- Has the market for new vehicles reached its peak? – Yahoo:
- Tesla to Roll Out New Models in China – Yahoo:
- Nissan Planning for Post-EV-Incentives World – Wards: Renegotiating the quota for federal EV credits and making the Leaf more attractive are areas Nissan is exploring.
- Thailand’s Auto Industry Looks to Rebound in 2015 – Wards: Toyota Thailand President Kyoichi Tanada predicts the market will recover from last year’s 33.7% plunge with sales rising 4.3% to 920,000 units, including a 7.4% climb in car deliveries to 397,200 and CVs up 2.1% to 522,800.
- Hardcore Porsche Boxster in development for 2016 launch – Autocar: Lightweight Boxster could be badged ‘Club Sport’ when it goes on sale in 2016A more sporting version of the Porsche Boxster, which could become a successor to 2011’s Boxster Spyder, is in development.
- VW to Set Reasonable Dealer Sales Targets in China – Via Google News: Sinomach Automobile Co. (600335), a Tianjin, China-based importer of VW cars, rose 4 percent as of the close in Shanghai trading. The benchmark…
- China dealers fight back as stock piles up – Via Google News: SHANGHAI — The China Automobile Dealers Association has been a weak and loose organization. Its main job was to produce an annual list of…
- Porsche works to deliver more Macans to U.S. dealerships – Automotive News: Porsche is working to increase supplies of the new Macan mid-sized crossover to US dealers in 2015. Wait times for Macan buyers have been six months or more since it went on sale last May.
- With Titan, Nissan aims for ‘white space’ below biggest pickups – Automotive News: Nissan has a new strategy for scratching out a piece of Detroit’s full-size pickup market: It will stop chasing cowboys. And it will instead think about Roman gladiators, Spartacus, NFL football players, and maybe even flesh-eating zombies.
- Nissan steps back from cutting-edge offerings – Automotive News: Nissan and its luxury Infiniti sibling have mellowed in their message of cutting-edge future products as 2015 begins. Missing from talking points this month at the Detroit auto show was any discussion of recent racy concepts.
- How VW veered off target – Automotive News: Competition has heated up, the Jetta and Passat have cooled off, and with back-to-back yearly declines, VW has missed out on a key boom period in US auto sales — a sore spot with dealers who made big bets on sustained sales growth.
- Datsun Sputters in Initial Markets – WSJ: Nissan’s initial effort to build an emerging-markets car brand around its Datsun cars is struggling to throw aside launch woes, with early sales below the company’s expectations in India, Indonesia and other markets.
- U.K. Lawmakers Panel Calls For Moratorium on Shale Gas Fracking – WSJ: The U.K. parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee is calling for a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing for shale gas even as companies are applying for permits to start exploration work in the fledgling sector.
- Car makers must prepare for the obesity epidemic – Via Google News: As connected technology becomes ever more integrated into cars, the … ?Henry Ford was told the automobile was a fad and that the horse is here to…
- Toyota and Honda Get Massive Backing for Fuel Cell Vehicle Launch – Via Google News: It just so happens the country’s largest automakers are the two biggest boosters of the new automobile technology that combines hydrogen gas and…
- Low gas prices, incentives adjust electric-vehicle math – Via Google News: DETROIT ? Drivers trying to calculate whether it’s sensible to personal an electric automobile are facing a new math. U.S. gas costs have fallen more…
- Toyota seeks more hydrogen fuel cell cars for US – Via Google News: Since the car, to be called the Mirai, made its debut late last year, Toyota … National Automobile Dealers Association that he senses enough interest to ask Toyota in Japan, where Mirai will be made, to send “substantially more” cars.
- Low cost gas, strong automobiles make it difficult to meet CAFE – Via Google News: With gas costs low and functionality on display at the Detroit auto show, how will automakers meet proposed stringent corporate typical fuel efficiency…
- California thinking of plan to replace gas tax with charge per mile driven – Via Google News: Extra people are driving electric automobiles. Gasoline cars are finding better mileage. And California’s automobiles are causing less pollution.But all…
- Mitsubishi, Nissan mid-size sedan project stalls – Automotive News: A plan for Nissan to supply Mitsubishi dealers with a mid-sized sedan has stalled, according to a senior U.S. Mitsubishi executive.
