Tracy Samilton
Tracy Samilton covers the auto beat for Michigan Radio. She has worked for the station for 12 years, and started out as an intern before becoming a part-time and, later, a full-time reporter. Tracy's reports on the auto industry can frequently be heard on Morning Edition and All Things Considered, as well as on Michigan Radio. She considers her coverage of the landmark lawsuit against the University of Michigan for its use of affirmative action a highlight of her reporting career.
Tracy graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in English Literature. Before beginning her journalism career, she spent time working as a legal assistant at various firms in the Ann Arbor area.
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Carmakers soon will deploy vehicle-to-vehicle communication so cars and infrastructure can send and receive signals from each other to avert things like running red lights and multi-crash pileups.
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Low gas prices combined with fuel economy improvements are driving consumers back to SUVs and trucks. 2019 will see the demise of many small cars, leaving first-time car buyers with fewer choices.
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Today was supposed to be a good day for detained Iraqis who were rounded up starting in the summer of 2017. A district court judge had ordered the remaining 110 of the group to be released, but today's opinion from the 6th Circuit Court throws the case into turmoil.
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Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has died at 66, following unexpected complications from surgery. He was credited with saving Chrysler after its 2009 bankruptcy and known for doing things his own way.
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As much as fully autonomous vehicles are in the news, none of us will be commuting to work in a self-driving car for at least two decades. Meanwhile, Toyota says it will use technology, called V-2-V, in all its cars within a few years with claims it will save thousands of lives each year — as cars talk to each other on the highway.
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Ford Motor Company is scrambling to find another supplier that can make a key part for its highest profit vehicle, the Ford F-150 pickup, after an explosion and fire at a key parts supplier. Ford has shut down its truck plants, and it's likely there will be a ripple effect because the plant made parts for other automakers, too.
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Drone technology is quickly becoming more sophisticated — and more affordable. Now, criminals are using drones to smuggle drugs, cell phones and even weapons to inmates in prisons.
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Some undocumented immigrants in Flint, Mich., are just finding out that the water from their taps is contaminated with lead. Fear of being deported keeps some from picking up free water and filters.
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Businesses often reward their customers with discounts for sticking with them. But some auto insurance companies may raise your premiums if they think you're unlikely to shop for a better rate. -
The length of the average car loan isn't just creeping up, it's leaping up. Nearly 40 percent of people secure car loans that take more than five years to pay off. The trend has some analysts alarmed.
