Top News:
- China’s SAIC says not signed formal agreement to buy GM’s India plant – Reuters: SAIC Motor Corp has not signed any formal agreement with General Motors to take over the latter’s car plant in the western Indian state of Gujarat, the Chinese automaker said in a statement on Monday.
- Tesla just got its highest price forecast ever from a major Wall Street analyst – CNBC: Piper on Monday raised its price target on Tesla to $368 from $223, representing more than 20 percent upside from Friday’s close. The move amounts to the highest price target on Wall Street from a major research firm, according to FactSet. Dougherty & Co.
- Toyota invests $1.33 billion in Kentucky plant – Reuters: Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp said it had invested $1.33 billion in its Kentucky plant as part of the automaker’s plan to invest $10 billion in the United States over the next five years.
- Toyota plans $1.33 billion overhaul of Kentucky plant for next-gen Camry – Automotive News: Toyota says the new architecture will deliver enhanced fuel economy, improved ride and handling, and shorten the development cycle for future…
- Trump Takes Credit for $1.33 Billion in Planned Toyota Spending – Bloomberg: Trump singled out the company in January for its plan to build a Corolla small-car factory in Mexico. As Toyota’s North American Chief Executive…
- BRIEF-Sollers Q1 sales of new cars and LCV in Russia down 4.1% YR/YR – Reuters: FRANKFURT, April 10 Efforts by German automotive interiors maker Grammer to dilute the influence of Bosnian activist investor Hastor were dealt a …
- 210mph VLF F1 Roadster revealed ahead of Shanghai debut – Autocar: The VLF F1 Roadster will arrive at the Shanghai motor show… 745bhp Dodge Viper engined drop-top has been shown in the week before its launch; it can hit 62mph in under 3sec
- Volkswagen T-Roc: first sighting of new Nissan Juke rival – Autocar: Volkswagen’s answer to the Juke has been a long time coming, but here’s our first glimpse of it in the metal
- Trump Has China-Owned Volvo to Thank for Lone New U.S. Car Plant – Bloomberg: Volvo Car Group opens its $500 million factory late next year and will employ 2,000 workers initially near Charleston, South Carolina. Trump’s unlikely…
- Volvo Cars concerned about possible U.S. import tax – Reuters: Volvo Cars would suffer if the United States enacts taxes on imported goods, even as the company prepares to hire up to 4,000 workers for a new plant in South Carolina, the head of its North American operations said.
- Volvo’s First US Factory Is Shaping Up to Employ 2000 Workers – Fortune: Volvo Cars will start producing cars at its first U.S. factory by the end of 2018, fulfilling a goal by the Swedish automaker to close a gap in its…
- Japan ahead in race to standardize car-use battery tech – Nikkei: Without standardization, consumers are unlikely to embrace electric cars en masse. In recharging their batteries, they will want the same convenience…
- Company in Focus Maruti Suzuki wants the world, starting with rural India – Nikkei: A big chunk of those sales came from Maruti Suzuki India, which sold 1.4 million cars to grab more than 40% of the domestic market. A local unit of…
- Japan’s Renesas keen on acquisitions, may issue shares to build warchest: CEO – Reuters: Japanese automotive chip maker Renesas Electronics Corp is hungry for more acquisitions amid a wave of megamergers in the industry and may need to issue equity shares sometime in the future to build its warchest, its CEO said on Monday.
- SunPower Solar Installation Underway at New Toyota Headquarters – Yahoo: The system is expected to generate enough clean energy to offset approximately 33 percent of the headquarters’ energy needs, reducing Toyota’s…
- China’s Changan forms electric car JV with local startup Nio – Reuters: China is aggressively promoting electric cars to combat urban smog and push the industry to the forefront of automotive technology, loosening rules in …
- Matt LeBlanc Given First Test Drive of New Ford GT on ‘Top Gear’ – Yahoo: The Top Gear host is not only wealthy and successful, he also got to be the first person to test drive and review the brand new 2017 Ford GT supercar.
- Fitch Assigns Expected First-Time Ratings to Mercedes-Benz Auto Finance’s Silver Arrow China … – Reuters: LONDON, April 10 Britain’s automotive industry body defended diesel cars on Monday, as the government prepares to announce proposals for …
- Quarter of Miles Traveled in the U.S. by 2030 Seen as Driverless – Bloomberg: A quarter of all miles driven in the U.S. could be in shared, self-driving electric cars by the end of the next decade, setting off a seismic shift that will…
- What Do You Do With Half a Million Rigged VWs? – Bloomberg: Except for a handful of 2015 models, VW dealers can’t sell the cars until – and unless – the company comes up with repairs to satisfy regulators.
- Lincoln focused on ‘experience’ as brand sales grow – Detroitnews:
- Ford Fusion hybrid police sedan rated at 38 mpg combined city, highway – Automotive News: Ford Motor Co. is introducing what it calls the industry’s first pursuit-rated gasoline-electric hybrid police vehicle that more than doubles…
- It’s all about autonomy at SAE – Automotive News: The Fusion was a stark example of the engineering challenges ahead for self-driving vehicles — a theme that dominated last week’s busy confab of…
- New York auto show preivew – Automotive News: This year’s New York Auto Show press days, which run April 12-13, will be packed with unveilings of track and near-track cars.
- Rogue leads crossovers’ surge as cars continue fall – Automotive News: Crossovers now account for roughly one in every three vehicles sold since October 2016, with the Nissan Rogue driving to become the top-selling nonpickup in America.
