- Musk Shoots Ahead with Hyperloop Test Track – thedetroitbureau.com: Tesla founder Elon Musk tweeted plans to build a five-mile test loop in Texas for his Hyperloop project. The tube would propel passengers at speeds up to 700 mph, making the 400-mile trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco take about 30 minutes.
- London council brings in parking surcharge for diesel vehicles – Autocar: Islington Council votes for a £96 additional ‘diesel’ charge for resident parking permitsIslington Council in north London is thought to have become the first local authority to put a surcharge on the ownership of diesel-powered vehicles.
- Jeep Cherokee catches fire 2 days after purchase; NHTSA opens probe – Automotive News: A 2015 Jeep Cherokee that erupted in flames two days after purchase has prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to investigate whether a defect exists in 50,415 of the SUVs.
- Sharp contrasts at the Detroit auto show – Yahoo: [at Financial Times] – Two sharply contrasting parts of the automotive industry drew the biggest attention at the annual Detroit auto show. On Monday, during the very first press conference, General Motors unveiled a concept …
- Sharp contrasts at the Detroit auto show – FT: Chevrolet goes electric as Cadillac aims to step up luxury development
- Infiniti Set to Decide Future of Eau Rouge – thedetroitbureau.com: Infiniti’s new President Roland Kruger will be facing a tough decision in the coming weeks: whether to pull the plug on the high-performance Eau Rouge project launched by his predecessor.
- GM, Ford Lose Share as Russian Vehicle Sales Plunge 10% in 2014 – Yahoo:
- Driverless cars ‘may never be safer than a human’ – Via Google News: Transport researchers have said that driverless cars may never be as safe as the … Driverless cars could, however, reduce many of the 1.2m road fatalities … by the introduction of the automobile a century ago,” said Peter Sweatman,…
- Toyota Camry Teams Up with Pro Athletes to Celebrate All-Star Dads – Yahoo: [Business Wire] – The bold, new 2015 Toyota Camry has earned a much-deserved place in the most talked about sporting event of the year. Today, America’s best-selling car for thirteen consecutive years
- Tesla Gigafactory Permits Reveal Huge Costs: $16 Million For The Foundation Alone – Yahoo:
- Ford to Increase Production at Two German Assembly Plants – WSJ: Ford Motor Co. will increase production at two German assembly plants to meet demand in Europe, a bright spot in the slow recovery of the region’s auto market.
- Audi: No Plans to Go Below A3 in U.S. – Wards: The German luxury-vehicle producer is looking upmarket, not down, with CEO Rupert Stadler telling media this week three “new large-model additions” are planned.
- CZECH REPUBLIC: Unique MQB platform for Skoda Fabia – Just-auto: The new generation Fabia hatchback and Combi has a bespoke version of the Volkswagen Group’s MQB architecture, according to Skoda. This was announced on the recent UK media preview of the car.
- GM accused of misleading investors over recalls – Automotive News: General Motors managers misled investors and regulators for years about issues connected to vehicle ignition switch defects, shareholders said in a lawsuit accusing the company of inflating the stock’s value.
- Beijing-Shanghai e-car route completed – FT: Adoption of new-energy vehicles a key plank in ‘war on pollution’
- Takata recalls prompt Japan to consider supplier regulations – Automotive News: Japanese Transport Minister Akihiro Ohta said today his ministry was considering whether to revise existing laws to beef up oversight of auto suppliers in the wake of massive recalls of Takata airbags.
- Hyundai Mobis to build $418 million parts factory in Mexico – Automotive News: Hyundai Mobis, an automotive parts affiliate of Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors, said it has signed a deal to build a $417.71 million factory in Mexico to meet demand from the South Korean automakers.
- EXCLUSIVE: Porsche V8 diesel facing axe over emissions – Just-auto: The Volkswagen Group’s 4,134cc diesel V8, as featured in the Porsche Cayenne, is not being modified for Euro 6 emissions norms, just-auto.com has learned. Despite this, it is still part of the newly-updated SUV’s model range.
- MEXICO: Mazda to manufacture 140,000 vehicles at Guanajuato – Just-auto: Mazda plans to manufacture around 140,000 vehicles at its plant in Guanajuato, Mexico, in 2015.
- INDIA: Toyota to launch Hiace 10-seat in June – Just-auto: Toyota plans to launch its 10-seater Hiace traveller in India in June. The company intends to target premium schools and five star hotels as the main customers for the vehicle.
- Ford to raise German production as demand rebounds – Yahoo: [Reuters] – Ford will increase production of its top-selling European car as well as other vehicles made in Germany to meet growing demand in some of the region’s key markets, it said on Friday. The U.S. carmaker will raise output of its Fiesta hatchback at Cologne, its main European plant, by 300 vehicles a day starting in February to 1,850. Six extra shifts will be added at Cologne on weekends during the first two months of 2015 to underpin the move, Ford said. Sales of Ford models in the European Union and the countries of the European Free Trade Area rebounded in December to grow 4.2 perce
- EXCLUSIVE: Maserati to extend GranTurismo lifecycle into 2016 – Just-auto: Maserati has told just-auto.com that GranTurismo and GranCabrio production “will continue through to 2016”, contradicting information contained in FCA’s May 2014 Investors’ Presentation.
- All-new Jaguar XF spotted ahead of spring unveiling – Autocar: Jaguar’s new XF features lightweight aluminium platform, XE-like styling, sportier handling and distinctive new interiorThis is our latest look at the all-new Jaguar XF, which is due to be unveiled at the New York motor show in April before going on sale in the early autumn.The latest pictues – snapped while the car was cold weather testing – show the new XF interior almost completely undisguised. New features include a very large centre touch screen and an instrument binacle dominated by a large dial.The sculpting of the dash is also noticeably more dramatic than on its XE sister car, with a
- GERMANY: Ford to raise output at German car plants – Just-auto: Ford has announced it is to increase car production at its German assembly plants in Saarlouis and Cologne to meet higher demand for a number of models including the Fiesta.
- Toyota Said To Boost Output of Mirai Fuel Cell Vehicle – Yahoo:
- Hyundai wins reprieve with wages ruling – FT: Seoul court rules against employees claiming to be due extra pay
- Europe Car Sales Rise First Time Since 2007 on Renault – Via Google News: Registrations increased 5.4 percent to 13 million cars, the Brussels-based European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, or ACEA, said today.
- UPDATE 2-S.Korean court rules in favour of Hyundai Motor in wage dispute – Reuters: * Court rejects wage claims by 21 of 23 Hyundai Motorworkers
- Venezuela lacks a lot more than McDonald’s French fries – CNN: The country is on the verge of default and is begging China and OPEC for help.
- Best Cars,Trucks At 2015 North American International Auto Show At Detroit Revealed – Via Google News: Among the automobiles showcased at the event were super cars Acura NSX, Ford GT, Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, and the Cadillac CTS-V. Pick-up trucks…
- Japan regulator to weigh possible law revisions in wake of Takata recalls – Reuters: Japanese Transport Minister Akihiro Ohta said on Friday his ministry was considering whether to revise existing laws to beef up oversight of auto parts suppliers in the wake of massive recalls of auto parts maker Takata Corp’s air bags.
- Musk dangles track, car plant in wooing Texas lawmakers – Automotive News: Tesla CEO Elon Musk urged Texas lawmakers to ease restrictions on sales of the company’s electric luxury cars as he floated the prospect of locating a new car factory or a test facility for his “hyperloop” mass transit concept in the state.
- Overheard: Tesla’s Feedback on Profits – Yahoo: