Top News:
- US: Ford becomes largest CV manufacturer in H1/2015 – Just-auto: Ford was the largest and fastest growing manufacturer of commercial vans in the US in the first half of 2015, according to its analysis of IHS new vehicle registrations to the end of June.
- Slowing Economy Drives China Car Sales Lower – WSJ: China’s new car sales fell for a third month in August as auto makers continued to grapple with sluggish demand amid an economic slowdown and slumping stock prices.
- U.S. tops China in auto sales for last two months – Automotive News: American consumers purchased more passenger vehicles than their Chinese counterparts for a second straight month, helped by affordable fuel prices and an equities rout in China that stung local retail investors
- AUSTRALIA: Ford faces issues with twin clutch transmissions – Just-auto: Volkswagen experienced problems with twin clutch automatic transmissions since it first launched six-speed units in 2005 and now it looks as if Ford is in a similar boat ‘down under’, following Australian reports.
- Nissan boosts new Leaf’s range to 107 miles – Automotive News: Amid flagging consumer interest in electric vehicles and hybrids, Nissan will introduce an enhanced 2016 Leaf EV with a 27 percent gain in battery range to 107 miles.
- Daimler, China’s BAIC discuss cross-shareholding: CEO – Reuters: Daimler already owns a 10 percent stake in BAIC, the Hong-Kong listed unit of China’s Beijing Automotive Group BEJINS.UL, which co-owns a joint…
- Nissan Sunderland success story and the EU question – Just-auto: Nissan’s Qashqai has been an enormously successful model in Europe and the company is now looking to sales of that model in other parts of the…
- Lockheed Martin Protests Humvee-Replacement Contract – Detroit Bureau: Oshkosh got to enjoy winning the contract for the Humvee-replacement vehicle for two weeks, as Lockheed Martin is protesting the decision.
- New 450bhp Lotus 3-Eleven completes Nurburgring testing – Autocar: New Lotus 3-Eleven will have more than 500bhp per tonne and cost from PS82k when it arrives next year
- New battery for Nissan Leaf to deliver 155-mile range – Autocar: The 30kW option will go on sale in December with an increased eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty, priced from PS24,490
- CHINA: Production still to reach 28m despite growth brake: Yanfeng – Just-auto: China will ‘hardly be’ expected to continue its astonishing growth rates of recent years, but still remains a vital cog in automakers’ armoury, says Yanfeng Automotive Interiors (YFAI).
- Facelifted Alfa Romeo Mito to launch in 2016 – Autocar: Facelifted Mito will go head to head with Audi’s A1 and Volkswagen’s Polo in Europe
- UK: Changan to move UK R&D HQ to Birmingham – Just-auto: Changan Automobile plans to shift its UK operations to Birmingham Business Park in Solihull. The decision forms part of the company’s expansion plans.
- Audi outsold by BMW, Mercedes in August amid China woes – Reuters: Audi sold fewer cars in August than luxury rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz as Volkswagen’s flagship brand has been harder hit by falling demand in China than its German peers.
- California Backs Off Mandatory 2030 Petroleum Cuts – Detroit Bureau: A California proposal calling for a 50% cut in petroleum use was defeated after weeks of heavy lobbying by oil companies. Find out more at TheDetroitBureau.com.
- Ford reveals three-year plan to sell more SUVs – Autocar: Five new crossover vehicles spearhead Ford’s plan to expand market share in the next three years
- Audi sales up 2.7 pct as Germany, US outweigh China – Reuters: Sales of luxury cars and sport-utility vehicles at Volkswagen’s flagship division increased 3.4 percent in the first eight months to a record 1.18 million…
- China Auto Association Lobbies Government for Stimulus Measures – Bloomberg: … secretary-general of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. … U.S. consumers bought more passenger vehicles than their Chinese…
- China Car Sales Driven Lower by Slowing Economy – Nasdaq: China’s largest auto maker by sales, SAIC Motor Corp., has forecast zero growth in industrywide sales of passenger and commercial vehicles this year…