National

Percentage change in traffic fatalities from 2020 to 2021, by state

Data: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; Cartogram: Axios Visuals

An estimated 42,915 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in the U.S. in 2021, the highest number of traffic fatalities since 2005, according to data released Tuesday from the Department of Transportation.

By the numbers: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the number represents a 10.5% increase from 2020, when 38,824 deaths were reported. 

Compared to the 36,355 fatalities reported in 2019, prior to the pandemic, the number of traffic fatalities increased by 18% last year.

Zoom in: 44 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico are all projected to have had increases in the numbers of traffic deaths, NHTSA found.

Texas is estimated to have had the highest amount of deaths at 4,573, followed by California and Florida at 4,258 and 3,753, respectively.

Driving the news: "An increase in dangerous driving — speeding, distracted driving, drug- and alcohol-impaired driving, not buckling up — during the pandemic, combined with roads designed for speed instead of safety, has wiped out a decade and a half of progress in reducing traffic crashes, injuries and deaths," said Russ Martin, senior director of policy and government relations for the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Catch up fast: Earlier this week, the NHTSA released $740 million in funding for states and communities to "implement programs" to address risky driving.

Between the lines: Safety advocates say street design is a big contributor: U.S. roads prioritize the speedy movement of automobiles over other road users.

A new study shows that asphalt art is one way to slow traffic and make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

Our thought bubble, via Axios' Joann Muller: Ironically, assisted-driving technology is supposed to help make roads safer, but we're not seeing that yet.

One problem is that drivers put too much trust in automated features like lane-keeping assist, or simply don't know how to use them. And such misuse could actually make the roads more dangerous instead.

What they're saying: "We face a crisis on America's roadways that we must address together," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.

"This crisis on our roads is urgent and preventable," said Steven Cliff, NHTSA's deputy administrator.

"We will redouble our safety efforts, and we need everyone — state and local governments, safety advocates, automakers, and drivers — to join us. All of our lives depend on it," Cliff added.

Why traffic deaths spiked more in the U.S. during COVID

U.S. traffic deaths hit highest level in 16 years

An estimated 42,915 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in the U.S. in 2021.

Deaths

Transportation

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

Axios What's Next

Uber is adding "comfort electric" vehicles to the ride-hailing options on its app in some California cities, part of an ongoing effort to get drivers and consumers to go electric.

Plus: At many stadiums, you can now order food from the concession stands using Uber Eats so you don't have to miss any of the game standing in line.

Why it matters: The new features are among a suite of new products Uber rolled out Monday to make going places — or getting food — more convenient and sustainable.

Details: Uber Comfort Electric is available in San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles with more cities to come.

Riders tap a button to request a ride in a premium EV like a Tesla, Polestar or Ford Mustang Mach-E.

The Comfort Electric option is offered alongside Uber Green, where riders can already request hybrid and EV rides, as well as car-free options like bikes and scooters.

Hailing a premium EV is more expensive, though: Uber says Comfort Electric is priced between its more premium Uber Comfort and Uber Black offerings.

The big picture: Uber aims to be a zero-emissions platform in the U.S. by 2030 (and globally by 2040). The company is spending more than $800 million on various incentives to help drivers make the switch to EVs.

In 2021, Uber announced a deal with Hertz to make up to 50,000 Teslas available for Uber drivers to rent by 2023.

In the U.S., drivers who switch to EVs can earn $1 more per trip, up to $4,000 a year.

Uber has already been making significant progress in Europe, where EVs are more popular.

Yes, but: as Axios has reported: Uber's drivers are gig workers so it can't force them to buy EVs.

Uber Eats at Stadiums is currently available in LA at Dodger Stadium and Angel Stadium; in New York at Yankee Stadium; in Washington, D.C., at Capital One Arena; in Houston at Minute Maid Park; and in San Jose at PayPal Park.

How it works: Inside the venue, consumers can open the Uber Eats app and click on their general seat location (Main level, section 215 or gate 21B, for example) to be shown nearby ordering options.

Then they select the merchant, add their food, drink or merch to their cart and place an order for pickup.

When the order is ready, they’ll be notified and can head to the pickup location, skipping the line.

Uber plans to offer the service at concerts, festivals and theaters too.

Uber Travel: reserve rides for each leg of your itinerary in advance.

