Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor Co., with the 2021 Ford F-150 King Ranch truck in September in Dearborn, Mich. Strong demand for high-margin vehicles such as pickups has propelled Ford and its rivals to remarkably strong earnings this past quarter. Nic Antaya/Getty Images hide caption
A worker wearing protective gear checks an automobile assembly line worker's temperature at the entrance to a Toyota plant in Onnaing, France, on April 21. U.S. auto plants are preparing to reopen with new coronavirus safety protocols. Laurel Chor/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
A Model A-E ventilator, left, and a simple test lung. Ford plans to begin manufacturing the simple ventilator that operates on air pressure, without the need for electricity, next week. Ford Motor Co. hide caption
"This is a merger between two healthy companies," Groupe PSA CEO Carlos Tavares said, noting the profitability both Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler have reached after enduring a recession. Groupe PSA hide caption
Nissan says it is recalling nearly 400,000 vehicles in the U.S. that pose a potential fire danger because of a braking system defect. Eugene Hoshiko/AP hide caption
A robotic arm works on the production line at Volvo's factory in Ridgeville, S.C. But other essential jobs, including major portions of final assembly, are still left to people. Camila Domonoske/NPR hide caption
The exhaust pipes of a VW diesel car are photographed in Frankfurt, Germany, on Wednesday. German auto bosses, ministers and state governors are considering how to reduce diesel emissions as drivers face the threat of possible bans on driving older diesel cars in some cities. Michael Probst/AP hide caption
Olli is an autonomous electric shuttle bus by Local Motors that is test-running at National Harbor, south of Washington, D.C. Local Motors hide caption
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks during a roundtable discussion on manufacturing this Wednesday in Bedford Heights, Ohio. MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Workers assemble one of the many car models at Chinese carmaker's Chery Automobile plant in Wuhu, east China's Anhui province. STR/AFP/Getty Images hide caption