- Bill Ford Supports Autonomous Cars, Trains in Megacities – Wards: A conundrum: Isn’t Ford in the business of selling as many cars and trucks as possible? “I think any business only exists to make people’s lives better, period,” Ford says. “Shoving more vehicles into an urban environment isn’t doing that.”
- Cadillac to Introduce Advanced ‘Intelligent and Connected’ Vehicle Technologies on Select 2017 Models – GM: Cadillac will begin offering advanced “intelligent and connected” vehicle technologies on certain 2017 model year vehicles, General Motors CEO Mary Barra said Sunday during her keynote address at the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) World Congress in Detroit.
- Dodge Challenger Hellcat dealer ordering begins — with a catch – Automotive News: Dodge will open dealer ordering for its new 707-hp 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat today, but the brand is changing its normal allocation methods to make sure the high-powered coupe gets into the hands of waiting enthusiasts.
- CZECH REPUBLIC: Skoda breaks August sales record – Just-auto: Volkswagen’s Czech brand Skoda said a 14.3% year on year sales rise last month to 73,200 vehicles was the best ever result for August.
- GERMANY: Audi hikes 2014 target to 1.7m – Just-auto: Volkswagen’s premium group Audi is now targeting global sales of 1.7m – up from “well over 1.6m” a month ago – after August sales rose 5.6% year on year to about 125,300 vehicles. Year to date, sales were up 10.5% to 1,138,700 with North American volume up 22.6%.
- US: Opel and Chevrolet show off connected/automated vehicles – Just-auto: Not to be outdone by big brother Cadillac, General Motors’ German unit Opel plus top US brand Chevrolet are demonstrating future of automated driving and connected mobility at the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) World Congress (7-11 September) with an Insignia research vehicle, a Chevrolet EN-V 2.0 concept vehicle and a Chevrolet Cruze equipped with vehicle to pedestrian (V2P) connectivity.
- UK: Jaguar “takes over London” for XE reveal – Just-auto: Tata Motors’ Jaguar claimed to have taken over London on Monday night (8 September) as it presented a “star-studded show” at Earls Court to reveal its new BMW 3-series-targeting XE to an audience of 3000 “VIPs” narrated by actor John Hannah.
- RUSSIA: August sales dive 26% in jittery market – Just-auto: Russian sales of new passenger cars and LCVs dropped sharply yet again in August, plunging 26% to reach a fraction more than 172,000 units.
- Delphi Takes Back Seat in Autonomous Driving Debate – Wards: Delphi already provides vision and radar systems, such as lane-keeping and adaptive cruise control, that warn drivers of a threat. Its V2V technology goes a step further.
- Tesla’s Self-Driving Electric Cars could be closer than you think – Via Google News: Brian Sandoval, extreme left, at a press conference where Nevada was announced as the new site for a $5 billion car battery gigafactory, at the …
- Renault to build Bollore’s electric Bluecars – Reuters: French carmaker Renault has signed a deal with conglomerate Bollore to build a three-seater version of the four-seater Bluecar electric vehicle used in Bollore’s ‘Autolib’ self-service auto hire scheme in France.
- Land Rover wants to send you to space – Automotive News: Land Rover is teaming up with commercial space flight company Virgin Galactic in a competition promoting its recently unveiled Discovery Sport.
- Tesla eyes growth in Pennsylvania after legislative compromise – Via Google News: A new law, approved earlier this summer, clears the way for new Tesla dealerships in Pennsylvania. But because the California-based car …
- GM’s China JV recalls 38,328 Cadillacs on brake software glitch – Reuters: General Motor Co’s main Chinese joint venture is recalling 38,328 Cadillac sedans in China due to a glitch in brake control software, the country’s quality watchdog said on Tuesday.
- Star Transportation adds electric Tesla to its executive taxi service – Via Google News: One Pittsburgh executive car service is shunning the traditional luxury automobile model in favor of the Tesla, an electric car manufactured in …·Major roadblocks still exist for driverless cars, panel says – Automotive News: Improving sensor technology, solving legal issues and getting real-time mapping and traffic information into vehicles are three roadblocks that need to be removed before driverless cars can take to the roads, a panel of experts concluded Monday in…
- Baojun is going BMW i3 with new ‘City Car’ EV – CarNewsChina.com: Wuling is working on a new city EV, called City Car. It has a distinctive BMW i3 taste, especially on the sides. The Wuling City Car will debut as a concept on the Guangzhou Auto Show in November, the production version is expected to hit the Chinese electric car market in 2015. Wuling logo on […]
- Violence Policy Center’s Cars Theory Not Hitting on All Cylinders – Via Google News: First, motor vehicle accident deaths have declined for a number of reasons, some of which do not originate with a government dictate over the design …
- Super Glues Are the Secret to Making Cars Lighter – WSJ: Ford, BMW and GM are among manufacturers substituting adhesives for welds and bolts as they try to make vehicles form pickups to Corvettes lighter and more fuel efficient.
- Hyundai taps actor Paul Rudd as new U.S. pitchman – Automotive News: Hyundai, in a push to appeal to younger buyers in the United States, has selected actor Paul Rudd as the brand’s new celebrity pitchman.
- CHINA: Foxconn invests in building electric cars – reports – Just-auto: Foxconn Technology Group, the maker of Apple’s iPhone, is said to be interested in manufacturing its own electric cars in China, according to Chinese media reports.
- Vinli Promises To Bring Autos Into The Smartphone Age – Via Google News: With Vinli, cars are about to get apps. And not just cars made in the future. The system works with nearly any car made after 1996 and is compatible …
- Aluminum Jaguar XE marks return to compact luxury segment – Automotive News: Jaguar is re-entering the cutthroat compact luxury segment with the XE — complete with new engines, new technology and a new modular aluminum-based architecture.
- When Cars Are as Hackable as Cell Phones – Via Google News: All the on-board computers cooperate and all the vehicles travel reach their destinations safely. But what if one person jailbreaks her car, and tells her …
- Jaguar targets women and younger drivers with its cheapest car – Reuters: British luxury carmaker Jaguar launched its cheapest ever car on Monday, the first new model in a range designed to widen its appeal to women and younger drivers and take on bigger rivals such as BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz.
- Jaguar Unveils XE Sport Sedan – NY Times: Featuring an F-Type-style instrument panel and sedan ergonomics, the XE is scheduled to go on sale in North America in 2016.
- Consumer Credit Surges on More Loans for Automobiles – Via Google News: Consumer borrowing in the U.S. rose more than forecast in July as non-revolving loans including those for cars climbed by the most in three years.
- Desperate Dodge Slashes Viper Price – thedetroitbureau.com: If you were one of the few folks who bought a Viper lately you might be muttering angrily when you learn Dodge is slashing the price of the 2015 model $15,000 in a desperate bid to boost sagging sales. The new Viper will also get more horsepower and better mileage.