Top News:
- UK union fears for jobs at Ford’s Welsh engine plant – Reuters: … A spokesman at Ford told that the firm, which made around one third of Britain’s total …
- Mercedes will show X-class pickup concept – Automotive News: Mercedes-Benz will give Geneva auto showgoers a glimpse of its first pickup that’s due to go on sale in Europe toward the end of the year.
- BRIEF-Volkswagen, Navistar alliance receives regulatory approval – Reuters: * Says receives green light for strategic alliance between Volkswagen Truck & Bus and Navistar
- SEC, States Probe Fiat Chrysler for Emissions Cheating – WSJ: U.S. securities regulators and several states are investigating whether Fiat Chrysler Automobiles improperly manipulated some vehicles to allow them…
- BRIEF-Navistar and Volkswagen Truck & Bus close strategic alliance – Reuters: * Navistar and Volkswagen Truck & Bus close strategic alliance
- Uber CEO says he must ‘grow up’ after argument with driver – Reuters: (Editor’s note: Please note language in 6th paragraph that may be offensive to some readers.)
- Robocar – a self-driving electric AI car – unveiled at MWC – Reuters: A self-driving electric racing car powered by artificial intelligence is unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Amy Pollock reports.
- Uber CEO: ‘I Need Leadership Help’ After Berating Driver on Video – WSJ: Travis Kalanick plans to seek leadership advice after a run of troubling news involving Uber, capped by an online video of him dressing down one of the ride-hailing service’s drivers.
- February car sales will cool, analysts expect – Detroitnews: Carmakers started getting more aggressive about moving vehicles off lots last month
- Ofo Becomes Chinese Bike-Sharing Unicorn After Giant Fundraising – Bloomberg: Ofo has raised $450 million from backers including DST and car-hailing giant Didi Chuxing, taking its valuation to more than $1 billion. Ofo convinced…
- Geely To Make 1.5 Million Cars A Year By 2019: Goldman – Barrons: Is it time to take profit on Geely Auto (175.Hong Kong), whose stock has already soared over 40% this year? Not according to Goldman Sachs who…
- SAIC Motor looks to be first Chinese automaker to drive into India – Economic Times – Reuters: Castor seeds Spot prices -March 01 Castor seed arrivals, in 75-kilogram bag: 0,43,000-0,44,000 versus 0,42,000-0,43,000 previous. * Castor seed …
- Chevy Cruze, Impala top Consumer Reports picks for ’17 – Detroitnews: Two models by Chevrolet on Consumer Reports’ 2017 Annual Top Picks list
- Video shows Uber CEO arguing with black-car driver over lower fares – CNBC: In a video obtained by , Uber CEO Travis Kalanick is pictured arguing over fares with his driver.
- Volvo closes in on 2 key goals with redesigned XC60 – Automotive News: Volvo will use the redesigned XC60 to move closer to two of its midterm goals: having a fully autonomous car on the road in 2021 and making sure no…
- Volkswagen plots Renault Captur rival for 2018 launch – Autocar: Volkswagen T-Cross Breeze concept The new model will draw on the T-Cross Breeze but have a fixed roof; expected to be launched in 2018
- Fiat Chrysler CEO 2016 compensation was $12 million-filing – Reuters: DETROIT Feb 28 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne received $12 million (10.83 million euros) in pay and benefits for …
- China’s Geely Elbows Into Southeast Asia Where Ford And GM Fear To Tread – Forbes: Li Shufu, Chairman of China’s Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. (Geely), is in hot pursuit of Southeast Asia’s car market. Geely is the apparent…
- Tesla Engineer Sues Her Employer, Claiming ‘Pervasive’ Harassment, Inequality – Forbes: Tesla may be the latest firm in the “silicon sultan” generation to face charges of fostering a hostile atmosphere for women, according to an exclusive by…
- VW bill for U.S. diesel buybacks: $2.9 billion and counting – Automotive News: Volkswagen has paid $2.9 billion to repurchase nearly 138,000 U.S. diesel vehicles through Feb. 18 under a sweeping settlement over emissions violations.
