BERLIN–Volkswagen has started building its ID.3 electric vehicle, but is bracing for a major production disruption from a shortage of semiconductors.

When the latest-generation C-Class series of automobiles was being developed in 2014, Mercedes-Benz designers placed a great emphasis on weight reduction to reduce fuel consumption.

Aluminum is a popular material for numerous automotive lightweighting applications. But, switching from aluminum to zinc alloys could greatly enhance the longevity and sustainability of many types of auto parts.

LOUISVILLE—Approximately 20,000 active and retired Ford factory workers, their immediate family members and surviving spouses will be able to get coronavirus tests at the UAW hall here after the union’s executive board voted unanimously to hire a private laboratory to perform the tests at no cost to members.

WEST POINT, GA—A South Korean auto parts supplier will invest more than $240 million to build a transmission assembly plant here.

DETROIT—General Motors Corp. recently announced that it will spend $27 billion on all-electric and autonomous vehicles through 2025, an increase of $7 billion, or 35 percent, from initial plans announced in March.

MONTGOMERY, AL—Denmark-based Mountain Top Industries, a manufacturer of aluminum roll covers for pickup trucks, recently announced its expansion into the U.S. market with the opening of a 73,000 square-foot manufacturing facility here.