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U.S. safety board to release report on Texas Tesla crash within a month REUTERS The U.S. transport safety board is working to publish as soon as possible a preliminary report on a recent Tesla (TSLA.O) vehicle crash in Texas in which local police said no one was in the driver's seat, a senior official told Reuters, acknowledging public confusion over the fatal accident. read more »

Self-driving cars speed forward while safety rules lag AXIOS The U.S. has taken a hands-off approach to regulating self-driving cars, hoping to help the market thrive — but that approach could ultimately backfire, if it helps sow doubt about the technology's safety. read more » Three U.S. senators want driver-monitoring systems mandated AUTOMOTIVE NEWS

German prosecutors charge more VW managers in emissions scandal REUTERS German prosecutors have charged 15 executives from Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) and a car supplier in connection with the diesel emissions scandal that emerged in 2015, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office said on Saturday. read more »

Hyundai stops making the Kona EV for South Korea after battery recall THE VERGE

Trump administration sidelined experts in writing car pollution rules, EPA watchdog finds WASHINGTON POST

Two Senior Managers in Italy Charged with Conspiracy to Cheat U.S. Emissions Tests and Defraud U.S. Consumers DOJ

U.S. probes fatal Tesla crash believed to be driverless REUTERS The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Monday it was investigating a Texas crash on Saturday that left two dead and local police said appeared to have occurred with no one in the driver's seat. read more »

12-Volt Batteries in Some 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-Es Are Dying, Leaving Owners Stranded CAR AND DRIVER

Volkswagen loses A$125 million fine appeal for emissions breach in Australia: regulator REUTERS Australian competition regulator said on Friday the federal court dismissed Volkswagen’s appeal against a record A$125 million ($95.1 million) fine on the German car maker, which was part of a global emissions cheating scandal. read more »

Malware Takes Down Vehicle Emissions System in Several U.S. States AUTOEVOLUTION While very little is known at this point about what has caused the outage, it looks like the problems first appeared on March 30 but are still preventing the systems from coming back online at the time of press. read more » Tesla tells China car cameras not activated outside North America REUTERS

The Final Chapter In The Volkswagen Diesel Cheating Saga Is Being Written CLEAN TECHNICA

Whistleblower Program for Auto Safety Has Yet to Launch, Years After Congress Mandated It WALL STREET JOURNAL For Kim Gwang-ho, it has been 1,700 days since he first told U.S. regulators that his then-employer, Hyundai Motor Co. , was failing to address a design flaw linked to engines seizing up and at times catching fire. read more »

Lincoln Aviator joins millions of other vehicles recalled for faulty rearview camera CAR CONNECTION

100,000 More Hyundai, Genesis Vehicles Added to Fire Recall List CAR AND DRIVER Hyundai's streak of fire risk recalls continues. This week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced three new recalls involving just under 100,000 Hyundai and Genesis vehicles. All of the recalls involve the risk that the vehicles will catch fire while parked, but it's important to note that there have not been any confirmed cases in the U.S. yet. read more »

U.S. agency urges some GM van owners to park outside pending recall REUTERS The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said owners of about 10,000 new General Motors vans should park outside because of fire risks pending recall repairs. read more » Honda recalls over 628,000 US vehicles to replace fuel pumps ABC NEWS

Ford Issues Stop Sale of its Electric Vehicle Home Charger CAR AND DRIVER

Volkswagen recalls Audi A3s in the U.S. over air bag concerns REUTERS Volkswagen has issued a recall for more than 150,000 Audi vehicles in the United States on concerns that their passenger air bags might not activate, according to a filing to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. read more » Tesla’s Touchscreen Shifter Seems Like a Really Bad Idea MOTORTREND

Volkswagen to seek dieselgate damages from former CEO, Audi boss REUTERS Volkswagen will claim damages from former Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn and former Audi boss Rupert Stadler over its diesel emissions scandal, the carmaker said on Friday, trying to draw a line under its biggest-ever crisis. read more »

GM's large SUVs recalled for potential seat belt defect CNET

UK Mercedes-Benz car owners seek damages over alleged emissions cheating THE GUARDIAN