Top 5 stories of the week: Ford asks dealers to pause EV investments; U.S. vehicle age reaches new heights
A quick look at the top automotive stories of the week as determined by reader interest.
Lucid to cut 400 jobs in latest sign of stress for EV market
Lucid Group Inc. will eliminate about 400 jobs in the coming months, the latest move by an electric-vehicle maker to cut costs in a dramatically slowing market for plug-in cars.
Toyota Camry stays in midsize sedan game while competitors fold
Toyota executives say they will remain steadfast in sedans because they see opportunity there — even as others exit car segments.
Summer 2024: Tourists head to Orlando with eye on Epic Universe next year
A familiar summertime pattern is already upon us: High humidity with a high probability of a surge of tourists traveling to Orlando for theme-park vacations.
Central Florida’s attractions are opening several new lures at Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando and beyond. But experts are split on how travel plans may be affected by Epic Universe, a new theme park scheduled to open in summer 2025. It will be Universal Orlando’s third theme park.
“I don’t think people are waiting to come to Florida,” said Tarah Chieffi, senior writer with The Points Guy, a travel-media platform. “Orlando is always one of the most popular summertime destinations, obviously, especially for families and that is really no different this year.”
She pointed to Bank of America’s summer travel report, which expected the number of visitors to Florida to be about the same as in 2023, and up 15% from 2019, the summer before pandemic hit the U.S. Orlando is the No.2 searched destination on Expedia, she said.
Too fast for the FAA? Companies moving forward to develop flying cars and electric planes, but Florida airspace is just not ready
If bets were to be placed, which would come first for Florida travelers? An FAA approved system for flying cars? Or a completed Orlando-Tampa extension for Brightline, the high speed railroad?
In late October of last year, Florida Secretary of Transportation Jared Perdue, an aggressive advocate for the development of a statewide system for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, penned a sharply worded letter to his counterpart in Washington complaining that the Federal Aviation Administration, which is tasked with setting up rules for the aircraft to fly, is not acting fast enough.
“Last month, Florida released a report detailing our efforts, equipping our public and private sector partners to embrace [Advanced Air Mobility] as soon as the technology is ready to launch,” Perdue told Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Secretary of Transportation. “Unfortunately, Florida faces one roadblock to begin putting our plans into motion: the continued delay of your Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).”