- N.J. Assembly OKs bill to allow Tesla direct sales – Automotive News: The New Jersey Assembly approved a bill to allow consumers to buy electric cars directly from a manufacturer. The bill now heads to the state Senate.
- A123 buys Leyden battery tech, which may be used in Chinese parent’s EVs – Automotive News: A123 Systems, the battery maker bought by Wanxiang Group after it sought bankruptcy protection in 2012, purchased technology from Leyden Energy that the Chinese parent may use to make electric cars.
- SWEDEN: Unions convene NEVS crisis talks in Stockholm – Just-auto: Swedish unions are urgently convening a meeting in Stockholm tomorrow (18 June) as storm clouds continue to gather over the cash-strapped producer of the Saab 9-3.
- Volvo to export China-made cars to U.S., Russia next year, report says – Automotive News: Volvo plans to start exporting Chinese-made cars to the United States and Russia as early as next year, said a Volvo executive, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak with the media.
- EU’s Russian Antidumping Case Has Geopolitical Roots – Wards: The EU needs to draw a line in the sand over Russian breaches of WTO rules, analysts say. The country is too important a market to allow it to flout trade treaties already accepted.
- Dacia car registrations in the EU, up by a quarter in May – Via Google News: Carmaker Dacia, Romania’s strongest export brand, saw its sales in the European Union (EU) grow by 25 percent in May 2014, compared to the same …
- GM, VW, Ford Reap a Big Reward as Even the Chinese Don’t Want Chinese Cars – Via Google News: While it may be a bit far-fetched to suggest General Motors, Ford or Volkswagen are making all of their money in China, the world’s largest car market …
- Spy Shots: Volkswagen NMC seen testing in China again – CarNewsChina.com: New spy shots of the Volkswagen NMC testing in China. The Volkswagen NMC, or New Midsize Coupe, debuted as a concept on the Beijing Auto Show in April. The production version will debut on the Guangzhou Auto Show in early December.
- Volvo To Make China An Export Hub, Says Executive – Via Google News: Workers assemble parts of a Volvo car at an assembly line of the new Volvo automobile manufacturing plant in Chengdu, Sichuan province, June 5, …
- Joseph M. Giglio and Charles Chieppo: Millennials less car crazy than parents – Via Google News: The facts of General Motors’ recent troubles are well known: a storm of lawsuits and investigations resulting from mechanical failures that are linked to …
- Barra’s heavy lifting lies beyond Congress hearings – DetN: General Motors Co. CEO Mary Barra is scheduled to return to Capitol Hill Wednesday with her hand-picked investigator, Anton Valukas, to explain more fully ‘the incompetence’ that culminated in an ignition-switch fiasco that claimed at least 13 lives, caused dozens of accidents and is manufacturing a wave of lawsuits.
- GM safety crisis grows with recall of 3 million more cars for ignition issues – Reuters: General Motors Co GM.N recalled three million more cars for ignition switch issues on Monday, roughly doubling the number of GM vehicles with known switch problems in a crisis that has defined the automaker and new Chief Executive Mary Barra this year.
- GM has recalled nearly 18 million U.S. vehicles this year – Washington Post: General Motors ordered another massive recall Monday to fix an ignition-switch defect similar to the flaw linked to 13 deaths and 54 accidents in small cars that triggered a huge series of recalls this year. Read full article >>
- New car sales lag pre-recession peaks in Dallas, Fort Worth – Via Google News: Toyota is moving to Plano to get better. Maybe the automaker can shake up the local car market, too, because it could use a jolt. New-vehicle sales are …
- Nissan Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo unveiled – KBB: Following up on last week’s tease, Nissan has released the first official images of its radical Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo.
- 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT will have a 503-horsepower twin-turbo V8 – KBB: Although the actual vehicle remains shrouded in mystery and camouflage, we now know what will be motivating the new Mercedes-AMG GT supercar that goes on sale in 2015.
- In Another Blow, G.M. Recalls 3 Million More Defective Cars – NY Times: Keys with extra weight could cause the vehicles to switch off in a “jarring event,” and will need modification on several models, the automaker says.
- Truckers Resist Rules on Sleep, Despite Risks of Drowsy Driving – NY Times: Drowsy driving, a leading cause of crashes and highway fatalities, has come to the fore after an accident involving the comedian Tracy Morgan on a stretch of the New Jersey Turnpike.
- Safety Regulator Balks at Disclosing Full Alerts – Via Google News: The TSBs are issued by car companies to notify dealers of problems that have been reported by drivers, mechanics and others and to outline any …
- GM recalls 3.4M cars for ignition switch problems – DetN: General Motors Co. said Monday it is recalling 3.36 million cars for ignition switch problems — one of six new recall campaigns the automaker announced — after reports of eight crashes and six injuries.
- GM Recalls 3.16 Million More Cars for Key Issues – Via Google News: In the affected GM vehicles, the ignition switch could bumped out of the “run” position if the car is jarred, such as when hitting a pothole, and there is …
- Six More GM Recalls Include New One for Ignition Switch Problems – thedetroitbureau.com: General Motors has announced six more recalls – including a new one covering nearly 3.2 million vehicles that could shut off inadvertently if their keys carry extra weight and experience “some jarring event.”
- GM says it will ‘rework or replace’ ignition keys on 3.4 million cars – Automotive News: GM is recalling 3.4 million cars in North America because bumpy terrain and weight attached to the key could move the ignition switch out of the run position — the same basic problem that began its recall crisis earlier this year.
- GM Needs to Pick up Pace on Ignition Repair Kits – thedetroitbureau.com: General Motors is going to have to step on the gas in order to meet its goal of having 2.6 million ignition switch repair kits built and shipped by the end of October, according to a U.S. House committee memo distributed today. This comes as the maker announces another recall of 3.3 million vehicles.
- Schumacher, Out of Coma, Leaves French Hospital – NY Times: The former Formula One champion has left the hospital in France where he was admitted with brain injuries nearly six months ago to “continue his long phase of rehabilitation.”
- Nissan Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo Offers “Hints” of the Future – thedetroitbureau.com:In the digital world you can do just about anything with the right software. But Nissan says the Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo developed for the Gran Turismo 6 videogame offers some very clear “hints as to how a supercar of the future might look.” 2016 GT-R anyone?
- Fiat Chrysler Takes Next Step toward Completing Merger – thedetroitbureau.com:One of the final steps of making Fiat and Chrysler one complete company was taken over the weekend when the Fiat SpA board approved the cross-border merger terms that will allow the Italian automaker to become a subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V.
- Toyota’s Securitization of Car Loans Will Free Up Cash For More Loans In China – Via Google News: Japanese car manufacturer and distributor, Toyota Motor Corp, has initiated a plan to securitize car loans in China to free up funds to support the …