- Hyundai plans incentives, run-out packages for Elantra – Automotive News: Hyundai is less than a year away from redesigning the Elantra compact car, its most popular US model.
- Toyota sees sales boost from trucks, Tacoma – Automotive News: Toyota Motor Sales plans to top 2.4 million in US sales this year across its Toyota, Lexus and Scion divisions, up from 2.37 million units last year.
- Acura boss: Social isn’t selling cars – Automotive News: The promise of social media helping dealers to sell cars has yet to be realized, said Mike Accavitti, Acura division general manager.
- Hyundai’s ready for cars coming off lease – Automotive News: Hyundai Motor America, despite concerns from some analysts, is ready to handle a wave of vehicles coming off lease, CEO Dave Zuchowski promises.
- Inexpensive gas, powerful automobiles make it challenging to meet CAFE – Via Google News: With gas rates low and overall performance on show at the Detroit auto show, how will automakers meet proposed stringent corporate typical fuel…
- ‘Protectionist’ Dealers Protect Customers, Says New NADA Chairman – Wards: 2015 NADA Convention & Exposition . Recovering from an injury, Bill Fox touts the competitiveness of the dealer-franchise system.
- Buick, GMC, riding truck wave, aim for more share gain – Automotive News: Buick and GMC are out to gain U.S. market share again this year by riding momentum in truck and crossover sales.
- Cadillac chief eases dealers’ fears, asks for support – Freep: GM hired Johan de Nysschen to elevate Cadillac to the first tier of the luxury car market.
- Lexus Unveils the Newest Member of Its High-Performance ‘F’ Series: The 467hp GS F – Via Google News: Exotic-car performance, four doors, and enough cabin space to comfortably accommodate five adults. Previously, only a few automobiles in the world…
- Cadillac Chief Tells Dealers No Cuts in Their Ranks – Wards: 2015 NADA Convention & Exposition . At a closed-door meeting, Johan de Nysschen outlines plans to bolster GM’s luxury brand.
- Uber, Lyft hit a speed bump – Via Google News: “Any passenger automobile utilised or maintained for the transportation of persons for hire, compensation, or profit is a commercial vehicle,” the DMV…
- BMW modernizes operations as sales rise – Automotive News: BMW is investing behind the scenes in North America to support its rising U.S. sales volume. Last week, the company opened a regional parts distribution center in Redlands, Calif.
- Mercedes to send U.S. dealers greater share of global output – Automotive News: Mercedes-Benz dealers will receive a greater share of the brand’s global production this year after experiencing tight supplies in 2014, U.S. chief Steve Cannon said Saturday.
- Lincoln, counting on Black Label for conquests, to expand program to more states – Automotive News: Lincoln’s new Black Label program, which offers customized themes and an elite level of customer service, is helping the brand make conquest sales and will expand to dealerships in more states in the second half of 2015, executives with the…
- Honda bets on redesigned trucks to boost U.S. sales – Automotive News: Honda expects to beat last year’s 1 percent U.S. sales increase as it breathes new life into its truck lineup in 2015.
- Cadillac chief strives to reassure anxious dealers – Automotive News: Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen sought to reassure dealers at the brand’s make meeting that he isn’t out to eliminate stores, though he offered few details about the broad facility-investment plan that he outlined earlier this week.
- Chevy Will Sell the Spark EV in Its First East Coast Market – Via Google News: In terms of automobile efficiency in the U.S. market, only the BMW i3 BEV has a … To date, the Spark EV has been the definition of a compliance car:…
- Ford dealers want U.S. market share back – Automotive News: Ford’s new sales chiefs aim to recapture the 1 point of U.S. market share that the brand gave up in the past year.
- Chevy banks on new models to end stretch of U.S. share loss – Automotive News: Chevrolet this year expects to snap its string of three straight years of US market share declines by capitalizing on its revitalized truck lineup, as the brand moves to put its safety-recall problems behind it.
