“Stefan Knirsch is well acquainted with the Volkswagen Group and Audi ’s technical development” said Audi CEO Rupert Stadler late last year when Knirsch was chosen to become a board member in charge of Audi’s R&D, and to replace the ousted engineering legend Ulrich Hackenberg. Nine months later, Knirsch has been sacked because he knew too much, namely about the methods Audi used to get around stringent U.S. emission regulations. Volkswagen AG’s dieselgate minefield claimed a new casualty. This time, it looks like organized labor triggered the explosion.
Archives for September 2016
Tuesday morning car news roundup, September 27, 2016
Top News:
- VW scandal spreading to Audi? Reports suggest so – Just-auto: Bloomberg said Audi had already been implicated in the year-long drama, but on a … Fixing that issue, encompassing about 85,000 vehicles, remains…
- Renault to set up autonomous demo zone in Wuhan – Just-auto: Renault has said it will set up an autonomous driving demonstration zone in the city of Wuhan in central China.
- VW says finances robust after media report knocks shares – Reuters: Volkswagen said on Tuesday its finances remained robust as it sought to allay concerns after a share fall which some traders linked to a media report which said the U.S. Justice Department was assessing whether fines could put the automaker out of business.
Monday morning car news roundup, September 26, 2016
Top News:
- Microsoft Agrees to Plug Renault-Nissan Cars Into The Cloud – Bloomberg: Microsoft Corp. agreed to provide cloud-computing services for cars made by Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA as the manufacturers push ahead with…
- UAW President Vows to Block Trans-Pacific Partnership – Detroit Bureau: Despite officially supporting Hillary Clinton for president, the UAW is vowing to fight the current Democratic President Barack Obama’s effort to pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
- Companies: Audi board member quits after emission scandal reports – FT: Audi’s head of technical development is leaving the company “with immediate effect”, Volkswagen’s luxury unit said on Monday, just a week after a…
Winterkorn Behind Dieselgate Coverup, New Docs Suggest
Former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn was well aware of the dieselgate scandal, long before it was made public, documents cited by Germany’s BILD Zeitung suggest. The material also appears to prove that Winterkorn initiated an attempted cover-up.
Audi, “The Mother Of All Dieselgate Cheating,” Keeps Its Oblivious CEO Rupert Stadler
Last Wednesday, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler was interrogated by investigators of the Jones Day lawfirm, who showed great interest in his involvement with Volkswagen’s dieselgate scandal. What transpired on the hotseat depends on who you ask. Some claim the interview produced a lot of nothing. Some say that Stadler was confronted with new accusations. Then there is that long-term Volkswagen executive who tells me that Stadler could be the lynchpin of present and past Volkswagen scandals, and that no-one in Volkswagen’s leadership would have any interest in Stadler becoming talkative.
A Famous Tokyo Landmark Returns To Tokyo As Nissan Reclaims The Heart Of Ginza
Nothing symbolized Japan’s economic heydays more than Tokyo’s Ginza with its luxury department stores, designer boutiques and hostess bars, where a cocktail and some small talk could cost you big money. Ginza’s bustling 4-chome intersection is what Times Square is for Manhattan, and for decades, the cylindrical Nissan Building power-towered over the square. Its downstairs showroom, dubbed Nissan Gallery, was a major attraction – or possibly, its all-female staff was. In 2009, Nissan traded Tokyo’s most expensive real estate for a new building and tax breaks in neighboring Yokohama. The landmark Nissan Gallery was moved to Kanagawa as well, and a neglected Ginza showroom turned into a symbol for Japan’s lost decade. Two years ago, it closed. Today, it came back, more glamorous than ever.
Friday morning car news roundup, September 23, 2016
Top News:
- Toyota’s Japan ad agency Dentsu to repay advertising overcharges – Automotive News: Ad agency Dentsu will pay an estimated 230 million yen ($2.3 million) back to customers, including Toyota, that it overcharged for Internet advertisements in a case likely to stoke concern that digital media transactions have lacked transparency.
- Honda projects declining U.S. auto sales to ‘good industry’ pace – Automotive News: Auto sales in the U.S. may not set a record this year and will probably decline from 2015’s record in the coming years, said Honda’s top American sales executive.
- MG pulls out of UK production – Autocar: British brand MG, which has been under ownership by Chinese automotive giant SAIC, will not produce its range of cars at its Longbridge plant
Thursday morning car news roundup, September 22, 2016
Top News:
- GM Expects Improved Second-Half Earnings – Detroit Bureau: General Motors Co. re-affirmed its earlier forecast, calling for the company to make up to $6 per share and said it expects to exceed its cost-savings target of $5.5 billion.
- Apple-Target McLaren Is a Tech Company Disguised as a Carmaker – Bloomberg: McLaren has also achieved the transition from developer of industry-leading technology to a full-scale producer of street-legal cars in just six years,…
- McLaren denies Apple takeover, investment – Just-auto: McLaren has denied earlier reports by the Financial Times and others Apple has approached it over a potential takeover or strategic investment.