- Fiat Chrysler’s Marchionne paid nearly $11.5M in 2016 – Detroitnews: Automaker in regulatory filing Tuesday says Marchionne set to receive bonus of nearly $6.5 million in 2017
- FCA reveals US state, federal probes on diesel emissions – Reuters: FILE PHOTO: A new Fiat Chrysler Automobiles sign is pictured after being unveiled at Chrysler Group World Headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan …
- FCA warns shareholders of potential diesel fines – Detroitnews: FCA says it’s received subpoenas and requests for information from Justice Dept., SEC and states’ attorneys general
- Nissan Could See $620 Million Brexit Hit, Senior VP Lawther Says – Bloomberg: Nissan Motor Co. could face a 500 million-pound ($620 million) hit to profits should the U.K. fall back on World Trade Organization rules after two…
- Marchionne’s 2016 compensation was $11.99 million – Freep: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne received $11.99 million in total compensation in 2016, or about six times less than he was paid for…
- Fiat Chrysler Says SEC, States Join EPA Probing Diesel Autos – Bloomberg: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and states’ attorneys general are investigating its diesel models,…
- Here Are All the Agencies Investigating Fiat Chrysler For Excess Diesel Emissions – Fortune: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has received subpoenas from U.S. federal and state authorities, including the Securities and Exchange Commission,…..
- Mercedes set pace again in F1 testing as Lewis Hamilton praises new cars – Guardian: Lewis Hamilton powers ahead during day two of testing in the new Mercedes. ‘It was another good test day for the team,’ he said. Photograph: David…
- General Motors CEO says Trump’s border tax would be ‘problematic’ for auto industry – Washington Post: On Tuesday, the General Motors chief executive was center stage. … Among the executives in the audience were former GM CEO Dan Ackerman,…
- GM Has Agreed to Sell Another Overseas Business – Fortune: General Motors has agreed to sell the majority ownership stake in its East African business unit to Japanese automaker Isuzu Motors.
- Hindenburg blurs Shell’s vision of hydrogen-driven cars – Detroitnews: Element has been used as safe power source for generations since legendary airship disaster, including by space program
- GM’s Barra Signals Concern About Tax Proposals Affecting Imports – WSJ: WASHINGTON-General Motors Co. Chief Executive Mary Barra said Tuesday that tax proposals affecting imports could be “problematic” for the auto…
- European Parliament panel urges better diesel oversight – Detroitnews: The committee accused France, Italy, Spain and others of trying to slow down the introduction of tougher emissions tests
- GM gets aggressive on pickup discounts – Detroitnews: General Motors Co. boosted incentives on its pickups this month after its biggest foes gained ground, intensifying a price war within the U.S. auto…
- GM CEO ‘exploring opportunities’ for Opel with Peugeot – CNBC: General Motors CEO Mary Barra said the Detroit automaker is exploring opportunities with French automaker Peugeot SA.
- Some VW customers are still waiting for their buybacks – Detroitnews: Owners who financed their cars through third-party lenders say they’ve experienced lags in response
- This Driverless Truck Startup Is Putting Human Drivers to Work – Fortune: Starsky Robotics is a self-driving truck startup. But its business model and approach is unlike other self-driving truck companies like Embark and Otto…
- In Video, Uber CEO Argues With Driver Over Falling Fares – Bloomberg: When Uber Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick takes an Uber, he prefers a black car, the high-end service his company introduced in 2010.
- Uber Exec: ‘We Did Not Steal Any Google IP’ – Forbes: On Monday, Anthony Levandowski, cofounder of self-driving-truck startup Otto and now head of Uber’s autonomous vehicle program, was interviewed…
- Will Takata plea deal kill civil suits against automakers? – Automotive News: According to several automakers, they are properly viewed as victims of Takata’s fraudulent scheme to produce defective airbags — not as perpetrators of their own deception of car buyers.
- China Deploys Aggressive Mandates To Take Lead In Electric Vehicles – Forbes: China is already the world’s leading electric vehicle market by a wide margin. In 2016, China EV sales reached 507,000 units, more than double the…
- Transportation Secretary To Auto Industry: ‘Educate Skeptical Public’ About Self-Driving Tech – Forbes: As car companies, tech firms such as Google and ride-sharing giant Uber continue to pour money and resources into self-driving technology, a large…
- Nissan Kicks emerges from the shadows – Automotive News: a new baby crossover — is getting closer to U.S. showrooms. Nissan has not officially disclosed plans for the Kicks, a Versa-sized subcompact, but it has been spotted road-testing near the automaker’s U.S.