- Volvo to launch 2015 premium cars in Egypt – Via Google News: Volvo Car Group, a Swedish premium automobile manufacturer, has … Ezz Elarab Automotive Group, the sole agent for Volvo Car Group in Egypt,…
- No Bubble About to Burst on Subprime Loans, Experian Says – Wards: 2015 NADA Conference & Exposition . Lenders are making it easier for buyers at the bottom of the credit-rating pool to secure financing, but there’s no sign the industry is headed toward a repeat of 2009.
- Ford growth outpaced German car market in 2014 -WirtschaftsWoche – Yahoo: [Reuters] – Ford sold 6 percent more passenger cars in Germany last year than a year earlier, growing twice as fast as the market, the head of its German business told the magazine WirtschaftsWoche. “We want to profitably grow our market share with private customers as well in fleets,” Bernhard Mattes told the business weekly in an interview to be published on Monday. Ford, which is incurring losses in Europe, said last week it would increase production of its top-selling European car, the Fiesta hatchback, as well as other vehicles made in Germany, to meet growing demand in the region’s key m
- 20 Gas-Guzzling SUVs You Can Now Afford to Drive Because of Lower Gas Prices – Yahoo:
- Venezuela’s currency woes an increasing threat to U.S. corporate profits – Reuters: (Reuters) – Venezuela’s deepening economic troubles, and in particular the weakness of the bolivar and restrictive currency controls, have hurt U.S. corporate profits for the fourth quarter of 2014 and are set to inflict further pain this year. In a likely sign of things to come from a number of companies this results reporting season, Ford Motor Co on Friday said it was taking a pre-tax charge of $800 million for its Venezuela business. It blamed Venezuelan exchange control regulations that
- Porsche recalls 13,500 Cayennes, Panameras to fix fuel-seal flaw – Automotive News: Porsche is recalling about 13,500 vehicles worldwide to fix a seal that may allow fuel to evaporate.
- Volkswagen to recall 80,000 Audis; 35,000 in China – Reuters: BEIJING, Jan 24 (Reuters) – German car maker Volkswagen AG will recall 80,000 cars from its luxury division. Audi due to issues with the fuel injection system, Audi said on. Saturday, adding that around 35,000 of the affected vehicles are. from China.
- Ford’s future paves way for smart connected cars – Via Google News: There are already one billion vehicles on the road and we believe the … Also, there needs to be collaboration between various automobile brands to…
- Mercedes-Benz urges govt to ease automobile taxes – Via Google News: It has grown to around 70% of our total of 10,201 cars sold in 2014 and as … Mercedes also claims automobiles taxes in India are one of the highest…
- Many auto brands pass on Super Bowl ads – Automotive News: Acura is sitting out the Super Bowl ad extravaganza because the brand doesn’t have message or the vehicle launches this year that merit buying onto such a big stage. And more automakers than not have reached the same conclusion this year.
- Placing the Mobile Into Automobile – Via Google News: 6, ten main automakers showed off their most up-to-date in-car electronics and self-driving prototypes in sprawling exhibitions that with each other took…
- Ford Opens Silicon Valley Study Center: Stepping the Pedal for Driverless Automobile Development – Via Google News: Ford cars can be set up with the thermostat so that the driver’s home can adjust its temperature when the auto is leaving the house or is close to finding…
- Hyundai latest to ‘take a time out’ from the Super Bowl – Automotive News: Hyundai isn’t running a Super Bowl ad for the first time since 2006. The list of auto advertisers for the game continues to dwindle this year.
- MTV study: Millennials want their cars – Via Google News: … Friday at the annual convention of the National Automobile Dealers Association. … 80% believe buying or leasing of a car should take less time.
- GM: Get succession plans set – Automotive News: General Motors has directed its field organizations to ask every GM dealer this year if he or she has a succession plan. And if not, the company is advising, set up one.
- Bush strikes a presidential tone – Automotive News: Before a friendly audience of a few thousand attendees packing a ballroom at the NADA convention Friday, Jeb Bush said the United States is “starved for leadership” in the public sector.
- BMW and Volkswagen teams up with ChargePoint to build more charging points – Via Google News: The German automobile manufacturers, alongside the U.S. charging … perceive this endeavor as very vital in luring people to opt for electric cars.