- GM overhauling legal department to prevent recall delays – Automotive News: General Motors is overhauling its legal department as the automaker tries to break down silos that delayed the recall of millions of cars for a defect linked to 13 deaths, according to people familiar with the matter.
- GM Shelves Plan for Large Cadillac CUV – Wards: WardsAuto sources say the large Cadillac CUV was slated to arrive in 2017 as an ’18 model. Persisting fears it might overlap with the popular Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia contributed to its cancellation.
- US: Toyota most valuable auto brand – Just-auto: Toyota is the world’s most valuable automotive brand, according to a new survey by Millward Brown which ranked the automaker 26th overall.
- INDIA: Mahindra adds more no production days – Just-auto: Mahindra & Mahindra is stopping production for up to three days during the rest of May due to a slump in demand.
- UK: Vauxhall to revive Viva nameplate – report – Just-auto: General Motors’ UK unit Vauxhall is reviving a famous nameplate – Viva – from next spring, using it on a Korean-built entry level hatchback.
- GERMANY: Volkswagen controls 98.19% of shares in Scania – Just-auto: Volkswagen says it now controls 98.19% of shares in Scania and 99.02% of voting rights in the Swedish heavy truck maker.
- Expansive Mexican Site Signals Audi’s North American Ambitions – Wards: The automaker’s new San Jose Chiapa plant is about more than just building vehicles. For Audi, it is the first big stake in the ground for what is foreseen as a significant presence in the region.
- GM Recall Cost Hits $1.7 Billion – WSJ: General Motors is recalling another 2.4 million vehicles because of safety issues, making it the auto maker’s 29th recall so far this year.
- Peugeot to review Mitsubishi electric-vehicle partnership – Reuters: PSA Peugeot Citroen Chief Executive Carlos Tavares said the carmaker will decide in the next 12 months whether to continue working on electric vehicles with Mitsubishi Motors .
- EU, U.S. Should OK Other’s Vehicle Specs, EC Says – Wards: Mutual recognition of EU and U.S. technical standards would benefit automakers on both sides of the Atlantic, since they would not have to test their products twice for the two markets, the EU’s executive agency says.
- Bentley Continental GT with 3000bhp to compete in drag race – Autocar: Modified £250,000 Bentley to compete at Santa Pod raceway this weekend, powered by a 10.2-litre twin-turbocharged engine.
- Fiat’s planned Punto and Bravo revival is great news for supermini lovers – Autocar: The Italian giant’s future plans include a replacement for the Punto and a possible revival for the Bravo. For fans of Fiat’s superminis, that’s a dream come true.
- New Mercedes C-class estate revealed – Autocar: Larger Mercedes-Benz C-class estate promises more space and a more luxurious interior, with sales starting in September and prices from £28kA bigger, plusher and more practical Mercedes-Benz C-class estate will reach the UK this autumn. · Mercedes plans hot new ML63 AMG Coupé to take on BMW X6 M – Autocar: Hotter variant of the upcoming Mercedes MLC spotted testing ahead of a likely launch next year, which gets more aggressive styling twin-turbo V8 power.
- Toyota remains most valuable car brand worldwide, study says – Automotive News: Toyota is the world’s most valuable car brand once again, while Ford and GM’s Chevrolet brand are making strides as consumer confidence builds in the United States, according to research released today by marketing consultant Millward Brown.
- In Oslo, Electric Cars Drive Bus Operators Crazy – WSJ: Government incentives are fueling sales of electric vehicles in Norway, but transit workers gripe about EVs crowding their lane.
- A Flurry of Recalls at G.M. as Pressure Mounts – NY Times: The latest recalls by General Motors bring the total to more than 13 million vehicles in the United States this year.
- Hyundai’s First Mass-Produced Tucson Fuel Cell CUVs Arrive In Southern California – Wards: Today, at a port near Los Angeles, Hyundai’s Tucson Fuel Cell CUVs began rolling onto U.S. soil, marking the first delivery of a mass-produced fuel cell vehicle for the U.S. market. · Spy shots: Chery EQ EV in Ready for the China car market – CarNewsChina.com: This is the new Chery EQ, a new full-electric vehicle based on the new Chery QQ. The Chery EQ will be launched on the China car market in the second half of this year. Power will come from an electric motor with a very decent 56hp.
- Toyota moving away from EVs in favor of hydrogen fuel cells – Automotive News: Toyota is walking away from building longer-range battery-electric vehicles in favor of its effort in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, its top North American executive said.
- 2015 Ford Mustang pricing to start at $24,425 – Automotive News: Pricing for the 2015 Ford Mustang with a V-6 engine will start at $24,425, including shipping, or $1,090 more than the outgoing base model, the company said today.
- New GM system won’t let car drive until front occupants buckle up – Automotive News: General Motors is planning to launch a new belt assurance system, which does not allow the vehicle to shift out of park until the driver and front passenger are buckled in, on select vehicles later this year.
- GM recalls 2.4 million more vehicles, bringing total to a record – Washington Post: General Motors is recalling another 2.4 million cars and trucks, the embattled automaker announced Tuesday, bringing the number of vehicles called in to repair defects this year to a record 13.6 million in the United States.
- Wheelies: The Luxury G.M. Trucks Edition – NY Times: GMC emerges as G.M.’s strongest post-bankruptcy marque; the company that bought Fisker promises to build E.V.s in the United States.
- To Hell and Back: Dodge Unleashes 600+ HP Challenger SRT Hellcat – thedetroitbureau.com: Dodge, it seems, has found a hidden fury inside its already formidable 6.2-liter Hemi, bolting on a supercharger, among other things, to create the new SRT Hellcat, a 2015 addition to its Challenger line that will boast the most powerful V-8 ever offered by one of the Chrysler brands.
- UK: Renault gets a Captur gain in Europe – Just-auto: In European car sales data released by market analysts JATO, Renault emerged as a winner with sales so far this year up 10.6% on last year, helped by strong sales of the Captur small SUV.
- GM Announces Yet Another 4 Recalls Covering 2.4 Mil Vehicles – thedetroitbureau.com: Having already announced service actions involving more vehicles than all of last year, General Motors today issued four recalls covering an additional 2.42 million sedans, pickups, crossovers and SUVs. The latest set of actions brings the total number of vehicles recalled to more than 13 million this year.
- GM recalls 2.4m cars at cost of $200m – FT: Carmaker has announced 29 separate recalls this year, totalling 15.2m vehicles, equivalent to 50% more than it sold in the whole of 2013
- GM issues 4 more recalls covering 2.4 million U.S. vehicles – Automotive News: General Motors is recalling 2.42 million cars, trucks and SUVs in four separate safety recalls in the United States, raising its recall total for the year to more than 13.6 million vehicles.
- US: GM recalls another 2.42m vehicles – Just-auto: General Motors announced on Tuesday it is recalling another 2.42m vehicles in four separate US campaigns and taking an additional US$200m hit this quarter to cover the cost.
- US: Bollore Group to invest in US electric car sharing service – Just-auto: The Bollore Group will invest approximately US$35m in Indianapolis in its first electric car sharing service in the US.
- China’s NEVS halts Saab output due to cash crunch – Automotive News: China’s National Electric Vehicle Sweden has temporarily halted output of Saab cars due to a shortage of funds.