Autonomous

FRANKFURT, Germany — BMW intends to speed the rollout of new electric cars, vowing to bring battery-powered models to 50% of global sales by 2030, the German automaker said March 17.

A grand opening was held March 16 for the four-story, $75 million, 134,000-square-foot Ford Motor Co. Robotics Building at the University of Michigan.

Electric Last Mile Inc., the plug-in delivery van startup that’s in the process of merging with blank check company Forum Merger III Corp., said it has 45,000 preorders and will start production at the former Hummer plant in Indiana in the third quarter.

DETROIT — The world’s major automakers have made something abundantly clear: They believe electric vehicles will dominate their industry in the years ahead. But do customers feel the same way?

Cruise, the self-driving technology company that’s majority-owned by General Motors Co., said it acquired autonomous-vehicle startup Voyage, which operates a service in retirement communities.

Tesla Inc. said Jerome Guillen, who’s been president of automotive since September 2018, transitioned last week to president of Tesla heavy trucking.

Tesla Inc. shares fell a day after firefighters responded to an incident at the company’s factory in Fremont, Calif., containing a blaze in an area of the property under construction.

Impact of automation on the transportation workforce will be “extremely real and broad," FMCSA acting Administrator Meera Joshi says.

Self-driving truck startup Plus is in advanced talks with a few special purpose acquisition companies for a merger, as it seeks to bankroll its expansion in the autonomous driving industry, according to people familiar with the matter.