Business Briefs – September 11, 2016

3-Wheeled Electric Vehicle Set To Go on Sale This Year

DETROIT (AP) – A three-wheeled electric vehicle could be on the road later this year in the U.S. and Canada.

Electra Meccanica Vehicles Corp. of Vancouver, British Columbia, officially unveiled the one-seat Solo on Friday. The Solo could go on sale as early as November pending approval by U.S. and Canadian regulators. It costs around $15,500.

The Solo is classified as a car in Canada and as an autocycle in 41 U.S. states. That means it doesn’t require users to wear a helmet or have a motorcycle license, but it also doesn’t have some safety features that are required in cars, like air bags.

GM Recalls 4M Vehicles for Air Bag Defect Linked to 1 Death

DETROIT (AP) – General Motors Co. is recalling more than 4 million vehicles, most of them in the U.S., to fix an air bag software defect that has been linked to one death.

The vehicles involved in the recall are all from the 2014-2017 model years and include models from Buick, Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac. The company is recalling 4.28 million vehicles worldwide, including 3.6 million in the U.S.

GM says the defect is linked to at least one death and three injuries.

Kroger Cuts Sales Forecast On Falling Prices

CINCINNATI (AP) – Kroger reported weaker-than-expected revenue Friday and said it was hurt by falling prices for eggs, meats and other products, forcing it to lower its sales forecast for the year.

The supermarket operator said it expects the price weakness to continue into next year, but CEO Rodney McMullen expressed confidence that it “won’t last forever.”

Kroger, based in Cincinnati, has nearly 2,800 grocery stores around the country, including its namesake Kroger, as well as Ralphs and Dillons.

Ford Buys Shuttle Service As Part of New Mobility Push

DETROIT (AP) – Ford Motor Co. is buying an app-based shuttle service Chariot and partnering with a bike-share company Motivate as part of its effort to expand its traditional business.

Chariot currently operates 100 14-passenger Ford Transit vans in the San Francisco area. Ford says it plans to expand the shuttle service to five more cities over the next 18 months.

Motivate runs bike-sharing programs in 11 U.S. cities and in Melbourne, Australia.