CHICAGO – U.S. auto sales maintained a steady pace of growth in June, and consumers were opening their wallets for more expensive models and upgrades, industry data show.

PALM BAY, FL—Oakridge Global Energy Solutions, a lithium battery manufacturer, is proposing to invest $270 million to build an assembly plant here and create 1,000 new jobs by the end of 2018.

MADISON, WI—Researchers from at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have designed a nanogenerator capable of deriving energy from the friction encountered by a car’s rolling tire.

ROCHESTER HILLS, MI—FANUC America Corp. has introduced a new six-axis collaborative robot, the CR-35iA, which can carry a payload of 35 kilograms.

WASHINGTON—Solid job growth is finally boosting paychecks for the rest of us. Incomes for the bottom 99 percent of American families rose 3.3 percent last year to $47,213, the biggest annual gain in the past 15 years, according to the Washington Center for Equitable Growth.

WASHINGTON—A European tariff applied to U.S.-produced chicken in the 1960s played a significant role in shaping the U.S. auto market.

HUNTSVILLE, AL—Boeing has opened a new research center here that will focus on materials for future advanced aircraft and spacecraft.

CHATTANOOGA, TN—Automotive supplier Gestamp will invest $180 million and add more than 500 jobs to triple production capacity at its assembly plant here.

EVANSVILLE, IN—Systems integrator Evana Automation has shipped two lean assembly cells to an automotive electronics manufacturer. The cells include equipment for labeling, screwdriving and connector installation.

PITTSBURGH—Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pennsylvania have developed a vision-guided, dual-armed robot that can assemble a wooden birdhouse autonomously using a nail gun.