Uber Charter: book a party bus, passenger van or coach bus.

Vouchers for Events: cover the cost of rides for your wedding guests or employees.

Autonomous Delivery: two pilot programs in Los Angeles, using self-driving cars from Motional and sidewalk robots from Serve Robotics.

Uber adds electric cars and stadium food to its menu

Now you don't have to stand in line for concessions and miss the action.

Illustration of a burger, drink, and fries, sitting on a cell phone as if it were a tray

Uber

JetBlue on Monday launched what is effectively a hostile takeover bid for Spirit Airlines.

Driving the news: JetBlue in a letter to Spirit's shareholders urged them to vote against an earlier deal to merge with Frontier airlines.

"Based on the clear superiority of our offer, we expected the Spirit Board to engage constructively," JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said in the letter to shareholders.

"Given its unwillingness to share necessary information or negotiate in good faith, we adjusted our price accordingly, but will work towards a consensual transaction at $33 per share, subject to receiving the information to support it."

State of play: Spirit Airlines earlier this month rejected an acquisition offer from JetBlue for $3.6 billion, saying it feared the deal would not be cleared by antitrust regulators.

The Justice Department last year sued JetBlue and American Airlines over their planned consolidation, saying it is anticompetitive. A number of states have also sued to block the partnership, per the New York Times.

Thought bubble from Axios' Dan Primack: It's unclear if U.S. antitrust regulators would allow JetBlue to buy Spirit (despite what JetBlue argued this morning). But, if the deal is allowed, it could spark a series of airline industry mergers.

Go deeper ... Spirit Airlines rebuffs acquisition offer from JetBlue

JetBlue launches hostile takeover bid of Spirit Airlines

"Based on the clear superiority of our offer, we expected the Spirit Board to engage constructively."

A passenger checks in for a JetBlue flight at O'Hare International Airport on April 06, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois.

A passenger checks in for a JetBlue flight at O'Hare International Airport on April 6. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Airlines

New airlines don't come along very often, but the pandemic provided a rare opportunity for new carriers to establish themselves in smaller markets that had been abandoned by the major airlines in recent years.

Why it matters: Startups like Breeze Airways and Avelo Airlines represent a new generation of low-frills carriers that aim to disrupt the status quo just as Jet Blue and Southwest Airlines did decades earlier.

They're using technology as a differentiator — in addition to low fares and convenient routes.

Driving the news: Several de novo airlines were born during the pandemic, taking advantage of the near-shutdown of air travel that brought the big-name carriers to their knees not long ago.

The newcomers have grown quickly, adding new, larger planes and more nonstop routes to bigger cities:

Breeze, which launched a year ago mostly on the East Coast, is now offering $99 one-way fares to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas. And it just announced service from Westchester County Airport, a popular alternative to New York's three busy airports.

Avelo, which started last year on the West Coast, is now adding routes such as New Haven, Conn.,-to-Orlando, Fla. 

PLAY, an Icelandic airline launched last year, is offering cheap flights to Europe, through Reykjavik, from Baltimore/Washington, D.C., Boston, New York and Orlando.

The tech angle: Breeze was the brainchild of David Neeleman — who also founded JetBlue and other airlines — and it's taking a "tech-first" approach to customer service. 

You have to book and manage your flights through an app or the company's website — there is no toll-free customer service number.

Passengers communicate with Breeze representatives solely via text, chat or Facebook messenger. 

Each service agent manages multiple text conversations at once.

The company says this makes response times faster than they would be if passengers were holding on the telephone.

Customers usually connect with an agent within 5 to 10 minutes, a company spokesperson says, adding that conversations are typically resolved within 20 minutes.

Yes, but: The remote encounters don't sit well with everyone, as complaints on the company's Facebook page indicate, notes USA Today.

Reality check: It wasn't easy for any of these airlines to launch during the pandemic, which effectively killed the travel industry.

"It delayed us a good year or so, but that was the main downside," Neeleman, the CEO, tells Axios via email.

"On the other hand, the pandemic exacerbated the reduction of airline services that secondary and tertiary markets had been experiencing for the last five years. So, if anything, it gave us more opportunities there."

The big picture: Low-cost carriers swooping in to undercut the industry leaders "is a play we’ve seen before," said Adam Gordon, managing director and partner at Boston Consulting Group, who leads the firm's airline practice.

