- FRANCE: Renault hiring 1,000 temps this year – Just-auto: Renault will hire 1,000 people on fixed term temporary contracts in France in 2015 plus 1,000 new apprentices.
- GM confirms Bolt compact electric car to be made at Michigan plant – Reuters: General Motors Co said Thursday it will build the Chevrolet Bolt electric car at an assembly plant near Detroit, where it will invest $200 million for the project.
- JAPAN: Embattled Honda chief resists removal calls – report – Just-auto: CEO Takanobu Ito reportedly is resisting calls to remove him as head of Honda Motor and wants to stay on for a another two years to overhaul traditional practices at the carmaker.
- This new Tesla battery will power your home, and maybe the electric grid too – Washington Post: Tesla is working on a battery that can power your home and even help large-scale utilities store energy more efficiently, according to company chief executive Elon Musk.
- Revamped Equinox Offering More Bang for Buck – Detroit Bureau: Chevrolet’s new 2016 Equinox builds on five years of increasing sales with a styling revamp, a slew of safety advancements and new entertainment technology.
- Tesla’s investors need to ask themselves how they’d feel if Elon Musk resigned – Yahoo:
- Tesla shares are getting crushed – Yahoo:
- GERMANY: Audi adds human-robot cooperation in manufacturing – Just-auto: At its main plant in Ingolstadt, Audi says that it has – for the first time – deployed a robot that works “hand-in-hand” with humans, without a safety barrier.
- Tesla Stumbles on Deliveries, Targets 57% Jump in Production – 247wallst:
- Tesla Motors (TSLA) Earnings Report: Q4 2014 Conference Call Transcript – The Street:
- GERMANY: Audi buys fuel-cell patents from Ballard – Just-auto: Audi says it has acquired a package of patents relating to fuel-cell technology from Ballard Power Systems. In addition, the Volkswagen Group has extended its cooperation with Ballard until 2019.
- Jaguar F-Pace SUV spied testing – new pictures – Autocar: Latest spy shots show the Jaguar F-Pace 3.0-litre V6
- An Opening for BMW as Tesla Fails – 247wallst:
- The Cities Where No One Wants to Drive – 247wallst: Roads are the arteries of the nation, and the automobile has been the … Despite Americans’ love for their cars, however, the rush hours are no more …
- Ram Truck to debut redesigned luxury pickups in Chicago – Detroit News: New Laramie Limited models aimed to stand out from rest of lineup with exclusive grille
- JAPAN: Carmakers joins forces to help develop hydrogen infrastructure – Just-auto: Three major carmakers are to work together to help accelerate the development of hydrogen station infrastructure for fuel cell vehicles (FCVs).
- U.S. Postal Service to seek bids on next delivery vehicle – Automotive News: Faced with rising maintenance costs for its aging fleet and needing extra cargo space to satisfy the desires of online shoppers, the Postal Service is asking automakers to bid on a commercial van that would replace the boxy Long Life Vehicle and…
- GERMANY: “Challenging” start to year for Volkswagen – Just-auto: Global Volkswagen brand sales slipped 2.8% in January and its sales chief admitted the brand faces a challenging year due to market uncertainties around the world.
- Ford’s January sales in Europe up 9.8 percent – Detroit News: The automaker’s market share grew by 0.2 percentage points
- FRANCE: Renault hails product offensive on strong 2014 financial results – Just-auto: Renault has reported a tripling of net income in its 2014 full-year results in spite of deeper losses incurred in Russia.
- TomTom signs Volkswagen supply deal – FT: Technology group focuses on selling to vehicle makers instead of consumers
- US energy breakthrough proves elusive – FT: The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, the US government office that funds research into fuel and power technologies, is that rare phenomenon in Washington, an Obama administration initiative with …
- Renault expands Megane range with sporty GT 220 – Autocar: The Renault Megane Sport Tourer GT 220 is priced from £24,245
- Renault pledges 2015 profit gain as product offensive bites – Reuters: French carmaker Renault said on Thursday it was … Forecasting a 2 percent increase in global auto production this year, …
- Toyota, Nissan, and Honda to Jointly Support Hydrogen Station Infrastructure Development – Nissan-global:
- Tesla Plunges Deeper into the Red – Detroit Bureau: However you count the numbers, it wasn’t a good quarter for Tesla Motors. The Silicon Valley battery-carmaker’s losses grew substantially during the fourth quarter despite – or perhaps because of – increased production. And China takes a chunk of the blame, reports TheDetroitBureau.com.
