The government is aggressively promoting electric cars. But a dramatic blaze in an underground lot has left some potential buyers worried about safety.
The union, which lost an organizing vote at two factories last week, argued to federal officials that the automaker had violated labor laws.
The election, fiercely opposed by the state’s political leaders, was seen as a test of the United Automobile Workers’ ability to unionize factories in the South.
Southern political leaders say a win for the United Automobile Workers would threaten their economies. Activists want to strike a blow against a system they say exploits the poor.
The automaker said it would delay new battery-powered models and shift its focus to hybrid cars, sales of which are rising fast.
The latest proposal comes from Luca de Meo, the C.E.O. of Renault Group, who is pushing for an Airbus-inspired alliance that would help European automakers fend off competition from cheaper Chinese-made electric vehicles.
The three U.S. automakers say they are already at a disadvantage to nonunion rivals while labor leaders hope that big gains in negotiations will inspire workers in Southern states to unionize.
Many carmakers and charging companies are switching to the Tesla plug for electric vehicles. Why are they doing that and what will it mean?
G.M. and other automakers will jointly spend at least $1 billion to build a North American network of electric vehicle chargers.
The companies will jointly spend at least $1 billion to build a North American network in an effort to persuade more people to buy battery-powered cars and trucks.