Pete Bigelow

Republican lawmakers are warning that regulations proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency could cast a pall over auto racing.

Illinois motorists may soon be the victims of their own good behavior. Drivers in the Land of Lincoln have been improving their fuel efficiency and driving more hybrid and electric cars that lessen their reliance on gasoline. As a result, the state isn't collecting as much money through its gasoline tax as it once did.

There's been an ungodly amount of attention paid to Tesla Motors' Model 3 since its unveiling last week. With so many eyes on the new electric sedan for the mainstream masses, the company has quietly made some changes elsewhere in its lineup.

Construction will begin later this month on a massive redesign of Ford's corporate campus in Dearborn, Michigan, a project that's expected to take more than a decade to complete.

Ford has gained a big advantage in one of the most competitive segments in the auto industry. The company's F-150 SuperCab was the only one of nine pickup trucks tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to earn a "good" rating on a rigorous new crash test.

Some of the biggest challenges in preparing self-driving cars for the road have little to do with the vehicles themselves. Worn lane markings, shoddy roads and uneven signage standards make it harder for autonomous cars to figure out where they're headed on many American roads. Poor weather and sunlight at low-angles can also make it hard for cars to discern the path ahead.

Some of the leading companies in the race to develop self-driving cars have insisted the quickest path toward an autonomous future is to eliminate human involvement in the driving process. Toyota executives see the benefit of keeping drivers around.

Gentlemen, start your computers.

Most states have laws that require car owners to ensure their license plates remain visible and clear of obstructions. In practicality, that can be cumbersome. Trailers, trailer hitches, bike racks and other ordinary vehicle equipment can often restrict that view.

Tesla Motors wasn't the only car company to close out March with an upbeat sales report. Ford enjoyed its best-selling March in ten years, the company said Friday. Other automakers reported sales growth that topped already-historic levels. Trucks and SUVs continued to be hot sellers.

Who says the American love affair with cars is dead? Gasoline is cheap, and Americans are driving more miles than ever. New data shows that motorists in the United States paid their cheapest quarterly gas prices in 12 years in the first three months of 2016.

A federal jury found Wednesday that a General Motors car equipped with defective ignition switches were unreasonably dangerous. But the jury didn't award any damages to plaintiffs in the case, saying the ignition switch did not cause their car crash.

Safety watchdogs that track distracted-driving figures haven't yet quantified the impact of cell-phone use behind the wheel. But any driver who has glanced at their fellow motorists and found they're all glued to their screens knows it's a growing problem.

The largest consumer product recall in history may carry a high price tag. In a worst-case scenario, Takata could spend $24 billion fixing tens of millions of defective airbags, according to Bloomberg.

Having trouble seeing while driving at night? It may not be your eyes. Headlights on most new cars are downright terrible, according to the findings of a new study. As a result, motorists aren't getting the illumination they need to see the road and avoid obstacles at night.

States across the country are looking at permitting testing of self-driving cars on their roads. But those enthusiastic efforts can often bring unexpected complications.

Don't fret, car fanatics. Motorists who enjoy driving won't be idled in autonomous era, says Google's John Krafcik.

Chrysler invented the minivan 30 years ago. Now, it's poised to deliver a new people-mover, the Pacifica, that could set the stage for the next 30 years.

Self-driving car executives and Congressional leaders alike warned this week that the lack of a cohesive national policy toward autonomous vehicles would hinder their development. But that wasn't their only concern.

​Laws that govern self-driving car operations need to be consistent across the country, or else the United States could lose its status as a leader in autonomous development.

Gas prices are cheap. The unemployment rate is low. The population is growing. Fueled by those factors, Americans drove more than 3 trillion miles last year, according to the Federal Highway Administration, the most since the start of the Great Recession.