Top News:
- Jaguar Land Rover Slashing Costs, Targeting 1 Mil Sales – Detroit Bureau: Jaguar Land Rover wants to slash nearly $7 billion in expenses even as it launches more products aimed at doubling its global sales by the end of the decade.
- VW target of ‘Das Problem’ protest by Greenpeace – Automotive News: An environmentalist group protested at VW headquarters in Germany today in the wake of the automaker’s emissions scandal by displaying a large banner reading ‘Das Problem,’ a play on VW’s ‘Das Auto’ slogan.
- France opposes Renault-Nissan merger, French Prime Minister Valls says – Automotive News: France, Renault’s biggest shareholder, wants the alliance with Nissan Motor to continue and would oppose a merger of the…
- Mysterious New EV Start-Up Plans $1 Bil Plant – Detroit Bureau: Who or what is Faraday? Not the British scientist, but Faraday Future, a mysterious California battery-car start-up that plans to invest $1 bil in a new US plant to bring a radical EV design to market, perhaps by 2017. It appears to be linked to a Chinese entrepreneur who takes pride in “disrupting” existing industries
- BMW names Brilliance JV boss as new China chief – Automotive News: BMW named Olaf Kastner to oversee the automaker’s business in China, where it has been losing some ground to rival Mercedes-Benz in…
- Schaeffler opens new Czech Republic plant – Just-auto: Schaeffler Group has opened its EUR92.5m (US$100m) plant in Svitavy, Czech Republic, which will create 960 new jobs in a three-year period
- Continental has no signs of VW price cuts – CFO – Reuters: “If auto markets keep growing (in 2016), then this should also be a good basis for us for growth,” Schaefer said. (Reporting by Andreas Cremer; Editing…
- U.S. Says Takata Air Bag Recalls May Widen to More Carmakers – Bloomberg: Volkswagen AG, Daimler AG, Jaguar Land Rover and Tesla Motors Inc. are among carmakers still using Takata air bags with ammonium nitrate,…
- Renault assembles team to defuse Nissan voting right tensions – FT: Renault has set up a committee of independent board members to broker a solution to the worsening stand-off between Nissan, its Japanese partner,…
- EPA expands on-road emissions testing – CNBC: They will also be performed on all new cars that manufacturers seek to … An official with the trade group the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers said…
- Cropley on cars – Excellent Tokyo show, Ghosn is clear and confident – Autocar: Tokyo is full of star cars; sampling a self-driving Nissan; Renault-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn is full of good ideas
- Secretive EV startup plans $1 billion factory in U.S. – Automotive News: The company has vowed to launch its first vehicle in 2017 as a high-tech rival for electric cars from Tesla Motors. “Our business model is not based…
- Hyundai chooses a different luxury path from Japanese – Automotive News: After spending 15 years refining its luxury cars, Hyundai Motor Co. finally thinks it’s ready for a stand-alone luxury brand, called Genesis. But rather…
- TALK FROM THE TOP: Nissan’s Ghosn confident of hitting 10% US share – Automotive News: Now 16 years into his leadership of Nissan Motor Co., CEO Carlos Ghosn continues to drive and evolve the automaker. His plan to boost…
- What’s behind Toyota’s big bet on artificial intelligence? – Automotive News: Now Toyota Motor Corp. is pushing back with a $1 billion initiative on their home turf. To lead the push, the Japanese juggernaut has tapped an…
- Suppliers give Tesla high praise for innovation – Automotive News: 1 BMW and No. 2 Mercedes-Benz. This year’s survey ranks 15 manufacturers of vehicles in North America. The survey showed that suppliers value…
- Infiniti re-engineers QX50 for 2016 – Automotive News: The QX50 crossover is one of Infiniti’s oldest and most overlooked models, first appearing under the nameplate EX35 in late 2007 and garnering little…
- Infiniti flagship plug-in hybrid in the works to battle S class – Automotive News: Infiniti has begun development of a flagship plug-in hybrid, said a source within the premium brand’s parent company, Nissan Motor Co.
- UAW deals with Ford, GM enter critical week – Detroitnews: Monday marks the beginning of a critical week for labor negotiations between the United Auto Workers and two of Detroit’s Big Three automakers.
- TALK FROM THE TOP: Nissan’s Ghosn confident of hitting 10% U.S. share – Automotive News: A QandA with Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn — Now 16 years into his leadership of Nissan Motor Co., CEO Carlos Ghosn continues to drive and evolve the automaker.
- Rising incentives, growing concern – Automotive News: U.S. auto sales continue to roar ahead, fueled by pent-up demand, low gasoline prices, new metal and — increasingly — rising incentives.
- The shunning of Takata – Automotive News: The debate is over: Takata is expendable.
- Canada’s auto czar hones investment pitch – Automotive News: Former Toyota executive Ray Tanguay is trying to persuade automakers that manufacturing in Canada is more competitive than it looks.
- Takata Slashes Outlook as Nissan Cuts Ties – Bloomberg: Struggling air bag maker Takata appears to be on life-support after its biggest customers cut ties and walked away. Nissan has joined Honda and…
- 2016 Range Rover Evoque Convertible revealed – Autocar: First specs, prices and photos of new drop-top; four-wheel drive only and on sale in spring 2016, from PS47,500