- Nissan asks for £100m supplier fund to safeguard UK car industry – FT: Nissan has told the British government to spend £100m to attract component suppliers to the UK or risk the future of its Sunderland car plant.
- Fancy Gear Shifts Are Confusing Motorists, Consumer Reports Says – Bloomberg: It flagged designs on Honda Motor Co.’s Acura brand, General Motors Co.’s Cadillac and Ford Motor Co.’s Lincoln as potentially confusing. Certain shift designs from Chrysler, Jaguar, Audi and other brands lack countermeasures to prevent rollaway …
- BMW Could Move the Mini to Germany Because of Brexit – Fortune: BMW Group is thinking of moving production of the next Mini, an icon of British car making, to Germany because of the U.K.’s determination to quit the…
- Mitsubishi pads crossover lineup with Eclipse Cross – Automotive News: Mitsubishi will kick off its long-promised product revival with a new compact crossover dubbed the Eclipse Cross, slated to hit the U.S. market in 2018.
- Brexit means taxpayers need to support supply chain, says Nissan – Guardian: Nissan has called on the government to provide investment to help rebuild the UK’s car parts business so it can replace components that come from…
- Audi repeats as Consumer Reports’ top brand; Tesla leads domestics – Automotive News: Audi paced the industry for the second consecutive year in Consumer Reports’ latest Brand Report Card, while Tesla was the highest-ranked domestic brand — ending Buick’s three-year streak.
- Uber’s All-Out Meritocracy Comes Under Fire – WSJ: Uber enshrines “meritocracy and toe-stepping” in a list of 14 corporate values. That culture is now under scrutiny as the company faces allegations from a former engineer who said last week that managers dismissed her sexual-harassment complaints because the accused employee was a top performer.
- Honda Chases Silicon Valley With New Artificial-Intelligence Center – WSJ: Honda is creating a research arm focused on artificial intelligence, an area where car makers are racing against tech giants and upstarts-and where one of Honda’s American advisers says it risks falling behind.
- EU parliament says governments delayed new rules on car emissions – Reuters: European governments delayed stricter car engine emissions tests by six years and did not do enough to uncover cheating by car …
- Hyperloop CEO Says Musk’s Presence on Trump Team Will Boost Infrastructure – Bloomberg: Musk, the founder of electric-car manufacturer Tesla Inc., doesn’t have any direct ties to Hyperloop One, which is dedicated to developing his concepts…
- PSA unveils new DS7 Crossback sport utility vehicle – Reuters: French carmaker PSA unveils its new DS 7 Crossback SUV car during a media presentation in Paris, France, February 28, 2017. REUTERS/Charles …
- China And The US Supercharge The Growing Global Electric Vehicle Industry – Forbes: The high cost of lithium-ion batteries has been one of the main reasons for the high cost of EVs compared to vehicles powered by an internal…
- Why the DS 7 Crossback means we should take France’s premium car maker seriously – Autocar: The rebirth of DS as a stand-alone premium brand starts today and the first signs are promising
- DS 7 Crossback kickstarts new model blitz for brand – Autocar: DS plans Audi Q2 and Q7 rivals which could be called the DS 3 Crossback and DS 9 Crossback respectively
- Takata pleads guilty to airbag-related fraud charges following 16 deaths – Autocar: Faulty airbag case has lead to the biggest recall in automotive history and $1 billion in fines
- Honda places high-stakes bet on software, robotics with new r&d unit – Automotive News: In the new era of artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles, Honda is planning its own transition from metal-bender to software-coder.
- Why car manufacturers are at the Mobile World Congress – Autocar: Seat, Ford and Peugeot are among the manufacturers present at the mobile phone exhibition – and it shows automotive expansion into the tech industry
- Dealer’s first overflow lot in 37 years sign of U.S. inventory pileup – Automotive News: Across dealer lots in America, inventory is piling up as automakers produce more cars than are being bought.