Automotive

Motor Morsels: Fetch, Toyota, UAW, and VW

Don't play with matches or people's livelihoods. Both could result in a 'strike.'
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Motor Morsels: Fetch, Toyota, UAW, and VW

Giphy/Aardman Animations

Fetch, a UK car rental service, has launched a 'driverless vehicle' experience - if by 'driverless' you mean remotely controlled by a human in a comfy office chair. To add a dash of suspense, a 'safety driver' sits in the car during delivery, ready to seize control if the remote operator gets too invested in their coffee. However, despite the successful drive of 1,000 collision-less miles, critics fear it turns life into a game of Mario Kart.

Weird how driverless delivery requires more humans than a standard delivery would.

Giphy/Hollywood Pictures

Two US pension giants, CalPERS and the NYC Comptroller's Office, have voted against re-electing Akio Toyoda as Chairman of Toyota amid criticism over the company's slow EV rollout. Critics put their negotiation skills into sport mode and argued Toyota's leadership lacks sufficient independence. Despite global scrutiny, Toyota's holding its ground like a stubborn 85' Celica refusing to retire.

People have done a lot for independence. Just ask the British.

Giphy/Lynch

The US auto workers' union is going all gas, no brakes in negotiations with Detroit carmakers. Union leaders, fresh from campaigning on a reform platform, are holding a strike in one hand and several demands in the other, including the reinstatement of cost-of-living adjustments, more robust job security, and abandoning a tiered pay system.

Don't play with matches or people's livelihoods. Both could result in a 'strike.'

VW

Remember the iconic VW Bus that defined a generation of road trippers? Well, it's back and all-electric. Of course, it still carries the iconic look, but let's see what they changed when they popped that battery in, shall we?

  • Bigger: 3rd Row of Seats, larger battery, and 10 more inches of length.
  • Stronger: 282-330 hp motors 99mph top speed.
  • More Colorful: Cabana Blue, Metro Silver, and Indium Grey are available in the US.
  • Pricing: US price isn’t announced. The UK price range is $65K-$70K. We expect the US model to be higher.

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