Top News:
Note: Ed and Bertel are traveling in Europe. The morning news may arrive later, or not at all. Your indulgence is appreciated.
- Ferrari Readying Drop-Top LaFerrari – Detroit Bureau: Even before its official unveiling, Ferrari says it has already sold out the fastest convertible it has ever come up with – even before it releases the official price tag, in fact. But that’s likely no surprise considering the incredible demand for the original LaFerrari coupe.
- Tesla CEO Elon Musk under fire in wake of autopilot crashes – CBS News: Tesla’s road has taken another unfortunate turn after another one of its electric cars crashed last week. The driver survived and told police the vehicle…
- Brussels ups the ante in dispute with Volkswagen – FT: Brussels has upped the ante in its clash with Volkswagen over the German carmaker’s refusal to compensate VW car owners in Europe caught up in…
- GM Sales in China Rise in June – Detroit Bureau: General Motors continued to expand sales across China in the ongoing contest for position atop the world’s largest market for new vehicles as its June sales jumped 11.2%. For the details, check out TheDetroitBureau.com.
- Audi board and works council reach mobile working agreement – Just-auto: The board of management and group works council of Audi have reached a new company agreement. In the future, employees will have even more freedom and scope to combine their working life with their private life. For the first time, they have a general right to work flexibly and independently of place and time, if it is compatible with their actual tasks. The new regulations are part of a comprehensive concept for the future world of work at the automaker.
- EU plans connected/automated driving tests – Just-auto: Europe’s leading trade associations for the telecommunications and automotive sectors have announced they intend to launch a large-scale, pre-deployment project to test connected and automated driving at the EU level.
- Not All Gasoline Blends Are Up to Standard – Detroit Bureau: Hoping to save a few cents whenever it’s time to fill up your fuel tank? You may be wasting your money in the long-term. A new AAA study finds that paying a few cents more for detergent-rich gas results in better mileage, improved performance and longer engine life. More from TheDetroitBureau.com.
- Jaguar Land Rover most exposed by Brexit – Fitch – Just-auto: The Fitch ratings agency says that Tata-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is the automotive group most at risk of revenue and earnings pressure due to the so-called Brexit referendum result for the UK to leave the EU.
- US police say thieves are using laptops to bypass key fobs and steal late-model cars – Ibtimes: US police and car insurers say that thieves have found a new high-tech way to steal automobiles that involves using laptop computers to hijack the…
- Tesla up to 2,000 units of output a week – Just-auto: Tesla has said it produced some 18,345 vehicles in the second quarter, an increase of 20% from Q1, and exited the quarter consistently producing just under 2,000 vehicles per week. The company isramping up rapidly after production delays to its Model X.
- Volkswagen made a handbrake turn in its US strategy – FT: This was the Maine resident’s response on hearing last week that VW would pay up to $15bn to settle lawsuits brought by regulators and owners of…
- Geely shares jump to year’s high on domestic car sales – Nikkei:
- Renault books record H1 sales – Just-auto: Groupe Renault has announced record sales for the first half of 2016. In H1 2016, in a global automotive market up 2.5%, group registrations grew…
- Tunnel Trouble – Bloomberg: The key issue will be what happens to traffic if there’s a recession in Britain: about 85 percent of passenger car shuttle journeys commence on the U.K….
- At Toyota, Elevators Stop as Yen Lifts – WSJ: TOKYO-Toyota Motor Corp. employees who are in a hurry to rise to the top may want to take the stairs. The company said Thursday it has shut down…
- California Considers Change to Fuel Rules as Tesla Cries Foul – Bloomberg: The rapid growth of Tesla Motors Inc. and the increasing range of other electric vehicles have the state contemplating new requirements that anger…
- The Opinion Pages|A 16-Year-Old Needs a License. Shouldn’t a Self-Driving Car? – New York Times: IN the United States, a person cannot legally drive until he or she has passed a licensing test. Shouldn’t self-driving vehicles have to pass a test as…