Top News:
- FCA, Google plan self-driving prototypes based on Chrysler Pacifica, report says – Automotive News: Fiat Chrysler and Google plan to develop several dozen self-driving prototypes based on the carmaker’s Pacifica minivan in the first phase of a joint project to create autonomous vehicles, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.
- Fiat Chrysler’s April U.S. Sales Grow as Buyers Snap Up Jeeps – Bloomberg: … and relatively cheap gasoline will fuel 17.8 million in new car and light truck deliveries in 2016, beating last year’s record, according to a Bloomberg…
- UK insurance industry boss casts doubts over autonomous vehicles – Autocar: The boss of the UK’s insurance trade body, James Dalton, disagrees with claims truly autonomous cars are nearly
- Tencent venture poaches Google talent as Chinese tech firms pile into autos – Reuters: Future Mobility has hired lead designer Wolfram Luchner from Alphabet Inc’s self-driving car project, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters, …
- BMW launches ‘big battery’ i3 EV – Just-auto: BMW has revamped itsi3 with the introduction of a more powerful,94Ah battery for both the i3 and the i3 Range Extender versions.
- New Ferrari boss confirms LaFerrari Spider for production – Autocar: Newly appointed Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne says potential customers have already been approached; model could arrive next year
- Mercedes to expand Hungary compact car plant – Just-auto: Mercedes-Benz is to plough EUR580m (US$672m) into its plant in Kecskemet, Hungary, to produce the next generation of the automaker’s compact cars.
- Fiat, Google Said to Plan Partnership on Self-Driving Minivans – Bloomberg: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and Alphabet Inc.’s Google plan to develop several dozen self-driving prototypes based on the carmaker’s Pacifica…
- Fiat Chrysler reports best April sales since 2005 – Detroitnews: Fiat Chrysler is the first automaker to report monthly sales. Overall, automakers on Tuesday are expected to report the best-ever April for vehicle sales…
- Marchionne’s job upgrade bodes ill for Fiat – Reuters: If you had the choice between driving a Fiat or a Ferrari, what would you choose? Sergio Marchionne has answered this question in his very own way: …
- Toyota to return to full Japan production this week – Just-auto: Toyota Motor aims to have all its domestic plants operational by the end of this week following supplychain disruption caused by the strong earthquakes in Kumamoto and Oita prefectures last month.
- Autonomous cars to shake up car insurance – Just-auto: The multi-billion pound motor insurance industry faces a period of radical restructuring as a result of the advent of autonomously driving cars according to research carried out by Swiss Re.
- Indian shares fall on global growth worries, weak China data – Reuters: “Good auto numbers are supporting sentiment and expectations are building up for demand picking up in the future after above-average monsoon …
- Toyota Pins Big Hopes on Daihatsu’s Small Cars – WSJ: Buying Daihatsu outright will help Toyota beef up its small-car business by … in Southeast Asia, with Daihatsu supplying certain models to Toyota.
- Daihatsu’s Super-Efficient Plant for Small Cars – WSJ: While Daihatsu Motor is one of Japan’s smallest car makers, its factory specializing in small cars is super efficient. Auto executives like Toyota…
- PARC teams with Ford for EV battery project – Just-auto: Xerox company, PARC, has unveiled its ‘Co-Extrusion (CoEx) for Cost Reduction of Advanced High-Energy-and-Power Battery Electrode Manufacturing’project funded by the US DOE Office ofEnergy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
- BMW Slows the March of the Robots – Bloomberg: BMW’s workforce expanded 4.4 percent over the past year to almost 123,000 employees, according to first quarter figures released on Tuesday.
- AM-RB 001 hypercar: track variant in the pipeline – Autocar: Aston boss Andy Palmer wants the AM-RB 001 to be able to match an F1 car around Silverstone, now there’s a track version on its way
- Ferrari Stuck on the Grid – Bloomberg: On top of his main job and working for Exor, the Agnelli family investment vehicle, Marchionne has added the title of Ferrari CEO to his business card…
- BMW Warns of Tough Trading Conditions, Shares Fall – WSJ: Some industry experts predict that car companies like BMW will earn a … hybrid vehicles and more powerful batteries for its i3 urban electric vehicle.