US to Explore Allowing Driverless Cars Without Steering Wheels
The head of the top U.S. auto safety regulator said the agency “absolutely” will consider ending requirements that driverless cars include steering wheels, a potential boon for Tesla Inc. and other robotaxi companies rethinking traditional vehicle design. “If you’re developing a vehicle that is designed never to be driven by a human operator, it doesn’t make any sense to require manual controls,” Jonathan Morrison, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said Thursday in a CNBC interview.The comments follow NHTSA’s move last month to update federal safety standards to remove the mandate for manual brake pedals in autonomous vehicles, reports Bloomberg. The changes, part of an ongoing effort by the Trump administration to modernize rules for driverless cars, could ease the path for purpose-built autonomous vehicles including Tesla’s Cybercab, a two-seat electric car that lacks a steering wheel or foot pedals. Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk has advocated for policy changes that would support broad commercial deployment of self-driving vehicles, including calling for a federal framework for driverless cars. Click here for the full story.
Senate Panel to Vote on Bill Blocking Chinese Automakers from U.S. Market
The Senate Commerce Committee will vote July 15 on bipartisan legislation aimed at permanently strengthening restrictions that prevent Chinese automakers from entering the U.S. passenger vehicle market. Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) introduced the legislation in April. According to CBT News, the bill, the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026, would codify a rule the Biden administration issued in January 2025, which blocks Chinese automakers from selling connected passenger vehicles in the U.S. However, lawmakers argue the measure addresses national security risks posed by vehicle software and connected technologies that can collect sensitive driver data. Specifically, the legislation would prohibit the sale of vehicles designed in China with advanced connectivity systems or vehicle software. House lawmakers have introduced companion legislation with similar provisions. In March, major automakers, suppliers and dealer organizations urged the federal government to maintain restrictions on Chinese automakers. The coalition contends Chinese manufacturers pose risks to U.S. national security, the domestic automotive industry and long-term competitiveness. Chinese vehicles remain largely absent from the U.S. market, but they’re gaining market share in Europe and Mexico. Consumer interest in lower-priced Chinese electric vehicles is also growing despite existing tariffs. Click here for the full story.
Redesigned 2026 Mazda CX-5 Awarded Top Safety Honors By IIHS
The redesigned CX-5, Mazda’s biggest seller in the U.S., has been awarded the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s highest safety rating. Mazda’s 2026 model lineup now has nine vehicles awarded a Top Safety Pick+ from the independent vehicle testing organization funded and supported by the insurance industry. That’s the most of any brand, reports Automotive News. The newest CX-5 compact crossover also is Mazda’s 100th top safety pick since the IIHS program began in 2008.“Mazda has consistently demonstrated a commitment to safety and acted quickly to improve its vehicles as our award criteria have evolved,” IIHS President David Harkey said in a statement.For 2026, IIHS updated several criteria to improve pedestrian crash prevention, toughen back seat protection standards and enhance crash‑avoidance performance.In raising the safety bar, IIHS said it updated its moderate overlap front crash test by adding a rear-seat dummy that represents a 12-year-old or small adult, as well as new chest-injury scoring criteria. Jennifer Morrison, director of vehicle safety strategy for Mazda North America, credits strategic engineering, human-centric design and advanced safety technologies for the company’s safety performance. Click here for the full story.
New-Vehicle Inventories in the U.S. Move Up Slightly to 2.95 million
U.S. new-vehicle inventories ticked up last month to start July at 2.95 million vehicles, slightly higher from a month ago. Nonhybrid gasoline-powered vehicles represented over 70 percent of what was available to consumers at the start of the third quarter, data firm Catalyst IQ said.The latest count represents a 75-day supply at current selling rates, equal to where it stood at the start of June, Catalyst IQ said, and five days less than where it was a year earlier.The latest days’ supply figure signals automakers and dealers are maintaining stocks near or below 3 million to maximize pricing discipline.Hybrids continued to be the fastest-turning powertrain and had the lowest days’ supply for the third consecutive month, at 63 days, reports Automotive News. The days’ supply of electric vehicles grew to 70 days to begin July, while traditional ICE-powered vehicles had a 78-day supply.There was also a direct correlation between price and inventory age. The higher a vehicle’s marketed price band, the longer it sat unsold on dealership lots. For example, vehicles priced $35,000 and under were on lots for 66 days on average, compared with 79 days for those priced over $100,000. Click here for the full story.
You Auto Know
In 2024, the size of the payroll for international nameplate dealership employees was $47 billion. Click here to learn more in the 2025 Economic Impact Report.
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