Discount carriers take advantage of their lower cost of operations: newer planes with low maintenance requirements, lower labor rates and simple business models, for example. (Think Spirit, Allegiant and Frontier.)

"As they mature, their labor costs tend to rise, the aircraft need more maintenance, and it all gets more complex. That creates space for new players to come in beneath them."

Flashback: JetBlue, born in February 2000, stood out for its low fares, new planes and passenger amenities like seatback screens, satellite television and free Wi-Fi.

Other airlines were forced to respond by adding similar amenities. Many also adopted the tiered pricing structure for economy seats that discount airlines pioneered.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that Breeze passengers can manage flights on the company’s website as well as through its app. This story was originally published on May 10. 

New generation of budget airlines aims to disrupt flying

Pandemic-era startups Breeze Airways and Avelo Airlines offer non-stop flights from smaller cities.

Illustration of an airplane tail design with a dollar bill sign on it.   

Ford's F-150 Lightning — which is just hitting the market — is more than simply another pickup truck: It's poised to open the floodgates for electric vehicle adoption in the U.S. by showing how much an EV can do. 

Why it matters: While Tesla started the EV revolution, Ford will likely get credit for taking these vehicles mainstream. Priced just under $40,000, the F-150 Lightning is a versatile and affordable gateway product that can (sometimes) be charged in under an hour.

What's happening: Ford is overhauling its F-Series pickup truck — America's best-selling vehicle — by ripping out the engine and transmission and replacing it with an electric powertrain. 

It's a bet-the-company move that, if all goes as planned, will attract buyers who never considered an EV — or a pickup — before. 

So far, it looks like a success: Ford has taken nearly 200,000 reservations and already bumped up production capacity twice, hoping to hit an annual rate of 150,000 by next year. 

The big picture: Ford sells 900,000 gasoline-powered F-Series trucks per year, bringing in more than $40 billion in annual revenue — more than companies like McDonalds, Nike and Coca-Cola.

There are 16.4 million of them in operation — 5.8% of all vehicles on the road.

Ford is not the first to deliver an electric truck; General Motors' GMC Hummer and Rivian's R1T beat them to market. But those are fun, expensive toys.

The Ford Lightning's starting price is half of the Rivian and far less than the six-figure Hummer, putting it within reach for many.

Situational awareness: I flew to Texas, the truck capital of America, last week to be among the first to try the new electric F-150.

I drove from downtown San Antonio through suburban stop-and-go traffic, then north on I-10 to explore the rolling hills of central Texas and the Singing Water vineyards, where I went off-roading — pretty much every kind of driving scenario you can imagine.

I even used the Lightning to tow a 24-foot electric speedboat — 8,600 pounds, including the trailer — in the Hill Country and on the freeway.

Details: The Lightning comes with two battery choices — a 230-mile standard range and a 320-mile extended range — and four trim levels. I tried them all, from the $39,974 Lightning Pro work truck for fleet customers all the way up to the $90,874 Platinum edition.

Charging time ranges from 15 hours with a 240-volt wall outlet to about 40 minutes at a public 150-kW fast-charging station.

The "mega power frunk" — or front trunk — could be the Lightning's biggest selling point:

All EVs have a front trunk where the engine is normally found, but Ford's is massive: It's got 14 cubic feet of space, with room for 400 pounds of cargo, plus a deep well with a drain that doubles as a cooler. 

Push the key fob and it opens wide like a lion's mouth. It easily fits two sets of golf clubs, or valuable tools and equipment you don't want to store in the bed. 

It's also a source of power, with up to 11 outlets onboard to power tools, camping gear — even your house or your neighbor's EV in a pinch.

Yes, but: Towing a nearly 9,000-pound boat cut the truck's 320-mile battery range to 157 miles.

The bottom line: The Ford F-150 Lightning is the most anticipated vehicle in decades — and, so far at least, lives up to the hype. 

Editor’s note: The annual revenue figure that Ford derives from its F series trucks has been corrected: It is $40 billion, not $40 million.

Dallas

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Dallas. Written by Michael Mooney and Tasha Tsiperas.

Axios Dallas

Axios Dallas Thought Bubble

Dallas Alerts

Ford F-150 Lightning review: A watershed moment for electric vehicles

At $40K, F-150 Lightning is a versatile and affordable gateway product.