- Shanghai auto show preivew – Automotive News: Volkswagen: An electric SUV concept will debut in Shanghai. The as-yet-unnamed vehicle is built on the automaker’s MEB modular architecture and…
- New Nissan boss eyes EVs, Mitsubishi’s U.S. role – Automotive News: But more immediately, two trouble spots need attention: Nissan’s slow-selling EVs and the business of Nissan’s new global partner, Mitsubishi Motors…
- FCA plan could hurt store values – Automotive News: Dealership buy-sell advisers warn FCA’s plan to add about 380 new points could ding the value of many existing Chrysler dealerships. But much hinges on what brands the new stores will sell.
- Dealers fear losing control as factory incentives burgeon – Automotive News: Proliferating automaker incentives to dealers are changing the retail business model — and giving automakers increasing control of dealership operations.
- PACE winners improve electronics, trim weight – Automotive News: Responding to automaker needs for lighter-weight components and more advanced electronics earned 12 international suppliers a 2017 PACE Award last week.
- Tavares entrusts PSA’s US return to an ally – Automotive News: Dominique and Tavares were colleagues during their days at Nissan North America, where Tavares was chairman and Dominique was head of…
- BRIEF-Ford says investing $4.5 bln & introducing 13 new electric vehicles globally in next 5 years – Reuters: * Ford continues drive to be global electric vehicle leader, reveals industry’s first pursuit-rated hybrid police car
- Tesla denies report it is planning to open a factory in Guangdong, China – CNBC: Guangdong’s local newspaper, Southern Metropolis Daily, cited multiple sources and said the electric vehicle maker is planning to individually fund…
- Ford says hybrid police car catches bad guys, saves gas too – CNBC: The next time the cops chase you down for speeding, they could be driving a fuel-efficient gas-electric hybrid. Ford Motor Co., which sells more police…
- Why Ford nixed Mustang racer – Automotive News: Raj Nair, Ford’s head of global product development, marks Job 1 for the Ford GT at Multimatic in Markham, Ontario. Nair says the GT was “singulary…
- Next Audi A8 gets self-driving technology, new styling direction – Automotive News: Audi’s new A8 flagship, which goes on sale in the U.S. this fall, will have advanced autonomous driving technology and will…
- Q&A with Nissan chief: EV race is poised to enter a new phase – Automotive News: Hiroto Saikawa, Nissan Motor Co.’s new CEO, aims to keep the company growing. He wants to enhance its electric-vehicle…
- Pursuit-rated Ford hybrid police cars debut – Detroitnews: First-ever pursuit-rated hybrids offer fuel-efficiency savings to police departments
- Automakers to showcase their electric car ambitions in Shanghai – Automotive News: China’s EV market “has four distinct features: Chinese-made vehicles, low price, limited range and dubious quality,” said Dunne, who is president of…
- Check out the touch screen in this Tesla – Automotive News: A prototype of Tesla’s Model 3 shown in spy photos taken last week outside the company’s Palo Alto, Calif., headquarters resolved some mysteries about how the $35,000 sedan will look and feel. Possibly the most interesting detail: A grainy photo of the…
- Audi, Porsche team up to develop vehicles – Automotive News: Audi remains the group’s center of excellence for SUVs and crossovers, supplying platforms to Porsche and other brands such as Bentley. Audi also…
- Former Honda boss Mendel nominated to TrueCar board – Automotive News: Only a few days after his retirement from American Honda, John Mendel has been nominated to join the board of directors at car shopping service…
- Ford Continues Drive to Be Global Electric Vehicle Leader, Reveals Industry’s First Pursuit-Rated … – Yahoo: Ford continues its drive to be a global electric vehicle leader – today revealing the second of 13 new electrified vehicles the company plans to…
- On deck for Shanghai – Automotive News: NIO: The startup, previously known as NextEV, will display a self-driving electric car concept dubbed EVE. The car debuted last month in Texas,…
- Automakers to show big, luxurious SUVs at New York auto show – Freep: Other luxury brands such as Acura, Jaguar Land Rover and Infiniti also will be vying for attention as they hold events at the show and at related events…
- Auto-services disruptors face hurdles as they grow – Automotive News: YourMechanic, a startup that will fix customers’ cars in their driveways, …. The company allows car rental agencies to list on their site, allowing one…
- BRIEF-Zhejiang Longsheng Auto Parts to transfer entire 30 pct stake in small loan firm – Reuters: … is the news and media division of Thomson .
- Hyundai’s Sonata sales surpass 10000 units in March – Yonhap: Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea’s top automaker, said Monday the sales of its midsize Sonata sedan exceeded the…
- UK car industry defends diesel as government readies pollution plan – Reuters: Britain’s automotive industry body defended diesel cars on Monday, as the government prepares to announce proposals for improving air quality which could follow London in making it more expensive to use the most polluting vehicles.
- Ford’s Big Ambitions in China as It Searches for Growth – Bloomberg: Ford is planning to introduce pick-up trucks, and to make 70-percent of its vehicles in China fully or partly electric by 2025. ‘s Tom…
- MEDIA-India’s Maruti Suzuki shifting to safer vehicles, plans to consolidate more models on four … – Reuters: DELHI, April 10 A Chinese navy ship supported by an Indian navy helicopter thwarted an attack by suspected Somali pirates on a Tuvalu-flagged …