- Plunging oil prices could kill electric and hyrbid cars – Via Google News: Gas-guzzling cars are gaining favor once again, as low oil prices are … about $2 per gallon according to the Automobile Association of America (AAA).
- US: NHTSA eyes new Jeeps after engine fires – Just-auto: US safety regulators have opened an investigation into an estimated 50,415 newer Jeep Cherokee SUVs after receiving complaints of engine compartment fires.
- UK: Hoegh salvers pump 800t water as list slightly corrects – Just-auto: Salvers working on the listing Hoegh Osaka carship have pumped 800t of water from the listing vessel, but are unlikely to able to start any tow back to the Port of Southampton on England’s south coast before this Wednesday’s (21 January) high tide.
- GERMANY: Daimler keeping China chief on – Just-auto: Daimler will extend the contract of the head of its China division Hubertus Troska, who is also a board member, the newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung reported at the weekend.
- Subaru puts China production plans on hold as car demand wanes – Via Google News: The maker of Subaru cars won’t start local production ?even if the Chinese … approves? its planned carmaking venture with Chery Automobile Co.,…
- Well-Heeled Activists Are Trying to Eradicate Planes, Trains, and Automobiles – Via Google News: If the fossil fuel supply chain collapsed due to lack of capital, Americans’ 254.4 million registered cars and trucks would become huge lawn ornaments.
- Despite Internet, used-car operations profitable – Via Google News: That same transparency applies to used vehicles, but the used-car … parts and service, data from the National Automobile Dealers Association show.
- Assault on Fortress Detroit – Automotive News: Tougher specs, more rugged designs and ample new trim levels — all wrapped in copious red-white-and-blue marketing.
- Caddy’s focus: Plug lineup holes – Automotive News: Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen has had about five months since taking over the brand to assess the gaps in his vehicle lineup. He has found a lot of them.
- Mercedes ‘will lose talent’ in move – Automotive News: Steve Cannon, CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, says only about 40 percent of its 1,053 employees are likely to move when the U.S. headquarters moves from New Jersey to Atlanta. Mercedes has made offers to the employees it wants to keep.
- Tesla’s Musk focused on turning EV skeptics into believers – Automotive News: In an hourlong discussion at the Automotive News World Congress, Tesla’s Elon Musk offered several pearls of Elonthink and a few prized revelations about his personal life.
- While supercar world awaited Acura NSX, nobody saw Ford GT coming – Automotive News: A showdown between Ford’s GT and the Acura NSX supercars quickly became the talk of the Detroit auto show, after Ford’s surprise entry managed to upstage the much-anticipated Acura.
- Nissan to go big on Altima midcycle change – Automotive News: Nissan’s volume-leading Altima sedan is to get substantial midcycle changes for the 2016 model year. The company will not tip its hand on the details, but Nissan’s North American product planner describes the planned freshening as “significant.”
- ‘White space’ is Buick’s playground – Automotive News: Buick’s US lineup — threadbare five years ago — has emerged as a place where General Motors can gamble on different body styles and explore market niches that its rivals either haven’t yet discovered or don’t care to.
- Subaru Puts China Production Effort on Hold as Car Demand Wanes – Via Google News: The maker of Subaru cars won’t start local production ?even if Chinese government approves? its planned carmaking venture with Chery Automobile…
- Car Sales in China up 6.9% in 2014 – Via Google News: China car sales were up again in 2014, according to data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said Monday. Approximately 23.49 million cars were sold in China last year, a year on year increase…
- Lotus racing, road cars feature of AACA exhibit in Hershey – Via Google News: Kyle Kaulback adjusts the seat belts on his Lotus Type 69 at the Antique Automobile Museum on Thursday, January 15, 2015 Lotus cars for an…
- Jeep styling to evolve before 2018 – Autocar: Jeep looks to broaden its appeal over the next few years with a styling overhaul and different looks for different carsJeep is set to evolve its styling over the next three years in a bid to give its cars a broader appeal.Speaking at the Detroit motor show, CEO Mike Manley revealed the plans to “be more flexible”, highlighting that the brand had successfully tested different looks in the past.
- New technology won’t change car design, says Mercedes – Autocar: The head of Mercedes’ design team says cars will retain their classic proportions despite new technologyCar design among mainstream manufacturers is unlikely to fundamentally alter, even with advances such as in-wheel electric motors, according to Mercedes’ head of design Gorden Wagener.It has been suggested that advancing battery technology and the packaging of motors in tighter spaces could radically alter how cars look, in particular at the front end. However, Wagener cautioned that such a change would be unlikely even when technology makes it possible.
- Uber to build 50000 jobs, replace 400000 automobiles in Europe – Via Google News: In the course of action he hopes to have 400,000 folks replace driving their personal cars by using Uber solutions. “We want to make 2015 the year…
- First Iranian-made electric car unveiled – Via Google News: An electric car is an automobile that is propelled by one electric motor or more, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage…
- China Has More Space Than U.S. For New Cars: Chart of the Day – Yahoo:
- Investigators pursuing luxury car exporters despite legal uncertainty – Via Google News: George Hadwin Jr. was working part time driving vehicles for a local automobile dealership in Hardeeville when Wayne Wainwright ? the owner of…
- China’s Electric Vehicle Industry Booms in Sales – Via Google News: Automobile manufacturers sold a total of 45,048 electric vehicles, which is up by as much as 210 percent from 2013. Plug-in hybrid deliveries reached…
- China’s parallel auto imports speed ahead – FT: Sector’s growth puts further pressure on car companies in the world’s largest auto market
- Auto expo right to shed scantily dressed models – Via Google News: The Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition is the largest in China, and it alternates between Shanghai and Beijing every year.
