrade company CEO Elon Musk just announced: “Ludicrous Mode,” an improved acceleration that brings the dual motor version of the car from zero to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds. [More]
Survey Says: Uber Overtakes Taxis As The Most Popular Ride For Business Travel
By 7.17.15
The scene opens on a very busy businessperson wearing a business suit and carrying a business briefcase on a mission to do some serious business. Time is of the essence — but how to get there? Though in the past we might’ve seen such a character emitting a sharp whistle to bring a cab to a screeching halt, nowadays that person is likely going to pick up their smartphone and hail a ride with Uber, according to a new report. [More]
