- Ghosn-Zetsche bromance key to Nissan-Mercedes automaking alliance – Fortune: In the early 1990s, a German executive running Daimler’s U.S. truck operations happened to meet a French executive running Michelin’s U.S. tire operations in South Carolina. The two were simpatico. Acquaintance blossomed into camaraderie.
- CHINA: Dongfeng Peugeot Citroën Automobile announces fourth car plant – Just-auto: Dongfeng Peugeot Citroën Automobile (DPCA) has signed an agreement with the city of Chengdu for the construction of its fourth assembly plant in China. Work will start in this second half of 2014 with the first car scheduled off-line late in 2016.
- Bentleys SUV Hybrid Car – Via Google News: The British luxury auto maker, Bentley has been one of the principal car companies of the global automotive arena. Since past almost a century…
- UK: Caterham sells off F1 team – Just-auto: British sports car specialist, owned by Malaysian aviation entrepreneur Tony Fernandes has sold its interest in Formula One.
- THAILAND: Nissan opens pickup truck plant – Just-auto: Nissan on Thursday (3 July) announced the opening of its second production plant in Thailand.
- Analyst Sees Indonesia Auto Sales Topping Thailand’s – Wards: Frost & Sullivan’s Masaki Honda estimates Indonesian sales will increase 6.5% to 1.23 million units this year, and estimates current market leader Thailand’s deliveries will fall 11.7% to 1.18 million.
- NISSAN OPENS NEW PLANT IN THAILAND – Nissan: Plant will produce NP300 Navara, Nissan’s new generation pickup
- GM Pushes Wi-Fi in New Cars – WSJ: General Motors is kicking off a marketing push to sell high-speed Internet service to buyers of everything from Chevrolet Spark subcompacts to top-of-the-line Cadillacs over the holiday weekend.
- Volkswagen preparing to bid for U.S. Paccar -analyst report – Reuters: Volkswagen is preparing to launch a takeover bid for U.S. truck maker Paccar next year, Daimler Trucks Chief Wolfgang Bernhard told analysts at Bernstein Research.
- Qoros 3 Hatch hits the Chinese auto market – CarNewsChina.com: The Qoros 3 Hatch will be launched on the Chinese car market, giving Qoros an entry in the all-important compact-hatchback segment. Price starts at 119.900 yuan and ends at 171.900 yuan ($19.000 – 27.000). Sleek interior with a flat-bottomed steering wheel and a huge TFT touch screen. The Qoros 3 Hatch is based on the […]
- New Ford CEO Fields gets $5.25M pay package, plus options – DetN: Ford CEO Mark Fields, who succeeded the retiring Alan Mulally on Tuesday, will get a significant pay bump as part of his new job, and a number of perks including increased stock options and use of a private jet.
- Audi plans hybrid version of every key model by 2020 – Autocar: Research and development boss reveals new details of how Audi will increase its range of hybrid models by the end of the decade. Audi plans to have a plug-in hybrid variant of each of its key models by 2020, and the firm’s research and development boss Ulrich Hackenberg has revealed further details about how the plan will be implemented.
- GM dealers give tips on how to react to recalls – Via Google News: “We’re getting cars in every day. … The recalls are based on the Vehicle Indentification Number or VIN and just because your car is named, doesn’t …
- Pennsylvania to Allow 5 Tesla Retail Stores – WSJ: The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed legislation to cap at five the number of Tesla Motors Inc. retail stores in the state, a compromise that allowed the electric car seller to avoid a battle with dealer groups.
- GM Chief to Face Senate Panel – WSJ: General Motors Chief Executive Mary Barra will return to Capitol Hill on July 17 to face a new round of questions over the company’s delay in recalling cars with faulty ignition switches.
- Chrysler faces NHTSA query on delayed Jeep fix – Automotive News: Chrysler Group has been placed back in the recall hotseat with federal safety regulators for allegedly dragging its feet in efforts to improve the rear crashworthiness of older-model Jeep Grand Cherokees and Libertys.
- Chrysler too slow to fix Jeep fuel-tank risk, regulators say – Reuters: U.S. safety regulators are demanding an explanation for what they say is Chrysler’s slow pace in making fixes to protect rear fuel tanks in older model Jeep SUVs even though the regulators have accepted the automaker’s remedy in the case of lower-speed crashes.
- Watch The 2015 Hyundai Genesis Drive Itself – Via Google News: The trick is possible because all of the 2015 Hyundai Genesis sedans featured have both adaptive cruise control, which adjusts the car’s speed to …
- Senate to hold new GM hearing July 17 – DetN: A Senate panel investigating General Motors Co.’s delayed recall of 2.6 million vehicles linked to 13 deaths and 54 crashes will hold a new hearing on July 17.
- 2015 Cadillac CTS — sans wreath — quietly appears in OnStar ad – Automotive News: The 2015 Cadillac CTS made a surprise short appearance ahead of its scheduled debut in an OnStar commercial this week.
- U.S. orders Chrysler to answer questions on pace of Jeep recall – DetN: NHTSA ordered Chrysler in a letter today to answer questions about what it calls the slow pace of producing enough parts to complete a recall of 1.56M older Jeep SUVs that are at risk of fires in fuel tank fires.
- Mercedes Hybrid Goes From Africa to U.K. on One Tank – Wards: The E300 BlueTec Hybrid averaged 73.6 mpg on its 27-hour journey.
- Subaru to Recall Vehicles With Takata Air Bag Inflators – NY Times: Subaru will recall about 8,500 cars with the defective air bag inflators. Mitsubishi is still investigating which of its vehicles contain the flawed part.
- US: Ford’s Fields gets $1.75m salary – Just-auto: New Ford president and CEO Mark Fields, who took up the role today (1 July, 2014) will earn an annual base salary of $1.75m, the automaker said in a regulatory filing.
- Ford’s Fields starts new job with 9% raise in annual salary – Automotive News: Ford said its new CEO, Mark Fields, will receive a 9 percent increase in his base salary, as well as stock options and a performance-based bonus. Ford said in documents filed today with U.S. regulators that Fields’ base salary will be $1.
- Pickups Lose Momentum in June, While Plug-Based Vehicles Charge Ahead – thedetroitbureau.com: The U.S. auto market showed some unexpected energy in June, but a closer look reveals some surprises behind the numbers. The top-selling Ford F-Series lost momentum while small and fuel-efficient cars gained ground. Meanwhile, plug-based vehicles charged ahead.