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DETROIT — U.S. safety regulators have opened an investigation into electric and hybrid vehicle batteries after five automakers issued recalls due to possible defects that could cause fires or stalling.

Mack Laval’s Dorval facility in Montreal is now a Mack Trucks certified electric vehicle dealer, making it the first Mack dealer in Canada to achieve this designation.

General Motors Co. and Honda Motor Co. will jointly develop affordable electric vehicles for the most popular segments in large global markets, starting with North America in 2027.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. launched a program April 4 to help customers offset the carbon footprint of their supply chain.

Hertz Global Holdings Inc. plans to buy 65,000 electric vehicles from Polestar over the next five years, a bet that its renters are both EV-curious and eager to drive brands beyond Tesla.

Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc. are planning a raft of changes to rules for gas stations to allow larger transactions after a surge in fuel prices across the U.S. made it hard for some drivers to fill up using credit cards.

The Biden administration ordered carmakers to increase their average fuel economy to about 49 mpg by 2026, in an ambitious effort to make up for progress stalled when President Donald Trump rolled back the efficiency program.

The rise in fuel prices is slowing a decline in spot rates while also potentially suppressing base revenue for some carriers, experts said.

The Biden administration announced it will invoke Cold War powers to boost domestic production of materials for batteries needed to power electric vehicles and the transition to renewable energy, a move intended to improve U.S. competitiveness in a market dominated by China.

LONDON — OPEC and allied oil producers including Russia decided March 31 to stick to a modest increase in the amount of crude they pump to the world, a step that supports higher prices even as the Biden administration plans to try to lower them by releasing oil from strategic reserves.