- Chevy Keeps It Simple with New 2015 Silverado 1500 Custom – Car and Driver: While the economic recovery and low gas prices have boosted sales of chrome-drenched execu-trucks—so, basically luxury cars with beds—there’s a temptation to forget that many folks who buy full-size pickups still want to use them as, you know, trucks. For these people, Chevy has introduced the 2015 Silverado Custom package, a back-to-basics hauler that adds
- Ram Truck debuts luxury vehicles at Chicago Auto Show – Detroit News:
- Whatever road is taken for highway funds, there’s a need for speed – Latimes: Roads don’t care whether a vehicle is a gas guzzler or running on a battery, compressed natural gas or hydrogen. The automobile does the same …
- Chevy shows refreshed Equinox, new Silverado in Chicago – Detroit News: Major refresh for Equinox, less expensive model for Silverado
- Porsche, Ferrari, McLaren to debut new models at Geneva – Detroit News: Ferrari, McLaren, and Porsche will unveil most exotic models at 2015 Geneva Motor Show.
- Chevy Aims for Middle of Pickup Market with Silverado Custom – Detroit Bureau: The drop in gas prices has helped spur sales of full-size pickup trucks, but Chevy is looking to carve out a niche in the segment – nice, but not too nice – with its new Silverado Custom introduced at the Chicago Auto Show. To see more, go to TheDetroitBureau.com.
- Ram Laramie Limited Leading Luxury Line-up – Detroit Bureau: Trucks have steadily been moving upscale for the past several years and the new Ram Laramie Limited introduced in Chicago continues that trend. Clad in leather and technology, it’s another step forward in luxury. Check it out at TheDetroitBureau.com.
- Chrome If You Want To: Ram Launches Super-Shiny New Laramie Limited – Car and Driver: What’s the best way to make a shiny new truck even shinier? Chrome, of course. Ram decided that its flashiest Laramie Limited trim level wasn’t flashy enough, so the boy-sheep brand has covered the thing in enough chrome to make it the most reflective vehicle since Justin Bieber’s mirrorlike Fisker Karma. Besides its bedazzled appearance, the Limited’s grille—like […]
- 2016 Chevrolet Equinox Debuts with New Cosmetics and Gadgets – Car and Driver: Here’s a statistic that until now had escaped our attention: The Equinox is the second-bestselling Chevrolet in the North American lineup behind only the nearly ubiquitous Silverado pickup. (In the U.S., the Cruze also outsells the Equinox.) We shouldn’t be too surprised; after all, the compact-crossover segment is one of the hottest going. But while […]
- Ram revamps top-end Laramie Limited’s styling – Automotive News: Ram is restyling the top end of its pickup lineup with more chrome and a distinct new grille. Designers reworked the Laramie Limited trim’s tailgate, front fascia and crosshair grille that were left over from when Ram vehicles were part of Dodge.
- Chevy gives Equinox nip, tuck for 2016 – Automotive News: Chevrolet is giving the Equinox a facelift this fall for the 2016 model year, the first cosmetic upgrade to the popular crossover in six years.
- Ram Laramie Limited pickup debuts at Chicago Auto Show – Autoweek: The 2015 Ram Laramie Limited made its debut at the Chicago Auto Show on Thursday. The upscale pickup features a new prominent grille and badge outside plus Argento wood and premium leather trim inside….
- GM, Ford, FCA face restless, influential investors – Freep: Some of the world’s biggest, most influential investors, are stirring things up for GM, Ford and FCA.