Image of a Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup with a tent on the roof and the open frunk stuffed with gear. 

Ford's F-150 Lightning's frunk stores gear in a secure, dry place. Photo courtesy of Ford

Electric vehicles

Ominous forecasts about the impact of climate change serve as the backdrop for the world — led by U.S. lawmakers and companies — to debate big action on the problem, which could upend energy systems and our way of life.

Energy & Environment

Tesla will update the software for almost 130,000 of its cars to fix their central display screen from overheating and running slowly or going blank, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday.

Why it matters: The screen is a crucial component of Tesla vehicles, as they display rearview cameras, windshield defrosters settings, warning lights and the gear shift indicator.

The software update is not a physical recall. Federal law requires automakers to submit a recall when they issue an "over-the-air" software update that mitigates a defect that poses an unreasonable risk to drivers.

The big picture: The NHTSA said the recall covers Model S sedan and Model X SUVs from 2021 and 2022 and Model 3 cars and Model Y SUVs from 2022.

It said the overheating defect occurs during the fast-charging process and affects at least 1% of the vehicles under the recall.

Tesla said it is not aware of any crashes, injuries, or deaths related to the defect and that the update will improve the screen's temperature management.

Tesla recalls 130K cars over touchscreen display overheating

The central display screen is a crucial component of Tesla vehicles.

A Tesla charging in South Burlington, Vermont, in April 2022.

A Tesla charging in South Burlington, Vt., in April 2022. Photo: Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

Tesla

Axios Closer

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has told employees that the ride-share company will reduce hiring in response to a "seismic shift" in the market, CNBC reports.

Why it matters: Khosrowshahi is setting a new tone for the company as investors are growing wary of unprofitable businesses.

He told investors last week on the company’s earnings call: "Our focus is on profitable growth."

What he's saying: "We will treat hiring as a privilege and be deliberate about when and where we add headcount," Khosrowshahi said in an email to employees late Sunday, per CNBC. "We will be even more hardcore about costs across the board."

"After earnings, I spent several days meeting investors in New York and Boston," he wrote. "It’s clear that the market is experiencing a seismic shift and we need to react accordingly."

"We have to make sure our unit economics work before we go big," he added. "The least efficient marketing and incentive spend will be pulled back."

"We have made a ton of progress in terms of profitability, setting a target for $5 billion in adjusted EBITDA in 2024, but the goalposts have changed," Khosrowshahi noted, referring to adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. 

"Now it’s about free cash flow. We can [and should] get there fast."

The big picture: Uber shares dropped roughly 11% by Monday afternoon. The stock has fallen more than 40% this year.

The company did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

What to watch: Delivery has been a huge growth driver for Uber and helped it to weather the pandemic. But as questions about the strength of the economy loom, the company faces more pressure to manage that part of its business to weather any downturns.

In his letter, Khosrowshahi wrote: "The primary [investor] questions were: 'Is Delivery a good business and why?' and 'What happens if we enter a recession?' We need to answer both of these questions with undeniably strong results."

Uber to cut down on hiring in bid to focus on profitable growth

"We will treat hiring as a privilege and be deliberate about when and where we add headcount," Uber's CEO said.

Photo of a car with an Uber logo sticker plastered on the windshield

An Uber car waits for a client in Manhattan, New York City. Photo: Spencer Platt via Getty Images

Big Tech

From the Valley to D.C., Big Tech players like Facebook, Google and Amazon are under more scrutiny than ever as new technology develops and privacy and antitrust concerns grow in lockstep with companies’ ambitions.

Technology

Over 260 travel industry and business organizations are calling on the Biden administration to end its COVID testing requirement for vaccinated international passengers entering the U.S.

Why it matters: The travel industry has taken multiple blows over the last two years due to the pandemic and emerging variants. Companies are looking to rebound despite another rise in cases. 

What they're saying: "Given the slow economic recovery of the business and international travel sectors, and in light of medical advancements and the improved public health metrics in the U.S., we encourage you to immediately remove the inbound testing requirement for vaccinated air travelers," said the letter addressed to incoming White House COVID-19 response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha.

"While there is no longer a need for an inbound testing requirement for vaccinated travelers, the economic costs associated with maintaining the measure are significant."

