The GM fall-out:
- Expert: Out-of-spec parts can still be OK – Automotive News: Why would an automaker knowingly accept a part that is out of spec?
- The mystery of the switch signoff – Automotive News: A midlevel General Motors engineer named Ray DeGiorgio has emerged as the central figure in GM’s decade-long failure to fix a defective ignition switch.
- Minding the Minders of G.M. – NY Times: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is facing questions over its handling of the General Motors scandal involving defective ignition switches.
- GM recall repairs start Monday – DetN: A senator asked again Sunday why it took General Motors so long to discover a defect in ignition switches of 2.6 million vehicles, a day before the automaker launches repairs of the recalled vehicles, saying it may take longer than expected to produce enough parts to fix all the vehicles.
- ‘SNL’ parodies GM CEO on Capitol Hill – DetN: The performance of General Motors CEO Mary Barra was satirized by Saturday Night Live and Jon Stewart.
- Opel to launch small electric car by 2017: report – Reuters: General Motors’ European brand Opel plans to start selling an all-electric compact car no later than by 2017 as the automaker is striving to meet EU emission targets.
- U.S. safety laws poised for revamp – Automotive News: Capitol Hill’s reaction to General Motors CEO Mary Barra’s testimony last week sent a clear signal to Washington insiders: Congress is probably headed toward a round of reforms to U.S. laws and standards.
In other news:
- Tesla’s push to replace side-view mirrors sparks safety fears – Automotive News: As federal regulators finalized a mandate for rearview cameras last week, Tesla Motors and the industry’s main lobbying group sought permission to replace side mirrors with cameras. But the age of mirrorless cars will not come easy.
- Today’s 30-somethings, tomorrow’s Iacoccas – Automotive News: When a 30-something gets a critically important executive position usually entrusted to a 50-something, well, Automotive News pays close attention.
- Ghosn spurs Renault-Nissan to greater U.S. clout – Automotive News: Fifteen years after its launch, the Renault-Nissan Alliance is coming to the United States in earnest.
- March sales were even better than they looked – Automotive News: Retail sales rose 7 percent to overcome a 1 percent decline in fleet volume.
- TrueCar pairs Krafcik, dealers – Automotive News: Now that John Krafcik is on the TrueCar Inc. board of directors and the company has announced plans for an initial public offering of stock, the former CEO of Hyundai Motor America says he’s eager to start talking with dealers.
- ’15 Genesis is worthy of premium label – Automotive News: The original Hyundai Genesis was a noble first shot at the luxury car market, but it couldn’t match the driving dynamics, interior refinement or prestige of the Audi A6, BMW 5 series or Mercedes-Benz E350.
- Report – Tata-Land Rover’s 25 lakh SUV codenamed ‘Q5?, 2017 launch – Indian Autos Blog: Rumors have been doing the rounds for a couple of years that Land Rover and parent company Tata are working together on an entry-level, premium SUV. This morning, The Economic Times newspaper shares some interesting details about this SUV, which is due to launch in India sometime in 2016-17.
- Indonesia – Datsun introduces sporty bodykit for Go+ MPV – Indian Autos Blog: Datsun will launch in Indonesia in the following weeks with the Go+ MPV
- Facelifted Mercedes M-class spotted ahead of year-end debut – Autocar: Major style changes in line for upgraded Mercedes-Benz M-class, with new family front-end design and updated interior.
- New Mercedes-Benz GT AMG sets sights on Porsche 911 – Autocar: Mercedes’ new rear-wheel-drive coupé will be powered by a 520bhp V8 engine when it goes on sale in the UK next April.
- Li Shufu: engineer of poetry and motion – FT: The nimble Chinese billionaire who chairs Zhejiang Geely Group and Volvo is confident he can revive the Swedish carmaker
- Mini set to multiply its UK models – FT: BMW looks to produce three new versions at rejuvenated Oxford factory as group’s £750m investment plan begins to show results
- Audi may keep adding output in second quarter on Europe, China demand – Reuters: German luxury carmaker Audi said it may further increase production in its home market during the second quarter after adding shifts in past months on strong demand for premium cars from China and Europe.
- Many ‘green’ cars carry greenhouse gas – DetN: America’s electric cars are better for the environment, but they share a dirty little secret.
- INDIA: Tata planning Freelander-based premium SUV JV – paper – Just-auto: Tata Motors is planning a joint venture with British luxury vehicle unit Jaguar Land Rover to develop a premium SUV for sale in India.
- Audi joins Mercedes in posting a record sales month in March – Automotive News: Audi has posted a new company record for global sales in a single month. The automaker said today that its March volume rose 15 percent to 170,450 vehicles.
- Toyota Kirloskar Motor workers on hunger strike – Just-auto: A management versus employees standoff over a lockout at Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s two plants at Bidadi is continuing and one of the employees on indefinite hunger strike has been hospitalised owing to low blood pressure.
- UK: Car sales in Western Europe up 10% in March – Just-auto: Car sales in Western Europe were up by 10% in March, a positive development that is boosting hopes that a sustainable recovery to the depressed market is gathering momentum.
[Want more news? The Daily Kanban Newsbot works for you 24/7.]