- Tesla Looks For New China Formula – Forbes:
- UK: Government approves driverless cars testing on UK roads – Just-auto: The UK government has given the green light for testing driverless cars on public roads in the UK and is planning an industry code of practice for the testing of such vehicles.
- RUSSIA: Kremlin paying close attention to automotive: analyst – Just-auto: One Russian analyst says Moscow is actively involved in attempting to boost its automotive industry as the latest figures show sales falling 25% last month.
- Review: ‘Frugal Innovation’ – FT: From Renault’s Logan to Coke’s fridges: case studies from the masters of cut-price ingenuity
- Patent ‘trolls’ target automakers, and Ford pushes back – Automotive News: Ford was sued for patent infringement more than a dozen times between 2012 and 2014 by so-called ‘patent trolls.’ These outfits, also known as patent assertion companies, initiate patent cases but don’t sell products of their own.
- 124 Spider to be reborn as Fiat’s MX-5? – Autoexpress: News 11 Feb, 2015 Exclusive: Insider sheds more light on Mazda MX-5’s sister car – it could see famous Fiat 124 Spider badge return
- RUSSIA: Auto sector braces for “perfect storm” in 2015 – Just-auto: The Russian light vehicle market is facing a “perfect storm” of macroeconomic factors that will continue to place significant downward pressure on sales in the short-term, according to an analyst at IHS Automotive.
- Hyperloop Is Real: Meet The Startups Selling Supersonic Travel – Forbes:
- RUSSIA: Renault faces ‘major headache’ on Russia exposure – analyst – Just-auto: As the crisis in Russia’s economy due to collapsed energy prices and Ukraine fallout shows little sign of abating, Renault is emerging as one of the auto sector’s most exposed companies.
- 2015 McLaren 675LT leaked ahead of Geneva debut – Autocar: This reportedly official image of the 675LT was leaked by Dutch media
- Five key factors can make or break on auto maker – Theglobeandmail: The cheapest new car in Canada, the Nissan Micra, starts at $10,000. … materials, fuel-cell technology, and the electrification of the automobile.
- What To Watch For When Tesla Announces Results. Note New Timing For Results And Call – Forbes: Tesla should provide 2015 guidance and an update on what seems to be a mess in China.
- BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer 7-seater to tempt family buyers – Autoexpress: News 11 Feb, 2015 BMW takes the five-seater Active Tourer MPV, adds to extra seats and creates the Gran Tourer
- BRIEF-China’s Yaxia Auto gets approval for parallel imports in Shanghai FTZ – Reuters: Wuhu Yaxia Automobile Corp. * Says gets approval for car parallel imports from Shanghai free trade zone managing committee.
- New autonomous pods to begin testing in Milton Keynes – Autocar: A fleet of around 40 Lutz Pathfinders will eventually be testing in Milton Keynes
- Ford to unveil Police Interceptor at Chicago Auto Show – Detroit News: The law enforcement vehicle will produce 304 horsepower
- Tesla’s Q4 earnings: What to watch for – Fortune:
- Ford Pursues the Perfect Police Interceptor – Detroit Bureau: Some Chicago Auto Show-goers might want to steer clear of the Ford Stand this week. The number two U.S. automaker is rolling out a new version of its Police Interceptor Utility vehicle. And it’s loaded with new features designed to make police work safer and more effective
- Honda shines in Best Cars for the Money awards – Automotive News: Honda claimed nearly a third of US News and World Report’s 2015 Best Cars for the Money awards, leading a pack of mostly import winners.
- Teamsters group wants deal to end fed oversight altered – Detroit News: Faction’s bid wants some reforms to be permanent, especially those involving elections
- Audi, Mercedes sales beat BMW in luxury-car race – Detroit News: World’s best-selling luxury car brand knocked from No. 1 position in January
- Fiat Chrysler’s stock surge fails to win over analysts – Detroit News: Fiat Chrysler shares rise 49 percent since their Oct. 13 New York Stock Exchange debut Oct
- Tesla Announces Same Day, New Time for Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2014 Financial Results – Yahoo: Tesla management will now hold its live question & answer webcast at 4:30pm Pacific Time on Wednesday, February 11, 2015, to discuss the Company’s financial and business results and outlook. Tesla will …
- Britain gives go-ahead to test driverless cars on roads – Reuters: Britons will from next summer be joined on the roads by driverless cars, after the government gave the go-ahead for the vehicles …
- Can a union victory happen in the South? – BBC: Exactly one year ago today, it seemed as if the US car union had fought its last battle – and lost. After the United Automobile Workers’ (UAW) union …
- New Mazda RX-7 planned for 2020 launch – Autocar: Mazda’s next RX-7 will be based on the same platform as the new MX-5
- ‘Hit-and-run’ capital Los Angeles launches alert system, rewards – Reuters: Out of 40,000 car accidents in America’s second-largest city, nearly half are classified as hit-and-runs, well above the national average, according to …
- Why own a car when you can share one? – Sfgate: All the high-tech transportation services represent “the second coming of the automobile,” said Thilo Koslowski, vice president and automotive practice …
- US prosecutors settle bias case against auto lender-dealers – Reuters: The U.S. Department of Justice said on Tuesday that it reached a settlement in its first-ever discrimination case against auto dealers who …
- New Honda Civic Type R to reach 167mph – plus new pictures – Autocar: These official images reveal the production car will sit on 19-inch wheels
- Takata to double output of replacement inflators to 900,000 a month – Automotive News: Takata, racing to meet a huge backlog of orders for replacement airbag inflators, plans to double production to 900,000 units a month by September.
- Hackers threaten modern car safety and privacy – Stuff: Cars are now being built with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, navigation systems and … Wade Newton, a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile
- GM investor seeks board seat, $8 billion stock buyback – Reuters: Chief Executive Mary Barra’s plan to keep a big cash cushion for General Motors Co is under attack from a group of shareholders led by a member of the auto task force that helped restructure the company during its 2009 bankruptcy.
- Former Obama Aide Says $8 Billion Buyback Will Unlock GM’s Value – Bloomberg: Harry J. Wilson, who President Barack Obama tapped to … The industry sold 16.5 million cars last year and sales rose 14 percent in …
- Exclusive: Tesla CEO threatens firings after dismal China sales – sources – Reuters: Tesla Motors Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk is prepared to fire overseas executives, people with knowledge of the matter said, after weak Chinese sales of the company’s luxury electric cars cast doubt on his ambitious global expansion plans.
- World Car of the Year Jurors Pick Finalists – Detroit Bureau: The jurors on the World Car of the Year panel have a tough job and after much deliberation delivered a list of 10 finalists.
- GM management too slow, vague: investor Wilson – Reuters: General Motors Co’s management has been too slow to make changes that would improve profitability and too vague in setting near-term milestones for performance, the leader of an investor group seeking a seat on the board said on Tuesday.