- China Volkswagen Probe Not Tied to Antitrust Investigation – WSJ: A Chinese government probe into current and former executives at a Volkswagen AG joint venture isn’t tied to an antitrust investigation into foreign auto makers, according to the auto maker and its local partner.
- GM ignition switch fund receives claims for more than 100 deaths – Automotive News: A program to compensate victims of crashes linked to a faulty ignition switch in General Motors vehicles has received claims for 107 deaths as of Tuesday, according to a spokeswoman for the lawyer overseeing the program.
- Daimler to pay $480 mln to settle dispute with retired UAW staff – Reuters: Daimler will pay $480 million to settle a dispute with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union over medical benefits for retired employees of its North American trucks business, U.S. court records show.
- Infiniti Q40 Name to Stick Around; EV Intro Date Fuzzy – Wards: The car formerly known as the G37 is set to exit the lineup next year, but the name will live on, although on what type of vehicle is unclear.
- What I figured out about Tesla’s future after finally driving one myself – Via Google News: It’s easy to forget that Elon Musk’s electric car company, Tesla Motors, is still very much in its infancy. It’s been listed on the stockmarket for barely four …
- RUSSIA: China’s Great Wall starts building Haval plant – Just-auto: Great Wall Motors has begun construction of a new vehicle assembly plant in Russia’s Tula region, following an agreement signed earlier this year with the local government.
- Volkswagen eGolf struck by charging setback – Autocar: Wolfsburg’s electric hatchback is ‘too new’ for some motorway fast-chargers, posing potential challenges for owners.
- US: Compensation claims against GM continue to rise – Just-auto: The number of deaths said to be associated with General Motors’ ignition switch fault have reached 100 and are among 284 compensation claims made against the company.
- Dacia Sandero RS performance hatch in the works – Autocar: Renault’s low-priced model to get performance makeover for emerging markets, but don’t expect it to go on sale in Britain.
- The British designer who is giving Lada a makeover – Autocar: Once-derided Lada is embarking on an ambitious renovation. It’s an enormous task, but former Volvo and Mercedes designer Steve Mattin is relishing it.
- Renaultsport confirms plans for a hot Twingo variant – Autocar: French manufacturer’s performance arm is studying how it can tease more performance out of third-generation city car.
- Lada reinvents itself with three bold new models – Autocar: Russian manufacturer presents the new X-Ray compact SUV, plus road and track versions of the Vesta compact saloon at Moscow motor show. Lada has launched two new models and a new race car at its home Moscow motor show as it bids to reinvent itself as the maker of stylish, desirable, high quality cars with appeal not just to the domestic buyers so loyal to the brand, but also eventually those further afield
- Aston Martin Lagonda Super Sedan to Hit the Streets next year – Via Google News: Such has been the impact of this brand on the automobile industry that it has been often considered a car for the royalty. Cars of this British model …
- Toyota awarded $4M grant to move 250 jobs to Washtenaw County – DetN: The Michigan Strategic Fund awarded Toyota a $4 million grant Tuesday to move 250 purchasing jobs from Kentucky to its Toyota Technical Center in York Township.
- China Probes Executives at Volkswagen Joint Venture – WSJ: Chinese officials have launched a probe into a former and a current executive at FAW-Volkswagen Automobile, one of Volkswagen’s joint ventures in the country.
- Toyota’s most rugged Land Cruiser is back in Japan – DetN: Toyota Motor Corp. is bringing back the Land Cruiser 70 in Japan, catering to nostalgic demand for the rugged off-roader that’s favored for challenging terrains and as an aid agency vehicle in disaster zones.
- BYD: China’s New EV Push, But Competition Is Also Rising – Via Google News: Deutsche Bank yesterday noted the lengthening list of electric car models that are eligible for government subsidies. For instance, in Shanghai, BYD, …
- GM ignition-switch fund receives claims for more than 100 deaths – Reuters: A program to compensate victims of crashes linked to a faulty ignition switch in General Motors vehicles has received claims for 107 deaths as of Tuesday, according to a spokeswoman for the lawyer overseeing the program.
- Ford: Aluminum-bodied F-150 says ‘boldness, toughness and efficiency’ – DetN: Ford says its new aluminum-bodied F-150 pickup may be its most aerodynamic yet. ‘This truck needed to say boldness, toughness and efficiency,’ said Brad Richards, exterior design manager for the F-150.
- Volvo Likely to Begin Importing from China in 2015 – thedetroitbureau.com: Despite years of promises, Chinese automakers have yet to follow through by importing their products to the United States. But the long drought is expected to come to an end next year, and the first automaker to ship a Chinese-made vehicle to the U.S. now appears likely to be Volvo Cars.
- Cadillac confirms ATS-V sedan will debut at 2014 LA Auto Show – DetN: Cadillac will use this year’s LA Auto Show to reveal the aggressive version of its ATS sedan.
- Anti-UAW workers begin effort to create union at VW Tenn. plant – Automotive News: Employees at the Volkswagen AG auto plant in Tennessee are forming a union that is to include hourly and salaried workers, as a counter to the UAW Local 42 that was established last month, a leading anti-UAW worker said today.
- SWEDEN: China becoming Volvo Car’s largest market – Just-auto: China is on course to become Volvo Car’s largest market in 2014, pleasing both Chinese owner Geely and marketing, sales and customer service chief Alain Visser.
- India Fines 14 Carmakers in Antitrust Cases – NY Times: The companies, including Ford and General Motors, were found to have broken fair-trading rules in the spare parts and after-sale services market.
- GM Moves Forward with Grand IT Plan – thedetroitbureau.com: GM continues moving forward with its ambitious three-year plan to overhaul its information technology services by bringing them back in house with the opening of its next innovation center in Chandler, Arizona and hired 500 employees to staff the facility. The maker plans to hire 1,000 employees during the next two years.
- GM’s Chevrolet, Buick achieve sole gains in annual auto survey – DetN: General Motors Co., under scrutiny for its slowness in handling a recall linked to fatalities, was the only automaker to have two brands that gained ground in a widely watched survey of customer satisfaction.
- BYD develops electric car with Daimler – FT: Chinese automaker has previously shunned joint ventures with multinational companies in its transformation from a phone battery manufacturer
- GM turns to employee bike share program to get around tech campus – Automotive News: General Motors introduced a bike sharing program on its 330-acre technical center campus in suburban Detroit.
- NHTSA closes Toyota Camry hybrid investigation – DetN: Washington — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday it will close an investigation into power braking issues in 100,000 Toyota Camry hybrid cars after the Japanese automaker said it will offer extended warranty coverage to address
- SWEDEN: Volvo to skip all-aluminium for carbon fibre – Just-auto: Volvo is likely to skip all-aluminium body shells in favour of carbon fibre, research and development head Peter Mertens revealed on the sidelines of the redesigned XC90 SUV launch near Stockholm.