Top News:
- Tesla Model 3 ramp-up aims to beat BMW, Mercedes in just 1 year – Automotive News: That’s more than all of the all-electric cars sold worldwide last year. The rollout will begin in California and move east, focusing on U.S. reservation holders. Even if half of the Model 3 inventory shipped to other countries, U.S. sales under Musk’s …
- Debunking Debunked Electric Car Myths – Forbes: Yes, it’s a double negative, but sometimes you have to break the rules. (I’m an outlaw! Cue the guitar.) Supporters of renewables and electric vehicles often write pieces ‘debunking’ critics, but usually with vague assertions and evasions. Megan Herzog …
- Aston Martin in £530m bond offering to refinance debt – FT: Aston Martin has followed the successful launch of its latest sports car, the DB11, with a £530m bond offering to refinance existing debt and support its…
- Exclusive: Top Russian carmaker Avtovaz considering delisting from Moscow Exchange -sources – Reuters: A visitor sits inside a Lada car produced by the Russian automobile maker … offering later this year, two sources familiar with the matter told .
- Hyundai suspends China plant for a week amid diplomatic stand-off – Reuters: South Korea’s Hyundai Motor on Monday said it had suspended production at one of its Chinese factories for a week, fuelling concern that a diplomatic standoff may be hurting sales in the automaker’s top market.
- Trump plans new office to fix government with business ideas and it’s already working with Tim Cook and Elon Musk – CNBC: President Donald Trump is to appoint son-in-law Jared Kushner to head up a new White House innovation team which intends to revamp federal bureaucracy.
- What if GM built a Corvette SUV? – Detroitnews: Every performance brand is exploiting SUVs for big $$$. We drew our own Corvette SUV to show what is possible
- Honda faces long haul to recoup jet costs – Reuters: After three decades building an airplane from scratch, Michimasa Fujino, 56, chief engineer of the Hondajet, might have to reach a ripe old age to see Honda Motor Co’s pet aviation project recoup its development costs.
- GM mandates video in stores – Automotive News: General Motors plans to make digital signage part of its dealership facility … GM has certified three vendors: Automotive Broadcasting Network,…
- A model for resolving self-driving litigation – Automotive News: There already has been some debate about how companies that make self-driving cars will deal with litigation. Automakers, tech companies and…
- BMW plans biggest model launch to date – Automotive News: BMW Group plans to unveil 40 new and revamped vehicles over the next two years, including the new X2 compact SUV and full-sized X7…
- How one man triggered a GM recall – Automotive News: After years of seeing General Motors and federal safety regulators do nothing to address failing airbag sensors in the passenger seats of the Pontiac…
- Ferdinand Piech losing latest battle with his family – Automotive News: Ferdinand Piech, a figure of transcendent importance in the history of the auto industry, is selling his 14.7 percent voting stake in the family firm that controls Volkswagen Group. It is the endgame of a bitter family dispute.
- Gap between sales and registrations narrowed in 2016 – Automotive News: Questionable sales practices by the U.S. auto industry were thrust into the spotlight last year amid investigations into Fiat Chrysler’s reporting. Yet the difference between industry sales and actual registrations considerably narrowed.
- Zellmer wins another pivotal role at Porsche – Automotive News: The U.S. market will pilot a global initiative aimed at making the Porsche … He was tapped for the job after the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal…
- Customer reaction emboldened GM for an Equinox redo – Automotive News: Stung by critical feedback in focus groups three years ago, GM decided to go in a different direction with the Chevy Equinox.
- Car-shopping sites could start selling – Automotive News: Third-party shopping sites are consumer-research havens. But the executives who run them are considering whether those sites could become platforms where people purchase vehicles — without visiting a dealership or dealership website.
- Custom Nissan Titans leave big impression – Automotive News: Tyler Slade, managing partner at Tim Dahle Nissan Southtowne in South Jordan, Utah, has made his store the place to buy highly customized and unique Nissan Titan pickups.
- Self-driving legislation framework could come from vaccine court – Automotive News: There already has been some debate about how companies that make self-driving cars will deal with litigation. A small court in Washington dedicated to vaccine injury claims could provide a guide.
- Toyota adds a bit of spice to special edition 860 coupe – Automotive News: Toyota is throwing a little extra habanero into the 86 coupe it inherited from Scion (the former FR-S) with the 860 special edition, named for the limited…
- The cheap Chinese cars aren’t coming – Automotive News: China’s Geely Automotive buys Volvo and quickly sets up a tech center in Gothenberg, Sweden. Some 1,700 European and Chinese engineers swear…
- Don’t expect Piech to disappear – Automotive News: But this time looks different. Piech is negotiating the sale of his stake in the Porsche/Piech family holding company that controls Volkswagen Group.
- VW confuses cooperation with transparency – Automotive News: When it first admitted 18 months ago that it had cheated on diesel emissions tests, a humbled, penitent Volkswagen promised both a full accounting of…
- GM: Carmaker or financial entity? – Automotive News: After selling and representing Opel for 18 years of my General Motors career, I almost can’t believe that finance’s takeover of GM’s management has…
- Sienna, Yaris add safety upgrades – Automotive News: Toyota will unveil upgraded versions of the Sienna minivan and Yaris hatchback at the New York auto show next month, focused mainly on safety…
- Ford’s health plan: Slim down inventory – Automotive News: Ford Motor Co. is determined to avoid a glut of unsold cars and trucks piling up on dealer lots by trimming production — even if U.S. vehicle…
- Early veto reshaped Chevy’s new Equinox – Automotive News: Three years ago, General Motors showed drawings of a new design for the Chevrolet Equinox, its top-selling crossover, to consumer focus groups.
- A bitter end for Ferdinand Piech – Automotive News: The other third- and fourth-generation descendants of Ferdinand Porsche … He went to work for Audi, part of a Volkswagen group that was not then…
- Hyundai Motor suspends another China plant amid political tension – report – Yahoo: Hyundai Motor has suspended production at a fourth China factory for one week starting March 24, online media ChosunBiz…