- Top truckmakers operated cartel, says EU – FT: Development of technology to curb exhaust emissions was held back, Brussels alleges
- GERMANY: Kia VP expects 2015 growth though Russia challenges – Just-auto: The year 2014 “has shown strong recovery in the automotive industry following the protracted six year downturn” and year on year growth for Kia is expected in 2015, the automaker’s executive vice president and CEO of the international business division, Thomas Oh, said.
- Suzuki launches eighth generation Alto minicar – Just-auto: Suzuki launched its redesigned Alto minicar in Japan this week, claiming a 60kg weight reduction and improved fuel efficiency for this eighth generation model, classed as a ‘minicar’ in Japan.
- Conventional Gas-Powered Cars Will Be in Minority by 2017 – thedetroitbureau.com: While $2 gas has boosted sales of pickups, SUVs and muscle cars, a new study concludes less than 1/2 the vehicles sold worldwide in 2017 will use conventional gasoline power.
- Google unveils fully working self-driving car prototype – Via Google News: GOOGLE HAS SHOWN OFF the completed version of its self-driving car prototype for the first time. We first saw the weird-looking car back in May, but…
- China’s Science and Technology Minister Wan Gang Reinforces the Value and Importance of Kandi’s Innovative Micro Public EV Time-Sharing Business Model – Yahoo: [GlobeNewswire] – JINHUA, China — Kandi Technologies Group, Inc. (the “Company” or “Kandi”) , today announced that a seminar on China’s innovative electric vehicle business model for the public transportation …
- US: GM fund approves 42 death claims, 58 for injuries – Just-auto: General Motors’ ignition switch-related compensation fund has approved 42 accidental death claims, its latest report said.
- Norwegians love Tesla more than Americans – CNN: Tesla has grabbed 3% of all car sales in Norway since its 2013 launch, 15 times the company’s share of the American market over the same period.
- Growing list of safe cars belies fears in record recalls – Automotive News: The insurance industry’s list of cars and trucks that do the best job of keeping owners alive in a crash jumped 82 percent this year against a backdrop of US recalls of older models that were killing their passengers.
- The best CEOs of 2014 – CNN: Tim Cook of Apple did an amazing job this year. But several other CEOs deserve praise as well.
- US: BMW expands Takata inflator recall nationwide – Just-auto: BMW has expanded a US regional recall for some vehicles with Taka driver’s side air bag inflators to cover the entire country, after other automakers took similar steps.
- Google unwraps self-driving car – Via Google News: … self-aware vehicles will emerge that are increasingly able to autonomously sense, interpret, decide, act and communicate with other automobiles,…
- How Ford plans to sell cars when nobody wants to own one – Via Google News: ?The future of the automobile will be tied to new models of ownership.? … which promotes the affordability of renting cars only when you need them
- Radical styling for next Audi A7 – Autocar: New Audi design chief Marc Lichte says the firm’s next A7 will be more stylish than today’s car A more radical design is promised for the next-generation Audi A7, according to man who has designed it.Marc Lichte, who joined Audi from Volkswagen earlier this year, has already completed design work on the second-generation A7, which will be launched in 2017.Elements of the design of the new A7 have already been previewed in the recent Prologue concept at the Los Angeles motor show, although Lichte wouldn’t give specifics.The Prologue previews not only the new 2017 A7 but also the 2016 A8 and 201
- Google unveils its new driverless car – Via Google News: While Google’s car is strikingly different than anything on the market, Monday’s announcement marks an exciting new page in the automobile’s history.
- Germany’s Big Firms Pay Price for Small-Town Ties – WSJ: Many of Germany’s global giants like Adidas and Volkswagen are based in small towns almost unknown outside their home country. These out-of-the-way locations can complicate business travel and make jobs harder to fill.
- Oil prices edge up, trading thin ahead of Christmas – Reuters: * Saudi’s Naimi says OPEC will not cut output at any price
- Chrysler Says Not All Jeeps in Recall Will Be Repaired – NY Times: The automaker told federal regulators that vehicles too damaged for a planned safety fix, intended to prevent fires in the event of collisions, would go unrepaired.
- Six car accident on bridge Monday – Via Google News: The truck was laying on the hood of the car, with its rear wheels crushed against the cracking automobile windshield. The captain said he was glad…
- ‘The Oatmeal’ cartoonist discusses Google’s self-driving cars – Via Google News: Last week, Google revealed its plans to seek partners in the automobile manufacturing industry to bring self-driving cars to market within the next five…
- Google Self-Driving Car Prototype Is Ready For The Road, It Says – Via Google News: The vehicles are capable of seeing up to two football fields in clear … Automobile accidents are the primary cause of death for people aged 10-24…
- BMW Joins in Expansion of Takata Airbag Recalls – NY Times: BMW joined four other automakers in making nationwide recalls, saying it would replace airbags in 140,000 3 Series vehicles,