- Average age of light vehicle on U.S. roads stayed flat at 11.4 in 2013, IHS says – Automotive News: The average age of a light vehicle on the road in the United States remained flat at 11.4 years at the end of 2013, and the total light vehicles in operation reached a record 252.7 million, up 2 percent from 2012, IHS Automotive said today.
- US: GM announces four more recalls – Just-auto: General Motors has announced four more recalls, taking the total to 34 this year, including the high-profile ignition switch replacement programme currently under way.
- Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Take Aim at GM for Recall – WSJ: General Motors’ recall related to defective ignition switches is attracting lawyers who forged some of the biggest civil settlements ever, from the landmark tobacco litigation to the Exxon Valdez.
- Mahathir wants Proton to shed ‘cheap car’ image – Via Google News: Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has proposed that the Proton car prices be increased in a bid to overcome its image as a producer of …
- Augmented Reality Car Dashboards – Via Google News: All of us are aware of a multitude of new car technology, which gets launched each day in variety of automobiles. In the past, GPS navigation system …
- Nissan launches second electric vehicle, stands by zero-emission technology – Reuters: Japan’s Nissan Motor Co said it’s launching its second all-electric vehicle this month, persisting with the technology despite a much slower market acceptance than it expected since it rolled out its first electric car over three years ago.
- Why Ford just said no when Musk tried to put the ‘E’ in SEX – Automotive News: Elon Musk says he wanted to name Tesla’s planned third model, a compact, battery-powered sedan, the Model E.
- How Ray DeGiorgio threw GM investigators off track for years – Automotive News: General Motors’ investigation into its mishandling of a fatal defect spreads blame among dozens of employees at various levels, but it bluntly says the problem began — and remained unfixed for years — largely because of “a single engineer.”
- Searing report gives Barra a mandate to reshape GM – Automotive News: General Motors employees who showed up at a town hall meeting last week expecting to hear CEO Mary Barra talk about moving on from the company’s embarrassing safety crisis were thrown a curveball.
- Why the 72-month auto loan isn’t causing jitters — yet – Automotive News: Lenders are boosting auto sales and commanding higher transaction prices by extending loan terms. Is the industry flirting with another 2008, or is the risk limited?
- Have hybrid cars hit their peak? – Automotive News: American consumers appear to have become inured to the fuel price spikes and sales of the Toyota Prius and other hybrids may be flattening.
- Wage gap rumblings confront UAW – Automotive News: New UAW President Dennis Williams said he planned to attack the wide compensation disparity between veteran auto workers and new hires during next year’s contract negotiations with the Detroit 3.
- Mann trots the globe keeping Nissan on track – Automotive News: Trevor Mann travels the world, often, to make sure Nissan’s regional companies meet their targets on cost control and product launches. He recently traveled to China, Southeast Asia, the United States, Canada and Brazil.
- Distracted driving: Oakland mayor reportedly runs red, hits car while talking on phone – Via Google News: The Oakland mayor was involved in a minor accident Sunday evening with another vehicle. There are conflicting reports over who was at fault, though …
- Auto industry can pave the way or get out of the way – Via Google News: The automobile was the disruptive technology of the 20th century. It gave … For a half century, no automaker has entered the mainstream car business …
- Japan Seeks to Squelch Its Tiny Cars – NY Times: Saying the nation’s automakers are too focused on a niche market, the government has sharply raised taxes on the tiny vehicles, prompting an outcry.
- Toyota unlikely to develop hybrid GT86 sports car – Autocar: Development bosses say there’s no market for a hybrid version of its sports car, even though it possesses the technology to build it.
- Fair Game: Gretchen Morgenson on the Problems at G.M. – NY Times: The chief executive at General Motors, Mary T. Barra, wants to ensure that deadly failures never happen again, but old habits are hard to change.
- Electric SUV and BMW 3-series rival next for Tesla, says Elon Musk – Autocar: Tesla will expand its model range to include two new vehicles alongside the current Model S, with a sports-utility vehicle and small saloon planned.
- Tesla keen to set up UK research and development facility – Autocar: Elon Musk, boss of the electric car company, tells Autocar he’s looking at the Midlands as a potential site from which to develop European models.
- DealBook: Uber Attains Eye-Popping New Levels of Funding – NY Times: The web-based car ride service raised another $1.2 billion from investors at a $17 billion valuation, attaining a net worth almost unheard-of among start-ups.
- G.M. Lawyers Hid Fatal Flaw, From Critics and One Another – NY Times: The head of the legal department of G.M. was kept in the dark, an internal investigation revealed.
- General Motors Recalls 105,500 Vehicles in 2 Actions – NY Times: The automaker said some recent G.M. pickups and S.U.V.s may have inoperative door chimes and other models may have a problem with an air bag.