DailyKanban

• Toyota reportedly agrees to add Android Auto to vehicles – Automotive News: Toyota agreed to add Android Auto to its vehicles, a person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg, ending years of resistance to the Google infotainment software because of safety and security concerns.
• California urges Trump administration to abandon mpg plan – Automotive News: California’s top air regulator urged the Trump administration to abandon a plan to freeze fuel efficiency standards through 2026, as automakers urged state and federal regulators to reach agreement to extend nationwide rules.
• Chinese brand Chery opens European facility – Autocar: New Frankfurt-based design and development centre signals brand”s aim to conquer Europe, where other Chinese brands have so far struggled Chinese brand Chery Auto has opened its first facility in Europe, with a design and development centre near…
• Tesla made a big deal out of its Solar Roof in 2016, but two years later it has barely shipped any – CNBC: Elon Musk unveiled prototypes of Tesla’s Solar Roof tiles In October 2016. They came in four styles that looked just like normal roofing material but were essentially miniaturized versions of traditional solar panels. The announcement helped Tesla …

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All the auto industry news, none of the B.S.

• Report: GM fulfills ignition scandal terms, feds dismiss case – Freep: A federal judge in New York approved a motion filed by prosecutors to dismiss a four-year-old case against GM on Wednesday, Reuters is reporting.
• Mike Jackson’s I told you so moment on Tesla’s ‘logistics hell’ – Automotive News: Tesla could have avoided its recent struggle delivering cars to customers quickly if it hadn’t insisted on handling its own retailing, AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson said.
• The Finance 202: GOP lawmakers against Trump’s tariffs aren’t ready to act – Washington Post: And neither measure touches Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports, which rely on a … support both the GOP tax overhaul and the administration’s tariffs, making it … “‘It’s not a trade war, I call it a trade skirmish,’ he told CNBC. … More than 1,000…
• How Volvo’s Polestar plans to sell its electric vehicles in North America – Automotive News: Volvo’s Polestar brand announced details of the framework it will use to promote sales for its new electric cars, the Polestar 1 and Polestar 2.

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All the auto news, less filling

• Parts Supplier to Challenge VW, Ford With $14 Billion Push Into Self-Driving Cars – Bloomberg: Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Co. are set for more competition in the race to role out self-driving vehicles as parts supplier ZF Friedrichshafen AG develops its own offering in the latest sign of how technology shifts are upending traditional roles in …
• German regional government to appeal Frankfurt ban on older diesels – Reuters: A looming ban on older diesel vehicles from Germany’s financial capital faces a legal challenge from the state government, deepening controversy over how to handle the fallout from an emissions cheating scandal that has rocked the car industry.
• Abarth 124 GT: hard top sports car costs £33,625 – Autocar: A coupe Abarth 124 isn’t happening, but the 124 gets a carbonfibre removable hard top and exclusive parts Abarth has announced that the 124 GT will be priced from £33,625, with only 50 units heading for UK roads. The brand revealed its lightened…
• Why automotive employment continues to grow globally – Automotive News: Of the 13 publicly traded automakers with at least 100,000 workers at the end of their most-recent fiscal year, 11 had more staff compared with 2013, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

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All you need to know about what’s happening in the auto biz, without further comment ….

• BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen Face Collusion Investigation in Europe – New York Times: The European Commission opened an inquiry on Tuesday into possible collusion among BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen to prevent the development of clean emissions technology. The investigation adds to a series of problems for the German auto industry, …
• Tata Motors’ Jaguar Land Rover to cut output in UK plant – Nikkei: MUMBAI (NewsRise) — Tata Motors’ luxury unit Jaguar Land Rover is cutting its production schedule at a plant in the U.K. starting next month, citing the uncertainties triggered by Britain’s exit from the European Union. “In light of the continuing …
• Saudi’s PIF invests more than $1 billion in electric carmaker Lucid Motors – Yahoo: By Tom Arnold. DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has agreed to invest more than $1 billion in Lucid Motors, adding to the emerging competition facing U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla. The funding will enable Silicon …
• UK Mini plant maintenance shutdown moved to just after Brexit in case of no deal – Reuters: German carmaker BMW said it will move the annual maintenance shutdown period for its British Mini plant to just after Britain is due to leave the European Union in April, in case there is no Brexit deal.

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• Anger in California’s carpool lanes as up to 200000 drivers set to lose clean-air decals – Latimes: Clean-air advocates say that the new policy unfairly punishes early adopters of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, and will discourage drivers who can’t afford to buy a new zero-emission vehicle – but may have purchased a used one to secure the …
• Aston Martin’s New Plant to Focus on Electric Vehicle – Yahoo: Aston Martin is going all out when it comes to electric vehicle (EV) development. The British automaker has opened a new manufacturing facility in …
• Audi tests $1,395-a-month subscription service linked to Silvercar – Automotive News: Subscribers can change vehicles up to twice a month and hold any vehicle for up to six months.
• Betting Against Tesla: Skeptics Make Their Case – New York Times: For the past year, Elon Musk has waged a bitter war of words with short-sellers, the investors who are betting billions of dollars that Tesla will fail.

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