- Car show speeds toward unnecessary prohibition – Via Google News: The organizers of this year’s Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition are considering banning models at the exhibition. Two Cents has…
- UPDATE 2-Oil slump slashes Saudi Basic Industries Q4 profit 29 pct – Reuters: DUBAI, Jan 18 (Reuters) – Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC), one of the world’s largest petrochemicals groups, reported a 29 percent plunge in fourth-quarter net income on Sunday, widely missing analysts’ forecasts because of the tumble of global oil prices.
- New Auto Law Compels Toyota, Honda to Manufacture Vehicles in Nigeria – Via Google News: The Federal Government in a new automotive bill is set to compel any automobile firm selling above 10,000 vehicles per annum in Nigeria to establish…
- Wooing women behind wheel – Via Google News: DETROIT ? Women are the auto world’s fastest-growing audience. … the National Automobile Dealers Association, and women account for less than a…
- Nissan may advance launch of 3rd Datsun vehicle in India – Via Google News: NEW DELHI: Japanese auto major Nissan will miss its target of achieving 10 … its network in small towns to boost sales of its Datsun brand of vehicles. … according to Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) passenger…
- Hug fest? Not at Cadillac – Automotive News: With industry light-vehicle sales soaring toward 17 million and transaction prices at record highs, the dealer-factory meetings set for this week in San Francisco threaten to break out into hug fests.
- Jaguar to fill key gaps in lineup – Automotive News: Jaguar executives say they hope to gain “relevance” — and a windfall in sales — with next year’s US launch of the all-new F-Pace crossover and XE compact sedan.
- Carmakers face fresh China import threat – FT: Multinationals wince at parallel imports of autos from cheaper markets
- Taiwan license tax exemption for electric cars extended – Via Google News: Taiwan license tax exemption for electric cars extended … a move that is expected to help growth in Taiwan’s nascent electric automobile industry.
- Hyundai-Kia’s EU market shares shrink in 2014 – Via Google News: 1 automaker Hyundai Motor Co. and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors Corp. both shed market share in Europe in 2014, despite having sold more cars…
- Range Rover outlet shut for a month – Via Google News: ?The reason for the closure is that the car dealers tried to cheat buyers for … According to the Ministry, the cars the company tried to sell as new were … In fact, Qatar should throw open its automobile market and let the customers…
- Jeep considers new sub-Renegade SUV – Autocar: Jeep could expand its range with a smaller version of its Renegade SUV to rival the Fiat Panda CrossJeep is evaluating the launch of an even smaller car to its Nissan Juke-rivalling Renegade, but it cannot yet see a business case for such a model, according to its CEO Mike Manly.Speaking at the Detroit motor show, Manly said the firm was watching the growing small SUV segment with interest.“The growth rates of sales in the segment are very impressive, but we have yet to find a compelling case to do it,” he said. “Smaller cars are inevitably less capable – the laws of physics dictate that – an
- There’s No Good Reason For GM To Put Tesla Out Of Business – Yahoo:
- Elon Musk reveals the scope of his space Internet plans, connecting the third world – UPI: Thor BensonSEATTLE, Jan. 17 (UPI) — Elon Musk is planning to spend $10 billion on broadcasting Internet signals from space, he said on Friday at a SpaceX event in Seattle, Wash.
- Ford Pickups Face Probe After Stalling, Stranding Drivers – Yahoo:
- Ford Pickups Face Probe After Stranding Drivers – Yahoo
- Fishy business: Chinese car boasts aquarium in its back seat – Via Google News: “In southern China, water means fortune and wealth,” Tang Xiaojian, studio engineer for the ambitious Guangzhou Automobile Industry Group, told…
- Future shock hits Detroit?Will we be ready? – Via Google News: Many auto makers at the Detroit show seemed stuck in the past. … autonomy will together transform most Americans’ relationship with the automobile.
- Hot cars at 2015 Detroit auto show – Via Google News: The North American International Auto Show in Detroit opens to the public starting January 17. Here are some of the new cars and experimental…
- 3D Printed Cars, Electric Cars, And Cars That Are Too Fast For Indian Roads. The North American … – Via Google News: The North American Auto Show in Detroit is the biggest event in the American automobile industry. Big shots like Mercedes, Chevrolet and Ford…
- What keeps leadership dealers awake at night? – Via Google News: At the Detroit auto show this week, I sat down with the outgoing chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association, Forrest McConnell, and the…
- Want a BMW i8? Get in a long, long line – Automotive News: BMW will get 50 percent more i8 plug-in hybrids — 1,000-plus cars — in the US this year than in 2014, but that still won’t be enough to fill the order bank.
- The woman behind the bold NSX – Automotive News: Michelle Christensen, exterior design project leader for the NSX, is the first woman to lead a design team working on a supercar.
- Chrysler exec sees dealerships, operations evolving – Automotive News: As brick-and-mortar dealerships evolve, other operational changes might come, too, requiring alterations in franchise laws and automakers’ policies, especially in urban areas.
- BEEP, BEEP: The history of the car horn – Via Google News: Love it or hate it, the car horn has been a staple in the auto industry since–well– the birth of the automobile. “One of the big reasons why they decided…
- Revealed: Elon Musk’s Plan to Build a Space Internet – Yahoo: