Top News:
- Volkswagen stands its ground on dieselgate fixes – Autocar: Owners who claim that VW’s engine fixes have negatively affected their cars will have to face the company in court, boss Matthias Müller says
- Volkswagen and Fiat-Chrysler partnership possible – Autocar: Following the PSA and Opel deal, Volkswagen CEO Matthias Muller said he would not rule out a partnership with Sergio Marchione and Fiat-Chrysler
- COLUMN-Musk’s bold offer of Tesla batteries won’t solve Australia’s power problems: Russell – Reuters: Australia is becoming an interesting microcosm on how to, or how not to, transition an economy from being predominantly powered by coal to more climate-friendly alternatives.
- Trump answers auto industry call for review of expensive rules – Automotive News: When President Donald Trump visits the Detroit area this week, he’ll come bearing a gift: a first step toward relaxing rules that could cost automakers about $33 billion.
- BMW probed by U.S. over leases to military members – Automotive News: The U.S. Justice Department sought information from BMW AG’s leasing business last year about how it handles overdue payments from U.S. military personnel, according to documents obtained by .
- Audi Q5 – Autocar: Audi replaces its best-selling SUV with a model very much on the same theme However conspicuous the mark left by the Audi Q7, it was the smaller Q5 that really uncorked the sales potential of SUVs that its maker had been leaving hitherto untapped when the model first appeared almost a decade ago.Launched against a backdrop of uncertainty about whether buyers would take to a mid-size pseudo off-roader from Ingolstadt, the Q5 delivered an emphatic answer by smashing its sales targets and becoming
- Big Tech Reshaping Auto Supply Chain With Latest Deals – WSJ: Intel Corp. sent a fresh shock wave through the automotive supply chain, becoming the latest tech giant to gobble up a specialized car components supplier.
- Nissan boosts management presence at Mitsubishi Motors – Reuters: Mitsubishi Motors Corp on Tuesday said an additional four Nissan executives would join its management team as Nissan tightens its control over the smaller, struggling automaker in which it took a controlling stake last year.
- Nissan’s Nakamura retires as design team is reshuffled – Automotive News: Karim Habib, the former head of design at BMW, has been named as global design chief for Nissan’s premium Infiniti brand. Alfonso Albaisa, currently…
- Fall in Volkswagen brand profit shows long road to recovery – Reuters: Operating profit at Volkswagen’s biggest car brand fell last year, showing the challenges still facing the world’s largest automaker 18 months on from its emissions scandal.
- VW Recovery Takes Baby Steps as Namesake Brand’s Margin Rises – Bloomberg: Volkswagen AG’s struggling namesake car brand improved profitability in the fourth quarter as restructuring efforts gradually show signs of progress…
- Why Elon Musk’s Offer of Tesla Batteries Won’t Solve Australia’s Power Problems – Fortune: Australia is becoming an interesting microcosm on how to, or how not to, transition an economy from being predominantly powered by coal to more climate-friendly alternatives. The dramatic intervention by Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk last week is …
- Nissan’s Infiniti names former BMW executive as new design chief – Yahoo: Infiniti, Nissan Motor Co’s <7201.T> premium brand, named Karim Habib, former global design chief for BMW (BMWG.DE), as the…
- Volkswagen targets strong 2017 even as core brand struggles – Reuters: Volkswagen said it was capable of shouldering the costs of its emissions crisis and was targeting an even better year than in 2016 but warned that its core autos division continued to struggle.
- Volkswagen has ‘good chances’ to build on strong 2016 performance – CEO – Reuters: Volkswagen has “good chances” of building on its strong 2016 performance, when it swung to a record underlying profit despite its diesel emissions crisis, Chief Executive Matthias Mueller said.
- Volkswagen promises environmental leadership after record sales year – Autocar: VW Group makes £6.2bn in profit – despite £5.6bn of losses to cover dieselgate costs
- Elon Musk’s pledge to fix South Australia’s energy issues prompts Ukrainian PM to get in touch – CNBC: The Ukrainian Prime Minister asked Elon Musk for talks after he pledged to to fix South Australia’s energy crisis.
- South Australia taps new gas plant, batteries to fix power crisis – Reuters: South Australia, the country’s most renewable-energy dependent state, outlined plans on Tuesday to spend A$510 million ($385 million) to keep the lights on, just four days after Tesla Inc boss Elon Musk offered to save the state from blackouts by installing large-scale battery storage.
- With Mobileye, Intel sees one-stop shop for self-driving tech – FT: When Intel’s chief executive addressed shareholders at last month’s investor day, he insisted that the “traditional market view” of the company as a…
- BRIEF-Renault-Nissan Alliance forms light commercial vehicle business unit – Reuters: LAUNCESTON, Australia, March 14 Australia is becoming an interesting microcosm on how to, or how not to, transition an economy from being …
- BRIEF-Nextage to set up auto sales and repair unit in Nagoya – Reuters: … is the news and media division of Thomson . Thomson is the …
- England Says No to Drugs That Cost More Than Your Car (or Home) – Bloomberg: The Gaucher disease drug, which would cost as much as 250,000 pounds ($305,900) a year, is poised for rejection by the state-run health system…
- Granddad Built Beetles For Hitler, Now He Faces Expulsion From VW Empire He Ruled – Forbes: Ferdinand Piech’s tumultuous and storied career as ruler of Volkswagen AG … of cousins who control Porsche Automobil Holding SE, the investment vehicle … responsible for pushing VW’s Audi to the front ranks of luxury brands.
- Trump to revisit fuel rules in Michigan – Detroitnews: Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Trump would focus on “the need to eliminate burdensome” rules that hurt job growth
- Howes: Drive for data powers Intel’s bid for Mobileye – Detroitnews: Intel CEO: One million autonomous vehicles on the road provides ‘the data equivalent of half the world’s population’
- US Probes BMW’s Handling of Auto Leases to Military Personnel – Bloomberg: Car loans are under intense scrutiny as auto debt outstanding in the U.S. has surged past $1 trillion. Many of the riskiest loans are also being financed…
- Boeing and Ford power ahead with China expansion – CNBC: Boeing and Ford are powering ahead with China expansion plans despite the country’s slowdown in growth.
- RPT-China may roll back electric car quotas as industry pushes back – Reuters: … its domestic carmakers to overtake global rivals in the ‘green’ vehicle sector.
- Tesla to open first shops in S. Korea before launch of sales – Yonhap: U.S. electric carmaker Tesla Motors is set to open its first showrooms in South Korea this week, offering a chance to…
- Intel Buys Self-Driving Tech Firm Mobileye for $15 Billion – WSJ: Intel has struck deal to acquire Mobileye for about $15.3 billion, the latest technology company to invest in the expanding autonomous cars business.
- Intel’s $15.3 Billion Bid For Mobileye Pushes Israeli Investor Into The Billionaire Ranks – Forbes: Mobileye made headlines again in September 2016 when it broke ties with Tesla Motors. In a highly publicized rift between the Israeli supplier and the…
- A $121 Million Weekend With Bugatti, Jaguar, and Porsche – Bloomberg: Klinger said the biggest divergence came in the upper-middle market. Cars valued from $250,000 to $1 million continued to see lessened interest.
- Intel’s Road to Self-Driving Cars Is Paved In Acquisitions – Fortune: April 2016: Intel acquires Yogitech, an Italian semiconductor designer that specializes in adding safety functions to chips used in self-driving cars and…
- Ford chairman: Employees voluntarily worked with no pay to keep us out of bankruptcy in 2008 – Yahoo: Even though Ford was also hurting, it famously never took government bailout money. There’s plenty of financial analysis on the how of that. However…
- Why Ford Sees a Future With Fewer Cars and More Questions – Barrons: Speaking at South by Southwest, Ford’s Executive Chairman said things need to change in the auto industry, as it grapples with city congestion and…
- Ford chairman on flying cars: ‘Most people can’t drive in two dimensions, much less three’ – Yahoo: On Monday, at the SxSW conference taking place in Austin, Ford executive chairman Bill Ford was asked if Ford had any plans for flying cars.
- Cruise’s Kyle Vogt: GM Will Deploy Automated Rideshare Cars ‘Very Quickly’ – Forbes: When General Motors bought Cruise Automation for $581 million one year ago it was a head-turning deal that brought together a massive, traditional…
- The 2016 Car Swoon Is Turning Into a Skid in 2017, Tynan Says – Bloomberg: Kevin Tynan, senior auto analyst at Intelligence, says the 2016 car swoon is turning into an uncontrollable skid this year. Tyler Benster, a…
- Factbox: Intel invested in five self-driving startups – Reuters: Intel Corp (INTC.O), which on Monday announced the proposed $15.3 billion acquisition of Mobileye NV (MBLY.N), had invested in at least five startup …
- Intel’s $15 Billion Gamble on Self-Driving – New York Times: Brian Krzanich, chief executive of Intel, at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Intel is buying autonomous-car-parts maker Mobileye for $15.3 billion, a price that will demand high performance in a competitive if fast-growing market.
- BILL FORD: Intel may have become Ford’s latest ‘frienemy’ – Yahoo: Bill Ford, the executive chairman of Ford, said Intel’s $15.3-billion acquisition of Mobileye shows how the self-driving-car industry will be built on…
- Ford Will Produce Lincoln SUVs In China Amid Strong Demand – Yahoo: Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) introduced its Lincoln brand in the Chinese market three years ago to great success. Throughout 2016, sales of…
- Toyota’s Gazoo Racing Will Bring More Horsepower To Yaris Sales In Europe – Forbes: For Toyota Motor Corp., gaining a foothold in Europe against VW, Peugeot and other local brands has been a tough slog for the last half century.
- A Safer Road Map Toward Self-Driving Cars – Bloomberg: But mandating seatbelt and breathalyzer ignition interlocks — which keep the car from starting until the driver and passengers comply — would be far…
- Intel Steers Into Self-Driving Traffic – Bloomberg: Intel’s expensive splurge at the car dealership makes sense, but it’s also clear that hype for the next generation of automotive technology is getting out…
- Intel to Buy Mobileye for About $15 Billion in Car Tech Push – Bloomberg: Intel is trying to accelerate a push into what many chip companies view as the next big opportunity: self-driving cars and the data they generate.