Last weekend, Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn told Bild am Sonntag that his company will finally build a budget car line, 2018, in China. A few days earlier, Ferdinand Piech’s older brother Ernst told Germany’s society magazine Die Bunte that Winterkorn is putting Piech’s lifetime achievement in jeopardy. Both are connected. [ There is more … ]
Archives for June 2015
Connecting the dots: Volkswagen’s low cost car, the Great Wall affair, Piech’s ouster, and Nissan
Tuesday morning car news roundup, June 30, 2015
Top News:
- Suzuki patriarch appoints son as president and likely successor – Automotive News: Osamu Suzuki, the outspoken patriarch of Suzuki Motor, positioned his son Toshihiro as his successor, appointing him president and COO of the family’s namesake carmaker. Osamu Suzuki will keep his positions as chairman and CEO.
- SWITZERLAND: WTO rules against Ukraine import tariff hike – Just-auto: The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has ruled that emergency tariffs imposed by the Ukraine in 2013 on imported vehicles violated global trade rules and is urging its government to reverse them.
- Consumer Reports: Some newer cars burn too much oil – Detroit News: Consumer Reports found that some engines force their owners to add a quart as often as once a month
- GM directors don’t have to face ignition switch claims – Automotive News: General Motors directors don’t have to face investors’ allegations that lax supervision allowed the company to make cars with faulty ignition systems blamed for more than 100 people their lives.
Looks like Toyota will be world’s 2nd largest automaker, VW 1st
Toyota may lose the title World’s Largest Automaker to Volkswagen by the end of 2015. As of May, Toyota’s worldwide production is down 4 percent, while Volkswagen is up a tiny 0.2%. [ There is more … ]
Monday morning car news roundup, June 29, 2015
Top News:
- Next-gen Prius may be ill-timed, but not ill-fated – Automotive News: While the timing isn’t ideal, dealers, analysts and Toyota itself are all bullish on the prospects for the next-gen Prius. They credit the strength of the Prius brand, its promising looks and what’s shaping up as a solid backup plan.
- Chevy pulls ahead timetable for Bolt EV – Automotive News: General Motors has accelerated development of the Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle as the automaker tries to have the first mainstream brand with a long-range EV on the market.
- Google to alert drivers to railroad crossings using U.S. data – Reuters: Google will add audio and visual alerts to warn drivers about upcoming railroad crossings on Google’s navigation system, the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration announced on Monday.
- GERMANY: Daimler’s Smart adds MirrorLink smartphone connectivity – Just-auto: Daimler’s Smart brand is adding, er, smartphone integration to its 2016 model year line using MirrorLink. Orders open on 3 July and the first vehicles will be delivered in September.
- CHINA: NEVS launches R&D-production joint venture – Just-auto: National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) says it held what it describes as its project launching ceremony for the production as well as R&D joint ventures in Tianjin Binhai Hi-tech zone yesterday (28 June), marking the start of NEVS’ set-up in China.
Julie Hamp to stay in Tokyo jail until July 8 – at least
The Tokyo District Court has decided that Toyota’s communications chief Julie Hamp will remain in custody for another 10 days, the Mainichi says. Deadline is July 8. According to Japanese law, charges have to be brought by that deadline. If not, the suspect goes free. The extension is fairly routine.
Friday morning car news roundup, June 26, 2015
Top News:
- Takata Studying Possibility of Victims’ Compensation Fund: CEO – WSJ: The chief executive of Takata, the Japanese maker of air bags linked to at least eight deaths world-wide, said the company is studying the possibility of a compensation fund.
- 2016 Ford Focus RS – 345bhp power output confirmed – Autocar: The Focus RS will receive its dynamic debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed Third-generation all-wheel-drive Ford Focus RS will powered by a 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine producing 345bhp, and has been co-developed with racing driver Ken Block
- After rival Uber, China taxi app Didi Kuaidi showcases gains to investors – Reuters: … that values the company at $15 billion, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. … Didi Kuaidi said it has three million private car requests a day.
- Suzuki Says Four-Year Effort to End VW Pact Is Coming to an End – Bloomberg: Suzuki Motor Corp.’s four-year effort to end a failed partnership with Volkswagen AG is reaching an end, though the outcome remains uncertain.
- Suzuki Says VW Stake-Dispute Arbitration Proceedings Have Ended – Bloomberg: The goal was to cooperate on small, fuel-efficient cars for emerging markets. Relations soured over the next two years after each side accused the…
- JAPAN: Honda restates 2014/15 results due to Takata costs – Just-auto: Honda Motor on Friday (26 June) restated its financial results for the fiscal year to 31 March, 2015 to account for additional costs to cover an expanded recall of cars equipped with Takata airbag parts.
Hump suspect update: Julie Hamp’s Japanese water torture
Does anyone still think that the Julie Hamp affair will quietly go away, and that Julie will eventually return to her office at 1-4-18 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8701, Japan? All it takes to dissuade one from this silly notion is to witness the steady drip of leaks from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. Today, the usual “investigative source” told Kyodo News “that the tablets in question were not prescribed for her.” The same source told Kyodo that ” Tokyo police are considering sending officers to the United States to verify Hamp’s statement and confirm other aspects of the investigation.” You don’t go on a fact-finding mission to the U.S. if you want to sweep the matter under the rug. [ There is more … ]
Thursday morning car news roundup, June 25, 2015
Top News:
- Should a Driverless Car Decide Who Lives or Dies in an Accident? – Bloomberg: The gearheads in Detroit, Tokyo and Stuttgart have mostly figured out how to build driverless vehicles. Even the Google guys seem to have solved the…
- California is Nirvana for Car Thieves – Detroit Bureau: The Golden State is the land of golden opportunities for car thieves as California was home to seven of the top 10 areas for vehicle theft in 2014, including the San Francisco-Oakland area which was the leader per capita in the country. For more, go to TheDetroitBureau.com.
- RUSSIA: Mercedes/GAZ exercise production caution in unstable market – Just-auto: Mercedes-Benz says it will not produce more Sprinter vans in Russia than the market demands as partner GAZ also acts cautiously in the current volatile economic environment.
- ITALY: FCA long way off making GM offer – Just-auto: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is a long way from making any offer to GM shareholders, FCA chief executive Sergio Marchionne has said.
- RUSSIA: GAZ parent ‘wastes not one rouble’ in efficiency drive: RM CEO – Just-auto: GAZ Group parent, Russian Machines says “not one rouble” is wasted in the company as it continues its efficiency moves to drive down costs in the business.