Auto Tech Archives

GM Cuts IT Jobs As Detroit Automaker Faces Mounting Cost Pressures, EV Transition, And AI Disruption

GM Cuts IT Jobs As Detroit Automaker Faces Mounting Cost Pressures, EV Transition, And AI Disruption

DETROIT - Automotive News reported Monday that General Motors has eliminated additional information technology jobs as the automaker continues restructuring efforts aimed at lowering costs and accelerating its transition into a software-driven automotive company. The layoffs come as GM faces a difficult balancing act: funding billions of dollars in electric vehicle development, battery plants, software

By Mike Brennan|2026-05-11T17:04:25-04:00May 11th, 2026|Auto Tech, Engineering Society of Detroit, ESD|

Could Chinese EVs Crush Detroit?

Could Chinese EVs Crush Detroit?

Part 1 or a two-part series on the Chinese auto threat to Michigan. DETROIT - For generations, Detroit was the beating heart of American industrial power. In the decades following World War II, Michigan’s auto industry dominated not only the United States, but much of the global automobile market as well. During the 1950s and

By Mike Brennan|2026-05-08T10:58:20-04:00May 8th, 2026|Auto Tech, Engineering Society of Detroit, ESD, Featured, Politics, Politics/Government|

Michigan’s White Collar Recession Has Started — And AI May Accelerate It

Michigan’s White Collar Recession Has Started — And AI May Accelerate It

ANN ARBOR - For decades, white collar workers believed college degrees and office careers offered protection from the economic disruption that devastated factory towns across the Midwest. Automation was supposed to threaten assembly lines — not office cubicles. But economists, labor researchers and major national publications are increasingly warning that artificial intelligence could reshape professional

By Mike Brennan|2026-05-06T17:13:51-04:00May 6th, 2026|Artificial Intelligence, Auto Tech, ESD, Featured, Industry 4.0|

GM’s $6 Billion Bet on Gas Engines Could Save Michigan Jobs as EV Demand Slows

GM’s $6 Billion Bet on Gas Engines Could Save Michigan Jobs as EV Demand Slows

DETROIT - General Motors is pouring more than $6 billion into U.S. manufacturing in just 12 months, a massive capital commitment that underscores a growing reality inside the auto industry: the transition to electric vehicles isn’t happening as fast as expected. The latest piece of that investment—about $830 million across key Midwest plants—is aimed squarely

By Mike Brennan|2026-05-05T11:18:49-04:00May 5th, 2026|Auto Tech, Engineering Society of Detroit, ESD, Featured|

GM Just Flipped the Switch on AI in 4 Million Cars—And Drivers May Not Be Ready

GM Just Flipped the Switch on AI in 4 Million Cars—And Drivers May Not Be Ready

DETROIT — General Motors is about to fundamentally change what it means to “talk to your car.” The Detroit automaker is rolling out Google Gemini — the same class of advanced artificial intelligence powering next-generation chatbots — directly into millions of vehicles through its OnStar system. The move instantly transforms roughly 4 million GM vehicles

By Mike Brennan|2026-04-29T14:33:25-04:00April 29th, 2026|Artificial Intelligence, Auto Tech|

$166B Tariff Refund Wave Begins—Michigan Manufacturers, Auto Suppliers Could See Windfall

$166B Tariff Refund Wave Begins—Michigan Manufacturers, Auto Suppliers Could See Windfall

Freight trucks cross the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, one of the busiest U.S.-Canada trade corridors. Michigan companies tied to global supply chains are among those affected by the $166 billion tariff refund program. PHOTO CREDIT: The Fulcrum DETROIT - Michigan manufacturers and auto suppliers could soon see a significant financial boost as the

By Mike Brennan|2026-04-21T11:18:39-04:00April 21st, 2026|Auto Tech, Featured, Government/Politics, News|

Michigan’s Auto Industry Runs on Chinese Tech—And Washington Is Starting to Push Back

Michigan’s Auto Industry Runs on Chinese Tech—And Washington Is Starting to Push Back

ANN ARBOR - From connected cars rolling off Detroit assembly lines to smart devices inside homes across the state, a significant portion of Michigan’s digital infrastructure relies on Chinese-made communication components—often without consumers or businesses realizing it. A new report highlighted by The Hill is raising alarms in Washington over the dominance of two Chinese

By Mike Brennan|2026-04-16T18:37:37-04:00April 16th, 2026|Auto Tech, Cyber Defense|

Rising Gas Prices, NY Auto Show, March Auto Sales Update From Paul Eisenstein

Rising Gas Prices, NY Auto Show, March Auto Sales Update From Paul Eisenstein

ANN ARBOR - Long-Time auto journalist Paul Eisenstein joins MITech TV to update gasoline prices, what was hot at the New York Auto Show, March auto sales for the Detroit Three, and a new Substack projects with a group of his fellow auto writers. You can get all the details by watching this video interview

By Mike Brennan|2026-04-15T11:27:41-04:00April 15th, 2026|Auto Tech, mitechtv|

Michigan Tech Firms, Automakers Face New Risk as Iran Threatens Attacks on U.S. Tech Giants

Michigan Tech Firms, Automakers Face New Risk as Iran Threatens Attacks on U.S. Tech Giants

DETROIT - Michigan’s technology and automotive sectors—deeply tied to global supply chains and cloud infrastructure—could face ripple effects from a new and unusual escalation in the Iran conflict: direct threats against major U.S. tech companies. In late March, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned it could begin targeting American tech firms operating in the

By Staff Writer|2026-04-07T16:57:51-04:00April 4th, 2026|Auto Tech, News|

Michigan Auto Sales Face Squeeze as Tariffs and Iran War Drive Up Car and Gas Prices

Michigan Auto Sales Face Squeeze as Tariffs and Iran War Drive Up Car and Gas Prices

DETROIT — New car prices are rising again in the United States, but this time the pressure is coming from multiple directions at once — and Michigan sits directly in the crosshairs. A combination of import tariffs, supply chain costs, and now a global oil shock tied to the Iran conflict is pushing vehicle prices

By Mike Brennan|2026-03-30T19:32:09-04:00March 30th, 2026|Auto Tech, News|