The letter notes that in 2021, business travel spending and international travel spending were 56% and 78% below 2019 levels, respectively. It also points out that many countries with similar infection rates have dropped their pre-departure testing requirements for vaccinated travelers.

The letter is signed by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines Marriott International, Walt Disney Co's Disney Parks, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Travel Association, among others.

The big picture: The Transportation Security Administration stopped enforcing the Biden administration's rule mandating masks on planes, trains and other forms of public transportation after it was struck down by a federal judge in April.

Over 260 travel, business groups urge White House to end COVID testing for U.S. entry

"[T]he economic costs associated with maintaining the measure are significant," a new letter says.

Photo of an American Airlines plane taking off into the sky from an airport

An American Airlines plane takes off from Los Angeles International Airport on March 23. Photo: Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images

Coronavirus testing

Coronavirus

The U.S. faces a range of health care flashpoints — unaffordable drugs, opioids, vaping — as we debate whether to adopt universal care. For now, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, but Republicans want to issue it a final death blow.

Health

Qantas has ordered 12 Airbus A350s to be used for nonstop flights from Australia to cities such as New York and London from late 2025, the company announced Monday.

Why it matters: The planes are "capable of flying direct from Australia to any other city" in the world, per a Qantas statement.

The plans for some of the world's longest commercial flight routes are another boost for the airline industry as it continues to recover from the pandemic and demand for international and domestic air travel grows.

Of note: Air New Zealand announced earlier this year that it would launch nonstop flights between Auckland and New York this September.

What they're saying: Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said in a statement that the purchase of the planes "will make almost any city in the world just one flight away from Australia." 

"It's the last frontier and the final fix for the tyranny of distance that has traditionally challenged travel to Australia," Joyce continued.

The aircraft "will improve how people travel around Australia and overseas," with "lower emissions, longer range, less noise and better economics," Joyce added.

Details: The planes can carry 238 passengers in business, premium economy, and economy, with more than 40% of the cabin dedicated to premium seating, according to Qantas.

The first flights will operate to and from Sydney.

Between the lines: Qantas' long-distance travel plans mean the airline can "reduce debt and forecast a return to profit in the financial year starting July 1," Reuters reports.

Flashback: Qantas set the record for the world's longest nonstop flight in 2019, when the carrier's plane flew for 19 hours 16 minutes from New York's JFK Airport to Sydney.

Qantas to fly nonstop from Sydney to New York and London from 2025

The Airbus A350s are "capable of flying direct from Australia to any other city" in the world, Qantas said today.

Alan Joyce, Qantas Group CEO checks in at JFK airport on October 18, 2019 in New York.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce at JFK Airport in 2019 ahead of the Australian airline completing a test for the world's longest flight, from New York City to Sydney. Photo:  James D. Morgan/Getty Images for Qantas

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

Boeing's CEO said Wednesday the manufacturer should have not agreed to former President Trump's proposed deal to build two new Air Force One aircrafts. 

Driving the news: “Air Force One — I'm just going to call a very unique moment, a very unique negotiation, a very unique set of risks that Boeing probably shouldn't have taken,” CEO Dave Calhoun said during a quarterly earnings call. 

“But we are where we are, and we're going to deliver great airplanes and we're going to recognize the costs associated with it," he said. 

Calhoun cited $660 million in costs during the first quarter of 2022 related to the Air Force One contract.

The big picture: Trump and Boeing in 2018 negotiated a $3.9 billion fixed-price contract for a pair of new presidential aircrafts, known as Air Force One when the president is on board. 

The agreement included the two 747-800 aircrafts and the cost of modifying them, including external stairs, large galleys and a secure communications suite.

The deal was negotiated under then-CEO Dennis Muilenburg. Calhoun took over in 2020.

The first of the new Air Force One aircraft is set to be ready in 2024, and the second in 2025.

State of play: Boeing on Wednesday also said it lost $1.5 billion during the first quarter on total revenue of $14 billion, which falls below analysts’ estimates, the New York Times reports.

The manufacturer also reported a loss of about $2.75 per share during the first quarter.

Go deeper ... Trump's $3.9 billion deal for a new Air Force One

Boeing lost $660 million on Trump’s Air Force One deal

“Air Force One — I'm just going to call a very unique moment, a very unique negotiation, a very unique set of risks."

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