- Next Generation Volt to debut at 2015 NAIAS – GM: The next generation Chevrolet Volt will debut at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Global Chevrolet Chief Marketing Officer Tim Mahoney said today.
- Shanghai GM contacted by regulators as rivals pressured to cut prices – Automotive News: General Motors said its joint venture in China was contacted by the nation’s antitrust regulator amid an industry investigation that has seen at least seven foreign carmakers cut prices.
- Is A Tesla Model S Recall Around The Corner? – Via Google News: In a report published on August 11, 2014, ConsumerReports.org disclosed minor glitches in Tesla Motors Inc.’s (TSLA) Model S. The popular auto …
- UK: Mini Clubman production ends – Just-auto: BMW has confirmed to just-auto.com that production of the Mini Clubman and Clubvan models has ceased. Each was manufactured at Plant Oxford (Cowley).
- VW-Brand Car Sales Rise 4% – WSJ: Volkswagen said that rising sales of its namesake-branded vehicles were driven by demand in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, while performance in the U.S. and South America was lackluster.
- VW brand sales rise as Europe, China demand offsets Americas drop – Reuters: German carmaker Volkswagen increased sales at its core passenger-car brand by 4 percent in July as higher deliveries in Europe and China offset declines in the Americas.
- What happens to new cars that don’t sell? – Via Google News: Dealers take out loans to pay for all the vehicles they buy from the factory. Even though unsold cars are the dealer’s problem, auto makers don’t …
- Hyundai to Settle Mileage Suit – WSJ: Hyundai Motor issued an apology for inflating the fuel economy of a sport-utility vehicle and offered to pay up to 56 billion won ($54.3 million) to settle a suit against the company, which also targeted five other auto makers.
- New Volvo XC90 tech secrets revealed – Autocar: Volvo reveals new tech for upcoming seven-seat SUV, including advanced air suspension on top-end models. Volvo has released more technical details about its all-new XC90, which will be publicly unveiled later this month. It will be the first Volvo to be based on brand new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) architecture, which Volvo says has been under development by company engineers for four years. The SPA is the mainstay of a massive £6.5bn investment in completely replacing Volvo’s model line up and…
- New car brand from China: Cowin Auto – Via Google News: The crowded Chinese car market will soon see yet another new brand fighting for sales: Cowin Auto, scheduled for debut on the Chengdu Auto Show …
- Loans in South LA Still a Shell Game Only Now It’s Cars – Via Google News: Not only are the interest rates substantially higher, often as high as 30%, but the used car dealer sells them the car for twice the value of the car.
- Jaguar Land Rover helps parent Tata triple Q1 profit – Automotive News: Jaguar Land Rover’s surging retail sales and profit helped parent Tata Motors triple its first-quarter net income.
- N.Y. judge to urge settlements of GM suits – DetN: A federal judge told lawyers on Monday he’ll encourage settlements in lawsuits brought on behalf of nearly 1,000 plaintiffs against General Motors for defective ignition switches.
- GM Overhauls International Business – WSJ: General Motors is overhauling its international business model by changing the way it makes cars overseas in a bid to stem losses in key emerging markets, including India and Southeast Asia, a top executive said.
- Detroit’s hottest exports (Hint: they’re not just cars and watches) – Via Google News: “There used to be a car wash where our cooler is now,” says Joe McClure, co-founder and co-owner of McClure’s Pickles, as he walks through his …
- European Cars Dominate Korean Import Market – Via Google News: The Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association said Monday that 94,263 imported cars were newly registered from January to June, and …
- Jaguar reveals £1m Lightweight E-type ahead of Pebble Beach debut – Autocar: Six new Lightweight E-types will be made to the original specification, complete with 3.8-litre straight six .
- Lawyers pitch to lead GM ignition-switch cases – Reuters: Lawyers from across the United States gathered in Manhattan Monday to jockey for leadership roles in litigation against General Motors over a faulty ignition switch that has prompted the recall of millions of vehicles.
- Consumer Reports: Tesla Model S has ‘more than its share of problems’ – Reuters: Consumer Reports, which last year gave top marks to electric carmaker Tesla Motors Inc’s Model S sedan, now says the car it owns has had “more than its share of problems.”
- BitAuto Hits Record High On Q2 Beat, Drives Into Used-Car Market – Via Google News:
- Consumer Reports Still Loves Tesla but… – WSJ: Consumer Reports, the influential ratings magazine, said its long-term ownership of the Tesla Model S electric car has been mostly positive, but the magazine had several reliability problems with the car.
- Study: Solano County nation’s 8th worst area for auto thefts – Via Google News: Solano County was the eighth “hottest spot” in the United States for vehicle thefts in 2013, according to a newly released report by the Illinois-based …
- Crime Decline: Here’s Why Stealing Cars Went Out of Fashion – NY Times: Automobile theft is harder than it used to be, it’s less lucrative, and you’re more likely to land in jail.
- NHTSA Failing to Meet Its Own Deadlines – thedetroitbureau.com: It appears it’s not just U.S. automakers that drag their feet when it comes to investigating potential problems. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration often fails to meet its own deadlines for responding to complaints, including a 2012 request that hasn’t been resolved yet.
- DealBook: U.S. Finds Fresh Use for Seldom-Used Statute in Subprime Cases – NY Times: The Justice Department is using a powerful civil fraud provision to investigate potential fraud in the marketing of securities backed by risky auto loans, Peter J. Henning writes in the White Collar Watch column.
- Attorneys for GM customers compete to lead ignition-switch legal battle – Automotive News: Lawyers for GM customers are jostling to lead lawsuits over faulty ignition switches. They don’t know what they can sue for — a judge will tell them that — but they do want to be in charge.
- The 12 Cheapest – & Most Expensive – States to Own a Car – thedetroitbureau.com:
- RUSSIA: Market plunges yet again in “worrisome” trend – Just-auto: Russia’s Association of European Businesses (AEB), says July sales of new cars and light commercial vehicles dropped 22.9%, noting the overall trend is “worrisome.”
- Buttons, Dials and Paddles – This Isn’t Your Father’s Old Transmission – thedetroitbureau.com: Button, button, who’s got the button? Lincoln, for one, with the new pushbutton gearshift in its MKC crossover. Automakers are finding plenty of unusual ways to replace the traditional gearshift lever. But they’re also coming up with revolutionary new transmissions that are smoother, quicker, and more fuel-efficient.
- BYD T5 electric light truck is Ready to Revolutionize transport in China – CarNewsChina.com: This is the new BYD T5 electric light-truck, a vehicle that could revolutionize transport in China. The BYD T5 will have a top speed of 50 kilometers per hour and a range of about 400 kilometer, making it a perfect solution for transportation within city limits. Today, this work is done by very noisy and […]
- Sports of The Times: Death Highlights History of Confrontation for Racing – NY Times: Leaving a racecar to level a score is not unique to Kevin Ward Jr., who died Saturday after confronting Tony Stewart on the dirt race track at Canandaigua Motorsport Park.