The Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga is set to become the first unionized auto factory in the South not owned by one of Detroit’s Big Three.

The United Automobile Workers hopes contract gains at the Big Three carmakers will provide momentum in a broad effort to organize nonunion plants.

The automaker said it would delay new battery-powered models and shift its focus to hybrid cars, sales of which are rising fast.

Baltimore is a top destination for car shipments, but companies are finding ways to use other ports on the East Coast.

The city’s port ranks first in the country for the volume of automobiles and light trucks it handles.

The United Automobile Workers union said that 70 percent of the 4,000 eligible Volkswagen workers at a Chattanooga factory had signed cards expressing support.

Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, has been criticized for selling few electric vehicles, but its decision to focus on hybrids is paying off financially.

The money-losing electric vehicle company, which makes vans, trucks and S.U.V.s, is trying to preserve cash as it works to produce and sell more affordable…

Some buyers said the electric Lightning did not meet expectations, and Ford has slashed its production plans for the pickup because sales are lagging.