Public policies
If automakers focused more on efficiency would there be less pressure to go EV?
“Just think, a little more focus on efficiency and we wouldn’t be forced to go all electric in the future. I love power, so don’t get me wrong. But with such dismal mileage that these […]
Scientists versus Chrysler on automotive air pollution in 1969
“The battle over air pollution caused by cars is far from over, despite statements issued by auto-industry public relations departments. Research at Ohio State University indicates that present automobile engines spew about 29 pounds of […]
TTAC’s Matt Posky raises false fears about end of owning private cars
Over at The Truth About Cars, Matt Posky (2021a) recently wrote that his “stomach was in a twist” because the government was “talking about the merits of reducing people’s ability to own things.” His story […]
1969 prediction: Traffic jams could lead to caps on auto production
“That bell you hear tolling ominously in the background could be for the automobile and driving as we know them. An ever-increasing number of individuals and organizations are expressing alarm over the proliferation of cars. […]
It’s a big deal that Ford and GM knew about climate change in 1960s
(UPDATED FROM 6/6/2020) The news that Ford and General Motors knew about climate change in the 1960s raises a number of big questions. For example, might this revelation open both automakers to lawsuits similar to […]
Market fragmentation drove GM actions more than antitrust fears
Geeber’s comment on our antitrust story significantly adds to the discussion so I’m elevating it to the front page as a letter to the editor: GM had been pushing to centralize more functions at the […]
Auto media have largely ignored COP26 summit on climate change
In my weekly cruise through a list of trade journals and buff magazines, I found virtually no coverage of a major international climate change summit called COP26 (go here to see Indie Auto’s bibliography of […]
Why are Automotive News’ comment threads so terrible?
A recent Automotive News (2021a) comment thread adds to the impression that the publication is not very concerned that it is fueling fact-challenged polarization. Why wouldn’t “the nation’s pre-eminent newspaper covering the automotive industry” possess […]
A few thoughts on skepticism about an EV transition led by Tesla
Yesterday I came across a debate on a left-of-center political blog that sounded surprisingly similar to what I’ve seen in auto industry media. A number of commentators were quite skeptical about a rapid transition to […]
