- Tesla sales forecast cut by 40% due to low oil prices – Yahoo:
- GM Sales in Europe Continue Free Fall – Yahoo:
- BELGIUM: “Loudest shift” as Genk mayor brands Ford exit disaster – Just-auto: Genk is to organise a “loudest shift” for tomorrow (18 December) with the city’s mayor branding Ford’s decision to end production after five decades “a disaster” for the region.
- SOUTH KOREA: Hyundai redesigns Sonata hybrid – Just-auto: Hyundai has launched its redesigned Sonata Hybrid with “unique hybrid design” styling changes, new safety and convenience features and an upgraded powertrain that delivers claimed class-leading fuel economy of 18.2km/litre.
- UK: Global light vehicle market slipped back in November – Just-auto: Data from LMC Automotive suggests that the global light vehicle market slipped back in November on weak sales in Eastern Europe, Japan and South America.
- Ruble collapse buffets Asian carmakers’ big Russia bets – Via Google News: Late on Tuesday, China’s Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd, whose parent … broke ground on a 3.2 billion yuan ($517 million) car factory in Russia,…
- Nokia HERE prepares maps for autonomous cars – Via Google News: Autonomous cars, he said, will require maps that differ in several important ways from the maps that automobile drivers depend on today for directions.
- China Auto Dealers Group Pushes to End Unilateral Targets – Via Google News: Unsold stock on dealer lots rose to the highest level last month since August 2013, according to data from the China Automobile Dealers Association.
- INDIA: Mahindra to curb vehicle production in Q1 – Just-auto: Mahindra & Mahindra says it may stop production and observe ‘no production days’ at some of its plants for up to seven days a month, effective until March 2015.
- Luxury vehicle sales see 7.3pc increase from year-ago – Via Google News: Luxury automobile leases are about 50 percent of all luxury transactions … much more of luxury spending, according to a new report from Cars.com.
- BMW: Automobile maker to unveil cars that your smartwatch can park – Via Google News: Using a smartwatch, users can activate the parking assistant and have it automatically steer the car towards a space in a multi-story car park before…
- New ruling may limit car imports from US – Via Google News: (ECNS) — China’s Ministry of Commerce is expected to introduce a long-awaited amendment to its automobile sales policy after ending a solicitation of…
- Defective Air Bags Trigger Honda’s Recall Of Half a Million Cars In China – Via Google News: (Photo : Reuters) Various components of a Takata airbag, from a Honda automobile, are seen before the start of a Senate Commerce, Science and…
- From Russia, Geely Feels No Love – WSJ: Geely Automobile’s shares plunged on woes from exposure to the ruble as well as homegrown problems in China. More surprises could be in store.
- Urban Miners Drill Under London to Keep Your Tesla Going – Yahoo:
- Honda to recall almost 570000 vehicles in China – Via Google News: Various components of a Takata airbag from a Honda automobile are seen … Another 26,128 multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) that Dongfeng-Honda,…
- Honda ran tests on fatal air bag flaw, frustrated by Takata reticence: sources – Reuters: TOKYO (Reuters) – Honda Motor Co was so concerned by mounting recalls for Takata air bags, and frustrated by its supplier’s failure to explain why some have exploded, killing five people with shrapnel, that it bought used and scrapped cars in Japan to conduct its own tests.
- U.S. prepares for legal battle with Takata over airbag recall – Automotive News: U.S. regulators investigating failures of Takata Corp. airbags are preparing for a legal fight in case the Japanese parts maker doesn’t comply with a request to expand a recall.
- Rosekind confirmed by Senate for top NHTSA post – Automotive News: Mark Rosekind’s nomination to head the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was confirmed late Tuesday by the U.S. Senate, filling a yearlong vacancy atop the nation’s auto safety regulator.
- UPDATE 1-China’s Geely shares slump after profit warning on Russia, exports – Reuters: SHANGHAI, Dec 17 (Reuters) – Shares of Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd slumped on Wednesday after the Chinese carmaker said 2014 net profit may halve due to a sharp fall in exports as well as foreign exchange losses from operations in Russia – its biggest export market.
- European sales grow at slowest pace in a year in November – Via Google News: Registrations rose 1.2 per cent to 989,457 vehicles last month from 977,607 a year earlier, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association…
- Americans are back to favouring big for their cars – Via Google News: ?I wish I had another 100 of the new car,? he says, with a car salesman’s … ?Not only is it a phenomenal automobile, it’s a phenomenal-looking…
- Geely falls 19% after profit warning – FT: Chinese carmaker blames weak sales and rouble depreciation
- Going green? There’s lots of choice today for hybrid and all-electric vehicles – Via Google News: When Libby Griffin and Robin MacKay went shopping for new vehicles … The Green Car Guide, produced by the Automobile Club of Southern…
- BMW calls for better consultation on emissions regs – Autocar: BMW’s sales and marketing boss says EU emissions targets could cause major manufacturers to suffer and is calling for better communication on how ambitious 2020 targets will be reached Future diesel legislation must be made in consultation with the car makers if customers and the industry aren’t to suffer unduly, according to BMW’s sales and marketing boss Ian Robertson.Speaking in the wake of major cities, including London and Paris, indicating they could ban diesel cars from built-up areas, Robertson cautioned that the 2020 target of 95g/km of CO2 for all car makers, plus the introduction of