DETROIT (AP) — The Latest from the annual North American International Auto Show in Detroit (all times local):
9:45
President-elect Donald Trump is touting decisions by Fiat Chrysler and Ford Motor Co. to expand plants and create new jobs in the U.S., as the auto industry gathers for its annual show in Detroit.
Fiat Chrysler said Sunday it will invest $1 billion in two U.S. factories to build three new Jeep vehicles, including a pickup truck. The expansion will create 2,000 new jobs. Ford last week scrapped plans to build a $1.6 billion small-car factory in Mexico, and said $700 million would go toward expanding a Michigan plant to build new electric and autonomous vehicles.
Trump has criticized the industry's strategy of building cars in Mexico and then shipping them to the U.S. He has threatened a 35 percent border tax and said the cars should be built in the U.S. by American workers.
On Monday, Trump tweeted "it's finally happening," and thanked Ford and Fiat Chrysler for the investments in the U.S.
At the show, executives from General Motors and Volkswagen said they have no plans to change production plans despite the Trump border tax threat.
9:10 a.m.
The Chevy Bolt from General Motors has snagged the annual award for the top car in North America.
Mark Reuss, GM's head of global product development, describes the Bolt as a "moon shot." Reuss says the car's developers weren't sure what kind of range and price they would end up with when they started the project, but everything turned out just right. The Bolt gets more than 200 miles per battery charge, which is more than the average American drives in a day, and sells for around $30,000 when a federal tax credit is included.
The Honda Ridgeline was named truck of the year, while the Pacifica minivan from Fiat Chrysler won the award for as top utility vehicle, the first time an award was given separately for that category.
