Top News:
- Marchionne Provides Map for FCA’s Debt-Free Future – Detroit Bureau: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. plans to re-tool its production base in the U.S. as part of its end goal of being debt-free by the end of 2018.
- Charging a Smartphone While Driving Isn’t as Free as You Think – Bloomberg: It turns out that charging it in the car has consequences too. That’s because … That estimate doesn’t capture how many ports are in a particular vehicle.
- Tesla Motors boss Elon Musk: It is an ‘open secret’ Apple is making an electric car – Ibtimes: Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk has said that it is an “open secret” that Apple is developing an electric car, believed to be codenamed Titan. Apple…
- China vehicle sales to ride on green cars, SUVs to 6 pct growth in 2016 – Reuters: The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said macro economic … Sales of so-called new energy vehicles quadrupled in 2015, thanks to…
- U.S. Says South Africa May Lose AGOA Trade Benefits in March – Bloomberg: The bulk of South African exports under AGOA are vehicles and car-parts. “No one is happy to be punished, but we agreed to be punished and we…
- Alfa Romeo to Boost US Dealer Network for $70000 Giulia Sedan – Bloomberg: The Giulia, the first car produced on a new 1 billion-euro ($1.09 billion) component platform, will anchor a broader push into the U.S., where Alfa…
- Porsche Predicts Slower 2016 Sales Growth After Boost From Macan – Bloomberg: Porsche will gradually phase out the Boxster and Cayman names this year, redubbing the two-seater sports cars as the 718 model line over the…
- China green car sales to double to 700000 units in 2016: industry association – Reuters: BEIJING Sales of environmentally friendly “new energy” vehicles will reach 700,000 units in 2016, more than double the 330,192 vehicles sold in 2015…
- China 2015 vehicle sales up 4.7 pct y/y – industry association – Reuters: The country’s vehicle sales totaled 24.6 million units last year, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers told reporters in Beijing.
- Chicago auto show – Kia world premiere vehicle named – Just-auto: Kia Motors is the first manufacturer to have announced a vehicle world premiere for the 2016 Chicago auto show. The list below will be added to over the coming weeks.
- Lincoln Reaches for ’60s Hipster Aura With Revived Continental – Bloomberg: “Seven years ago, Lincoln was viewed as the Town Car company, the black car with the boulevard … s Cadillac, outsold it by 74,040 vehicles last year.
- Peso’s Tumble Makes Winners Out of Mexican Auto Parts Suppliers – Bloomberg: Rassini, which makes brakes and suspensions for such vehicles as the … of 8.1 percent, according to analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
- Lexus Hopes to Put Sporty LF-FC Hydrogen Car on the Road by 2020 – Detroit Bureau: The Lexus LF-FC hydrogen car borrows heavily from the Toyota Mirai and officials want it on the road by 2020. Get all of the details at TheDetroitBureau.com.
- Audi Shoots for the Moon – Detroit Bureau: Audi is lending its financial support to a team of scientists chasing the latest Xprize. Not a surprise given the amount of tech on its cars. Find out more at TheDetroitBureau.com.
- Lincoln strives to deliver on luxury promise with Continental – Automotive News: The front-to-back chrome console and thick carpeting are gone, but otherwise the production version of the Lincoln Continental is strikingly close to the concept that drew big crowds at auto shows in New York and China last year.
- Honda’s psychedelic daydream – Automotive News: Honda journeys into the mind of one of its designers, and the trip is fantastic.
- GMC shrinks Acadia, aims refined crossover ‘at heart of midsize’ market – Automotive News: The 2017 GMC Acadia will be dramatically smaller than the big crossover that has been in service for nearly a decade.
- To launch Titan, Nissan praises Ford, Chevy, Dodge – Automotive News: To kick off its redesigned full-size Titan XD pickup, Nissan aired a 90-second national TV spot Monday night created to put a lump in viewers’ throats…