Top News:
- A Rising Tide of Used Cars Threatens Ford’s Profits – Bloomberg: That trend will intensify as Americans will return 3.36 million leased cars and trucks this year, another jump after a 33 percent surge in 2016, according…
- When Their Shifts End, Uber Drivers Set Up Camp in Parking Lots Across the U.S. – Bloomberg: Forty years later, German Tugas, a 42-year-old Uber driver, got to know it for another reason: Its parking lot was a safe spot to sleep in his car.
- UK Government Industrial Plan to emphasise importance of car industry – Autocar: Prime Minister Theresa May will today announce a new industrial plan that will highlight the need for Britain to become an electric vehicle tech leader
- China approves first list of green car models for subsidies this year – Reuters: BEIJING China released on Monday this year’s first list of “recommended” green energy vehicles, paving the way for 185 car models to receive …
- 2017 Subaru XV set for Geneva motor show debut – Autocar: The second-generation Subaru XV will be revealed at the Geneva motor show in March; crossover will be based on a new platform
- Dubai’s DP World creates $3.7 bln investment vehicle with Canada’s Caisse de depot – Reuters: Dubai ports operator DP World said on Monday it was partnering with Canadian pension fund manager Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec to create an investment vehicle worth US$3.7 billion that would invest in ports and terminals worldwide.
- McLaren will reveal new midrange road car – Automotive News: McLaren Automotive this year plans to replace the supercar that launched the British company’s on-road challenge to Ferrari nearly six years ago.
- Parent’s moves may help Infiniti – Automotive News: The first was Nissan’s October move to acquire controlling interest of Japanese competitor Mitsubishi Motors Corp. The second was a management…
- If only VW had stuck with Daimler? – Automotive News: Volkswagen might have stayed clear of the diesel cheating scandal had the company not pulled out of a promising deal with Daimler more than a…
- When Bentley owners are the have-nots – Automotive News: You’d think Bentley and Bugatti owners would travel in the same social … Well, Wolfgang Durheimer, CEO of both of the Volkswagen Group-owned…
- Exec: Alliance could benefit from Mitsubishi dealers – Automotive News: Mitsubishi Motors Corp.’s alliance with Nissan Motor Co. has sparked speculation about the two automakers sharing parts, vehicles or…
- JLR bringing virtual reality to showrooms – Automotive News: Jaguar Land Rover is shipping Virtual Reality Experience kits to all of its roughly 330 U.S. retailers by the end of the month, part of JLR’s global rollout…
- Jaguar tests smaller E-Pace crossover – Automotive News: Jaguar will add a smaller, more affordable utility vehicle — the E-Pace — to its lineup in about a year, probably in Europe first, then the U.S.
- Cheaper lidar on the way – Automotive News: Lidar sensing technology is perceived as a critical component for autonomous vehicles, but is too costly to use. Some suppliers say they finally know how to produce lidar less expensively.
- Will the next luxury flagship be a truck? – Automotive News: Mercedes and BMW still sell a good volume of the luxury sedans known as brand flagships. But the identity builders for European luxury brands are likely to increasingly become crossovers and SUVs as the sales shift to trucks continues.
- Don’t bet on an Audi smaller than A3/Q3 – Automotive News: Audi’s growth strategy calls for expanding its lineup using current platforms, says Audi of America President Scott Keogh. There’s probably not room for…
- Ford Is Turning to Tech to Make Buying a Car Less Painful – Fortune: Ford Motor Credit Company is using a new platform developed by San Francisco-based tech company AutoFi that lets customers buy and finance one…
- Lincoln dials back in China – Automotive News: Lincoln will continue to expand in China this year, but the pace of growth for its dealership network will likely slow after targets were exceeded in 2016.
- Wal-Mart muscles into auto sales – Automotive News: Wal-Mart Stores, the nation’s largest retailer, is jumping into car sales through partnerships with dealership groups, including AutoNation Inc., the nation’s largest new-vehicle retailer, and with CarSaver, an online auto retail platform.
- China growth buys time for Cadillac – Automotive News: Surging sales in China are giving Cadillac’s U.S. business a luxury it lacked during previous attempts to regain its former luster: time.
- Connected infrastructure runs into red lights – Automotive News: As automakers and suppliers eye the potential of fully connected cities, the hard realities of rolling out those technologies are quickly becoming apparent.
- VW to test over-the-air options – Automotive News: Volkswagen AG is looking to change the way consumers buy new-car options by using over-the-air updates to offer some features on a trial basis.
- EPA nominee calls for CO2 rule review – Automotive News: Scott Pruitt distanced himself from candidate Donald Trump’s promise to “gut” the agency and his claim that climate change is a hoax perpetrated by China.
- BMW departure adds to upheaval – Automotive News: Karim Habib’s departure as head of BMW brand design creates more upheaval in the group’s design organization following two key departures last year.
- Nissan, Hyundai-Kia join top fleet players – Automotive News: Nissan North America and Hyundai-Kia moved into the top tier of U.S. fleet players in 2016, joining the Detroit 3 in using bulk sales to boost marketplace presence.
- New chairman talks Trump, regulations, sanity – Automotive News: Mark Scarpelli, NADA’s incoming chairman, is eager to work with President Donald Trump’s administration to bring more ‘sanity’ to regulations and clarify recalls.
- BMW deploying self-driving 7 series fleet to roads this year – Guardian: BMW, which co-owns the DriveNow car-sharing venture with Sixt SE, will be jockeying for consumers’ attention against the likes of Uber, Ford Motor…
- Tesla’s big Autopilot update is now active on newer cars – Yahoo: As the name implies, the new Autopilot is less about reinventing the system as adding meaningful upgrades. Autosteer is better at navigating tricky roads, for instance, while Smart Summon isn’t limited to moving your car in a straight line (think …
- Tesla’s Autopilot investigation could change the nature of auto recalls – Yahoo: Just a few months after the federal government opened up its investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot system, the electric carmaker released a software update that could have prevented the whole ordeal in the first place. The National Highway Traffic …The report – NHTSA
- Seat turns to VR to boost quality and durability of cars – Autocar: Virtual reality, X-ray booths and electron microscopes are aiding Seat’s quality drive
- Four-year MOT exemption proposed for new cars – Autocar: Government proposal to extend the time before a car needs its first MOT from three years to four could be introduced in 2018