GM's Orion Assembly plant. (Jeff Kowalsky/Bloomberg) Elena Morales, the president of SMT Automation, had been preparing for a big year at the tiny Michigan maker of manufacturing machinery. Morales had purchased a new building and hired staff in anticipation of installing more equipment on automotive assembly lines. Her customers, who are some of the biggest ...more
A driverless Tesla robotaxi moves through traffic June 22 in Austin, Texas. (Eric Gay/AP) Federal traffic safety regulators are looking into suspected problems with Elon Musk’s test run of self-driving “robotaxis” in Texas after videos surfaced showing them braking suddenly or going straight through an intersection from a turning lane and driving down the wrong ...more
Electric vehicle chargers outside a Ford dealership in Broomfield, Colo. (David Zalubowski/AP/File) SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal judge June 24 ordered the Trump administration to release billions of dollars in funding for the buildout of electric vehicle chargers in more than a dozen states. U.S. District Judge Tana Lin in Washington state partially granted a ...more
Cattle at a livestock crossing in Santa Teresa, N.M. (Paul Ratje/Bloomberg) U.S. ranchers are moving to expand their herds from a seven-decade low, paving the way for a long-awaited recovery in beef supplies, according to top producer JBS NV. “We are into herd rebuild right now,” Wesley Batista Filho, CEO of the Brazilian company’s North ...more
“The question is, who’s going to pay for the tariffs?” Powell said in response to a question during his testimony. (Al Drago/Bloomberg) Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on June 25 said the U.S. central bank is still struggling to determine the impact of tariffs on consumer prices. “The question is, who’s going to pay for ...more
The Home Depot’s Kathleen Eaton and Samsara CEO Sanjit Biswas at Samsara's user conference in San Diego. Eaton said dashcams have yielded measurable safety benefits for Home Depot's delivery drivers. (Seth Clevenger/Transport Topics) SAN DIEGO — Transportation and safety executives outlined how they’ve improved safety, efficiency and driver satisfaction in their fleet operations through technology ...more
Trump assailed Spain for refusing to agree to new defense spending targets adopted by NATO. (Chris Kleponis/Bloomberg) President Donald Trump assailed Spain for refusing to agree to new defense spending targets adopted by NATO and suggested the country could be penalized by facing tariffs twice as high from the U.S. “You’re the only country that ...more
The bipartisan Combating Organized Retail Crime Act would facilitate the adoption of technologies in the rail sector that could protect the freight industry. (keithbwinn/Getty Images) WASHINGTON — A House lawmaker is pressing colleagues to advance legislation that takes aim at cargo theft in the rail sector. Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.), ranking member on the Railroads, ...more
Under the deal, Vay’s remote driving setup — called Vay Station — will be integrated with Kodiak’s Assisted Autonomy system. (Kodiak Robotics) Self-driving truck technology developer Kodiak Robotics is forging a partnership with remote driving specialist Vay, the companies said June 25. Under the deal, Vay’s remote driving setup — called Vay Station — will ...more
(Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg News) Kroger plans to close around 60 U.S. grocery stores over the next 18 months to improve efficiency. The Cincinnati-based company announced the plan during a corporate earnings call June 20. The company hasn’t said which stores it plans to shutter, but said the closures will happen around the country. It also said ...more
